Photo Credit: Tilman Koeneke
Whenever you think of phenomenal multi-media artists that combine sonic wizardry, costuming, paint, lighting, and all those other aspects together a couple of acts come to my mind such as Heilung and NIN and Rammstein and others in that vein. But what I find more important is that that very spirit is also kept alive in the independent circuits, such as with dark pop act Moons in Retrograde. Forming at the start of 2022, founder Kara Kuckoo has been steadily releasing a stream of music which is culminating with her forthcoming release The Third Side of the Coin. Find out about Kara, her project, and her latest album in this edition of INTRODUCING.
Give us a brief about your band. Who are you and what do you do?
Moons In Retrograde is a dark alternative nightmare trip-pop solo music project, which has a strong visual element alongside it. I am a multimedia artist and use many mediums to create a visual world alongside the music. Moons In Retrograde is about digging up and reflecting on buried emotions. Just like the moon, everyone and everything has a dark side and MIR dives into the dualistic nature of the universe and explores the tension of these two opposing forces.
The music plays a tug of war between the perfection of universal chaos, the violent nature of life, and an idealistic desire to bridge the growing gap in our polarized society. MIR weaves a soundscape which shines a light into the deepest corners of the mind and exposes the truth about the dark side of humanity, while simultaneously discovering the core of the human soul.
When did you first launch the project and how has it come along since?
Moons In Retrograde started in 2022 and has since then evolved in many ways. At the beginning the music style was more experimental, and I was creating a lot of disturbing visuals using body-paint to tell stories via videos. Since then, the music has really developed, not only in style but in quality. MIR has a distinct sound that bridges dark and dreamy with the experimental, weaving it together. The look and storytelling are now more specific, and with less ‘in your face’ visuals.
What bands and artists influenced you the most and why?
Heilung is one of my biggest influences. The use of my breath as percussion was inspired by them, and you can hear some kind of tribal sounds here and there throughout the music. Another influence would be IAMX. I’ve always admired how he had his own sound which was dark and dreamy with lyrics that had a lot of depth. IAMX is also “dark”, “electronic”, “rock” but not necessarily fitting into any one genre within the dark scene. I like music that has its own sound, its own stamp, which you cannot fit into one box.
If you could pick a single song from your discography to explain your music, which song would you pick and why?
‘The Edge of Entropy’. This song really captures everything Moons In Retrograde is about. MIR is all about reviewing emotions as well as exploring the natural (and sometimes unnatural) state of duality within society and the universe. ‘The Edge of Entropy’ is about standing on the precipice of transformation. The song is about realising that our perceived identity is just an illusion made up of layers of hurt, personal experiences and learned behaviours, and that the truth of ‘self’ is something deeper. Finding that truth is scary, and you stand on the edge of entropy watching from a safe distance, waiting to take the plunge. The music has a dynamic which fits the story, and in doing so weaves together the elements that make up MIR’s distinct sound.
What is your most recent release and what is it about?
The latest single and video is ‘Mirror Obscura’, which is the lead single from the forthcoming album, The Third Side of the Coin. Carl Jung said, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” Mirror Obscura is about facing one’s own darkness through the infinite mirrors of other people. We tend to avoid and push away that which makes us uncomfortable, and therefore we cannot recognize ourselves within these mirrors. The song is about diving deep into the reflections, embracing one’s own dark side, and accepting ourselves and others as flawed in the Mirror Obscura. When we can see ourselves fully, we can recognize all facets as being on a spectrum and not the perceived dualistic nature, which is the theme of The Third Side of The Coin.
Take us through your creative process. How do you compose a song from start to finish? Where do the ideas come from?
I think every song is a bit different, but typically, a concept will come to mind while walking through the woods. I’ll start dissecting the idea and piecing it back together in form of lyrical ideas and then build the music on top of that. Other times I will find a melody on my guitar and sing random words, which I change later. Several of my songs began as acoustic songs that I later completely changed in the studio. So, there isn’t one recipe. I just let it come however it wants to come, and ride it to the end.
What’s your current favorite song, band, or album within your scene? And vice versa, what do you enjoy the most that’s completely opposite of what you make?
That is a really difficult question. There is so much good music from the dark scene and I love discovering new music and making compilation playlists from the best of the best. Top songs for me right now are: She Past Away – ‘Durdu Dünya’; VAST – ‘Winter in My Heart’; Valhall – ‘Down in the Woods’; and Melt Motif – ‘Red Velvet Ant’. Honestly, I think Melt Motif has such a strong collection of music and are possibly my favourite at the moment. And as for the opposite it is a clear answer: Ween. I have always loved Ween since 1994 and always will. Those guys are so bizarre, weird and wonderful. Each album is a completely different journey… like tripping through a dream world. I would have to say they have also influenced me in my music making process throughout my many years of making music… it is subtle but always there.
What is on the horizon for your project? Upcoming gigs, tours, merch, videos, etc. Name it, link it, show it off.
At the moment I am putting together a live show which will be like dark pop-art installation performance art. It is a bit of a challenge to create something I can move quickly so I am trying to develop that. Gigs are not yet confirmed but will be, via my website and social media.
There will also be a Vinyl LP of The Third Side of The Coin available via my website and Bandcamp. I have also started to put together a small lyric book with some of my own art and photography but also some analogue photography from my partner. We are compiling a collection of weird art that will fit the theme of The Third Side of The Coin. Everything is evolving so follow me on Bandcamp or join my mailing list via my website.
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