When punk meets dark, gothic sounds, it births a world like that of Lifeless Past. This duo, featuring Injerreau Cijntje know as Satori on vocals, guitars, and production and Brandon Schotte on live percussion, is carving out a unique path in the post-punk and goth scene, melding elements of ‘80s darkwave. We recently caught up with the band to discuss their origins, latest release, and what lies ahead.

Though their journey as a band started in the Netherlands, both Satori and Brandon were born and raised on the island of Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean. It wasn’t until later, at a punk concert in the Netherlands, that their paths crossed through mutual friends.

“It’s safe to say punk music brought us together,” Satori reminisces. “We had an instant connection over our love for the genre, and the rest followed naturally.”

From Pattern Cutoff to Lifeless Past

Satori’s musical resume is a deep dive into underground scenes. “Before Lifeless Past, I was involved in a few bands,” Satori recalls. “I played bass guitar and synthesizer in Pattern Cutoff, a Synthpunk/Electroclash band, from 2007 to 2013. Then, I joined a Surf/Garage punk band called Frankenberries, where I played guitar from 2010 until 2014.”

Lifeless Past started in 2012 as a solo project. “I wrote the first EP back then, but it wasn’t until later that the project turned into a live duo act.”

The name Lifeless Past was born from the need to encapsulate the dark, goth aesthetic of their music. “There’s no deep, personal meaning behind the name,” Satori explains. “We wanted something conceptual, something that conveyed the goth element we were aiming for.”

Crafting the Sound

Satori, the primary songwriter, works tirelessly to perfect Lifeless Past’s sound, but Brandon is an integral part of the creative process. “We sometimes jam and build on each other’s ideas,” Satori notes. “But with our busy schedules and the challenge of logistics, we don’t get to do it as often as we’d like.”

Their latest single, This Demise, is evidence to their evolving sound. Written by Satori and accompanied by a video directed by Mitch Gummels, the track blends dark, moody guitar melodies with energetic punk beats. “I wanted to bring more bass synthesizers into this one,” Satori says. “The vocals have a punky, garage edge—less melodic, more raw.”

Check out the new video This Demise from Lifeless Past

Lyrically, This Demise is about facing the consequences of poor life choices and learning to push through. A theme that resonates deeply in their music’s dark, introspective tone.

Lifeless Past draws heavily from the 80s, but their influences span across multiple genres. “We’re influenced by the broad spectrum of goth rock and deathrock, but also modern synthpunk and garage punk,” Satori says. Bands like Joy Division, The Cure, Christian Death, and Dead Born Babies are touchstones for the duo, while newer genres like darkwave and even cloud rap make occasional appearances in their music.

Vocally, they channel the brooding tones of goth forefathers while dipping into the more vulnerable melodic styles of nu-metal bands like Deftones, Korn, and Taproot.

As the year marches on, 2024 has been a landmark for Lifeless Past. “One of our biggest highlights was opening for Shellac at the Paradiso in Amsterdam,” Satori beams. “We also have a tour in Poland starting in October, and in December, we’ll be opening for Dool at the Melkweg.”

Though no major tour is planned for 2025, the duo promises more music. “We have a ton of unreleased material that we’re excited to put out. We’ve also got a few shows lined up in Germany, and we’re talking to organizers in California for a potential West Coast tour,” Satori reveals.

While the goth and darkwave scene isn’t huge in the Netherlands, Lifeless Past feels immense support from the local community. “There’s definitely a small, dedicated scene here,” says Satori. “The Grauzone Festival in The Hague has been a big boost for us, and the local old-school wavers and goths have shown nothing but love.”

For fans looking to explore more of the scene, Lifeless Past recommends checking out bands like The Medicines, Hollow Reflection, Sterk Water, and Libertad.

As for their loyal supporters, Satori and Brandon have nothing but gratitude. “We want to thank all of our fans for their support over the last decade. Stay tuned—there’s a lot of new material coming soon. And keep coming to our shows, because that’s where the magic happens!”

Pictures copyright by Mitch Gummels at Palligator Films, live shots by noheroes.jpg