thewalkingicon project was formed in early 2018 by Sasha Rempel, the singer for Kaliningrad break-beat act INSPIRA and Dmitry Osipov, the member and founder of famous Moscow alternative and industrial 90-s pioneers Crocodile T.X. and Thaivox, who made big noise that times with the shows with The Prodigy, The Young Gods and Clawfinger and the NewBodyForms album wich was highly rotated by big radiostations what was very unusual for this kind of music in Russia that time. For Osipov thewalkingicon was the return for his favoirite “bedroom production” format, wich also made a start for Thaivox in 1997. The decades of musical experience plus the vox and stage charisma finally transformed into highly lyrical material, very surprising especially after looking at what Sasha makes in INSPIRA and what Dmitry plays as a member of Moscow heavy hardcore long-livers Fallen Angels Crew. So due to a wide musical preferences of the members of thewalkingicon its hard to classify properly the exact genre of the band (a mixture between synthpop, indiepop, electropop with synthwave elements, highly influenced by 80’s new wave, 90’s spirit and 2000’s alternative electronic acts like Fever Ray, Röyksopp, etc). The bans's music was critically acclaimed by some big music outlets like side-line.com, brutalresonance.com, idieyoudie.com and whitelight-whiteheat.com and was rotated by radiostations including KEXP, canadian national broadcast station CBC and numerous web radio stations across the world.
Releases:
Albums: Galaxy of Youth (2019, ScentAir records)
Shadow of the Saints (2021, Negative Gain Productions)
Singles:
Dead Heart (2019)
Storm in My Head (Radio Edit, 2019)
W.O.Y.S. (2019)
3 for the Past (2020)
Naive (2021)
Remixes and collabs:
All You'll Ever Be (SUPERCRAFT remix, 2019, ScentAir records)
Freedom (feat. LSE Project) 2020
Цветы на Огороде (Звуки Му remix feat. LSE Project) 2020
Falling (IAMTHESHADOW remix on Everything in this Nothingness [Remixed] album, 2021, Cold Transmission)
Reviews:
thewalkingicon – Shadow of the Saints (Negative Gain Productions)
This Russian duo’s second album is a solid set of goth-tinged electro-pop with dark synths, propulsive beats, ethereal vocals and hypnotic melodies.
KEXP.org
thewalkingicon, “Naïve”
...Enjoy “Naive”, the first taste of the duo’s second LP and first on Negative Gain Productions. An immediate blend of darkwave and electro-pop sounds, “Naïve” is bringing to mind the bounce and melody of the likes of Parralox and Zeigeist.
idieyoudie.com
“Listening to thewalkingicon brings up odd feelings of wonder. Whatever they did, it’s magical and well worth a listen.”
brutalresonance.com
“This is more than simply a promising debut; this album clearly reveals experienced musicians dealing with refreshing electro-pop music.”
side-line.com on Galaxy of Youth album
“An admirable debut from every point of view (from writing to arrangements, from execution to production), the first important step of an act which lacks nothing to establish itself in a wider audience: to be discovered and appreciated, without hesitation.”
darkroom-magazine.it on Galaxy of Youth album
“Deep throbbing rolling basslines snap-in sync with hissing metallic backbeats slowly building tension as heartfelt emotionally drained vocals release melancholic harmonies surrounded by swells of synthetic subterfuge and repetitive robotic rhythm mixed with dire drone horns sorrowful cry.”
whitelight-whiteheat.com on Wastelands of Your Stars single
All music available at thewalkingicon.bandcamp.com