Swiss Dark Nights: The Spoiled – Living Ghosts
The Spoiled is an Italian modern darkwave band based around the solo work of Giovanni Santolla, combining industrial-inspired metallic percussion, distorted synths, hazy guitars, and ethereal vocals drawing from darkwave and shoegaze influences.
Living Ghosts marks an important chapter in The Spoiled’s self-exploration, serving as a direct follow-up to its debut album, Parasite. It reflects a reconciliation with the eerie anguish that defined its predecessor. Each track tells the story of a “living ghost,” delving into themes of loss, guilt, and the longing for redemption through introspective lyrics and a razor-sharp sound.
Entirely produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Giovanni Santolla, The Spoiled’s sophomore album is a love letter to the gloomy, melancholic, yet gut-wrenching atmospheres of early Nine Inch Nails and later works of The Soft Moon, while also drawing inspiration from Killing Joke and Suicide.