The genesis of the Intellectual Dark Wave began in 2019 as a Twitter joke. It started with a string of Depeche Mode-influenced tunes mocking prominent conservative figures of the so-called “Intellectual Dark Web” such as Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro. The 1980s-inspired tunes included an eclectic mix of country, punk, metal, and disco, and tackled societal ills such as police brutality and imperialism.
A few months ago, Intellectual Dark Wave released a synthwave version of Joe Hill’s protest standard “There’s Power in a Union”, which also includes a companion video featuring clips from Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 film “Strike”. It is definitely a unique twist on the tune.
Intellectual Dark Wave also recently released “MLM” the lead single off the upcoming album Career Opportunities. It is a concept album with tunes covering anti-work themes.