White Ring

White Ring crafts somber yet alluring electronic pop compositions, typically incorporating ethereal singing, distorted low-end frequencies, and synths that evoke a mix of darkness and ecstasy while pulling from trance, industrial, and trap. Linked to the witch house scene, the act put out several acclaimed extended plays and DJ mixes in the first half of the 2010s prior to an apparent disappearance. After nearly a decade of development, their first complete album, Gate of Grief, emerged in 2018.

Formed initially by Bryan Kurkimilis and Kendra Malia, who connected via the internet in 2007 and shared tastes across Southern rap, rave, post-punk, and neofolk. The New York duo produced eerie, atmospheric synth pop tracks that began circulating online toward the close of the 2000s. In 2010, amid widespread attention to witch house from online outlets, White Ring issued their debut EP, Black Earth That Made Me, through Houston-based Disaro, a flagship label of the movement. They followed with two 7" singles, one a split alongside oOoOO, and delivered sold-out performances in New York and the U.K. By 2011, their remix of God Module's "Rituals" appeared via Metropolis Records, and their version of Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My" was released as a 12" single on Handmade Birds. The pair also joined U.K. indie label Rocket Girl, which reissued Black Earth That Made Me.

Recording of the debut album began in 2010, yet personal difficulties, including health problems for Malia, caused multi-year delays. In 2016, Adina Viarengo joined as White Ring's second vocalist while Malia remained part of the group and continued at her own pace. Viarengo and Kurkimilis relocated to Joshua Tree, California, to finish the record, and they performed new material in Los Angeles before the year ended. The group later moved to Massachusetts and played several U.K. dates supporting God Is an Astronaut. Gate of Grief finally appeared on Rocket Girl in June 2018.