Introducing Those Holy: Cold Celtic Electronics

BabyStep Magazine
1 day ago
2 min read

Liverpool duo Those Holy have announced their debut EP Cold Celtic Electronics, arriving 28th August, alongside the release of its haunting new single 'New Skin' and an atmospheric accompanying video.

Built on a foundation of coldwave, gothic pop and industrial electronics, Cold Celtic Electronics is a stark, hypnotic introduction to a band carving out a singular space in the UK's underground scene. Stripping their sound back to sparse rhythms, distant vocals and immersive repetition, Those Holy create music that feels as much like a ritual as it does a club record.

Leading the announcement is 'New Skin', a brooding, dancefloor-ready exploration of obsession and emotional collapse. "'New Skin' is about what happens when feelings of obsession completely consume you," explains vocalist Lucy Grey. "It's about the ugliness, the desperation and the absolute loss of control."

The EP also sees the duo reclaiming and reshaping Celtic identity. Rather than leaning into familiar romantic imagery, producer Chrissy Connor and Grey weave subtle traces of their Irish and Welsh heritage into the music's textures. Ancient-sounding drones, echoes of uilleann pipes and Grey's use of the Welsh language create an atmosphere that is unmistakably Celtic, but viewed through a darker, more industrial lens.

That rawness extends to the recording process. Rejecting polished digital production, the pair recorded the EP entirely live using hardware synths before committing the performances straight to tape. The result is deliberately murky and unpredictable, with Connor describing the desired sound simply as: "Like a bog."

Having built a formidable reputation through intense live performances, Those Holy have shared stages with Liturgy, Dame Area, Autumns, Tolouse Low Trax, Topographies and most recently Mandy, Indiana, while becoming a fixture of Liverpool's thriving experimental scene through venues such as Quarry.

With momentum continuing to build around the fiercely independent project, Cold Celtic Electronics promises to establish Those Holy as one of the UK's most compelling new alternative acts.

Those Holy – Cold Celtic Electronics is released 28th August.

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