Melbourne alternative innovators Schism 21C have released their brand-new single and music video ‘Delta V’, the third track to arrive from their long-awaited comeback album Only The Shell Remains.
‘Delta V’ continues the group’s tradition of merging theatrical stagecraft with darkwave sonics, threading together dense electronic textures, spiralling synths and the commanding vocals of frontman Simon ‘Circus’ Rashleigh. The single has already made an impression internationally, landing at No.2 in the UK, No.2 in Latin America, No.15 in the US (No.1 College and No.2 Alternative), and breaking into the Top 20 in Australia on the Play MPE weekly charts.
For Schism 21C, ‘Delta V’ is more than just a song – it’s a mission statement. The track takes its title from the scientific term describing the velocity required to shift trajectory, a fitting metaphor for a band that has shifted gears after four decades to re-emerge with a new darkwave identity.
The just-released video for ‘Delta V’ pushes Schism 21C’s visual identity as much as their sound. True to their reputation for theatricality, the clip blends shadowy imagery, cinematic atmospherics and a futuristic edge that matches the song’s pulsing electronics. It echoes the band’s history of staging elaborate live shows in Melbourne’s underground scene of the early 80s, when spectacle and sound were inseparable.
Schism 21C’s roots stretch back to their original incarnation as simply Schism, one of Melbourne’s most visually striking alternative acts of the post-punk era. The group built a cult following with headline shows at venues such as The Crystal Ballroom and Macy’s, sharing stages with The Birthday Party, Hunters and Collectors, INXS and Dead Can Dance.
Fast-forward forty years, founding members Rashleigh (vocals, synths) and Gordon ‘Gordo’ Graham (keyboards, synths, programming, drums) have resurrected the band in a slimmed-down duo format. The “21C” suffix signals their intent to re-imagine past material with a distinctly 21st-century darkwave edge.
The band’s comeback album Only The Shell Remains arrived earlier this year, with singles ‘Think Tank’ and ‘Prey / Pray’ paving the way for ‘Delta V’. Each track offers a slightly different angle of the Schism 21C sound – from goth prog and post-punk textures to synth-driven electronic rock – but the common thread is a bold disregard for genre boundaries.
Schism 21C describe themselves first and foremost as an “album act”, and Only The Shell Remains backs that up. The record fuses influences spanning King Crimson, Depeche Mode, Ultravox, Genesis and Sisters of Mercy, but always through a lens that’s unmistakably theirs. Lyrically, the songs avoid pop clichés in favour of sci-fi themes, occult references, political critique and explorations of the post-apocalyptic.
While the band’s comeback has naturally sparked curiosity from long-time fans of the Melbourne scene, Schism 21C are quick to stress this isn’t about nostalgia. The album re-boots and re-records past material, but ‘Delta V’ and its accompanying video prove they’re pushing firmly forward.
The duo’s sound is marked by what they call “busy rambling basslines, energised synth rock sonics and deep gothic layers”, underpinned by Graham’s intricate programmed rhythms and Rashleigh’s mystically tinged vocal delivery. On stage, Rashleigh embraces his persona as a real-life working wizard, adding another layer to the group’s mythology.
Alongside the single and video, Schism 21C are promoting a new ‘Live Local Show’ format in Australia, bringing their theatrical edge back to the stage. For those outside Australia, the band have made their music widely accessible, the album is distributed digitally via Distrokid and physically through their own label Schistration Music on vinyl and CD, complete with a 32-page booklet of liner notes, history and lyrics.
Watch the Noise11 Schism 21C Interview with Simon Circus
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