RG Erwin, the creative force behind Melbourne’s Victorian Darkwave is back with another taste of his brooding musical world. With a penchant for weaving together atmospheric textures with potent musical ideas, Erwin’s project draws from the deeper currents of darkwave and its sonic subgenres to create something nostalgic, reflective, and remarkable.

Having previously dipped into '80s gloom with ‘Dark Disco Romantik’, our first introduction to the project, RG Erwin is back with ‘80’s Man’. While the previous cut was a shimmering single laced with an electronic edge, the new track is a more openly reflective occasion, one that draws you back to the ‘80s in more ways than one.

Wasting absolutely no time in making its presence felt, the track launches right in with a distinctly melodic darkwave character. It’s a really polished piece of synth-pop, underscored by a layer of palpable angst. This provides the perfect bed for Erwin’s vocals, which arrive with a sort of post-punk sneer and a raw intensity that cuts through the mix.

The lyrical journey immediately pulls the listener back in time, opening with the direct and yearning lines, "I wish it were the 80's, I wish that I could go back, make amends for things I've done, get right back on track." This sets the stage for a look back at a past that feels simpler or perhaps just different from the present, highlighted in key lines like, "Back in the day we had such fun, now we are under the screw."

'80s Man', the first glimpse from Victorian Darkwave’s second album, ‘The Twining Echo’, feels like a poignant reflection on time, regret, and the inescapable pull of nostalgia, all wrapped up in Victorian Darkwave's signature atmospheric style.

You can stream the full album today on Bandcamp, and follow RG Erwin now on Instagram, Facebook, and X.