Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott are a duo from Naarm/Melbourne that create new wave, gothic punk music under the name HighSchool. They formed in 2021 and released their debut EP Forever At Last that same year, which was then followed by last year's EP Accelerator. Today, they've announced their self-titled debut album that's out October 31 via [PIAS]. Alongside the news, they've released the new single "Dipped," which is a ghostly good time.
The bass line of "Dipped" is embossed and instantly enchanting. It brings to mind the spooky, dangerous night clubs that David Bowie lurked through in 1983's The Hunger. It wades through various bleary stages like it's sloshed, meandering through rooms of a debaucherous house party. With lyrical references to everything from birth charts and greek mythology, it sounds like a mash of Bauhaus, Joy Division, and the Strokes -- a chaotic blunt rotation.
“This track explores themes of luck, chance, and gambling, using the Greek tragedy of Achilles as a metaphor for addiction, impulse, and human weakness," the band siad. "The cold, gothic, minor-key verses contrast with a warm, major-key chorus, creating a push-and-pull dynamic that feels both tense and euphoric. We recorded it in Lewes and added the final touches at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne with Aaron Dobos."
It comes with a haunted, Lynchian music video that Rory Trobbiani and Joel Wilson directed. Watch "Dipped" below.
HighSchool is out 10/31 via [PIAS].
