Last Updated on 2025-07-23 by a-indie
When I first started listening to overseas music, the post-punk genre possessed an almost unapproachable yet irresistible charm.
The cold, sharp sound that Joy Division embodied, reflecting a sense of suffocation and introspective anguish.
It certainly captured my heart, which harbored emotions with nowhere to go, and I once became completely obsessed with Bloc Party.
However, as time passed and I encountered countless bands, I gradually came to understand that “darkness” and “rebellious spirit” were not everything that post-punk had to offer.
And now, in Indonesia, post-punk is beginning to evolve in its own unique way.
Pillhs Castle, a post-punk trio based in Malang.
Their new song “Left Behind,” released on July 18, 2025, was exactly the piece that captured the potential I had felt in this genre.
This song, through the filter of post-punk, depicts “unwavering devotion” – something rarely discussed before – in a straightforward and beautiful manner.
What is Pillhs Castle?
Pillhs Castle is a trio consisting of Nando Septian (Vo.), Torkis Waradan (Gt.), and Leo (Dr.).
They describe their music as expressing “the fragility, sincerity, and enduring power of love hidden beneath post-punk’s dark and energetic exterior.”
Their new song “Left Behind” embodies these very words.
About the New Song “Left Behind”
The new song “Left Behind” depicts a story of determination – saying goodbye to past romances and fleeting relationships, choosing one person as “the only true love.”
“I love her, there will be no others here / I’ve leave behind the games of love / And with a simple words, I’ll say it clear / She is my choice”
These phrases pierce deep into the listener’s heart precisely because of their lack of pretense.
The Only Light Chosen to “Leave Behind”
The title “Left Behind” is suggestive. Not the passive sadness of “being left behind,” but the active determination of “leaving behind.”
It represents the fact that choosing something more precious and abandoning something else are two sides of the same coin.
Listening to this song evokes a scene from a monochrome movie.
The figure of a person in a dimly lit church, putting memories into boxes one by one, standing by a window where new morning light streams in.
Their expression is filled not with anxiety, but rather with refreshing resolve.
The delicate synthesizer layers enveloping the entire song give depth to this landscape of the heart.
It creates not the inherent coldness of post-punk, but an atmosphere with warmth, like the quietness before dawn.
A Challenge from Independent Label Ordo Nocturno
This work was released by the independent label Ordo Nocturno.
This label represents the conscience of the indie scene – not merely pursuing commercial success, but respecting the unique vision and sincere expression that artists possess.
The fact that bands like Pillhs Castle are getting support from such labels and sending their believed music to the world is great hope for us indie music fans.
This is a “challenge” to our preconceived notions about the post-punk genre.
EP Production Also in Progress
“Left Behind” doesn’t remain just a standalone single.
The band is currently working on producing an EP as their next work.
Expectations continue to rise regarding how their musical exploration demonstrated in this one song will be expressed throughout the entire EP.
After listening to this song, has there been any change in your “post-punk perspective”?
Pillhs Castle poses this question to us.
What they play is not conventional music, but sincere mirror-like post-punk that reflects stories about our own lives and love.
Please take the opportunity to experience the music that Pillhs Castle creates with your own ears.
Release Information
Pillhs Castle
New Single “Left Behind”
Released July 18, 2025
Label: Ordo Nocturno
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A specialized music media focusing on indie rock, covering music from Japan, Europe, America, and Asia. Published 26 issues of “BELONG Magazine,” a music magazine themed around “roots rock.”
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