Light Asylum

Light Asylum
Light Asylum
Background information
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres	Post-punk, synthpop, darkwave
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Mexican Summer, Cooperative Music
Members	Shannon Funchess
Past members	Bruno Coviello

Light Asylum is a Brooklyn-based electronic music project from Shannon Funchess.

Her music is heavily influenced by 1980s music and incorporates elements of darkwave, synthpop and post-punk. The Guardian compared Light Asylum to Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode.^[1]

History

Funchess founded Light Asylum in 2007 and asked Bruno Coviello to join as keyboard player after hearing him play guitar for a friend's project.^[2]

The band released their first EP In Tension in 2010. The four-track EP was re-released in 2011 through indie label Mexican Summer.^[3] Their self-titled début album was released in May 2012. It received generally positive reviews from Pitchfork,^[4] Fact,^[5] Mixmag,^[6] NME,^[7] XLR8R^[8] and The Quietus.^[9]

Coviello left the project in 2012 shortly after the debut LP was released to pursue other things.^[10]

Funchess has provided vocals for acts such as TV on the Radio, !!! and Telepathe.^[11] Funchess also collaborated with The Knife on the track "Stay Out Here" from the band's fourth album Shaking the Habitual in 2013.

Light Asylum's song "Dark Allies" was used as the theme song of the 2019 podcast The Ballad of Billy Balls.^[12]

In 2022, Light Asylum performed at the Cold Waves music festival in Chicago and played two new songs. Funchess promised "new music soon."^[13]

^ Ruth Saxelby (2012-05-26). "Light Asylum take synth-pop back to its industrial past | Music". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "Interview: Light Asylum". El Garaje de Frank. 2020-01-21. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
^ PlayGround. "Mexican Summer". PlayGround-Online Music Magazine. Playgroundmag.net. Archived from the original on 2014-07-05. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "Light Asylum: Light Asylum". Pitchfork. 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "Light Asylum: Light Asylum". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. Factmag.com. 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ Worthy, Stephen (2012-07-11). "Light Asylum". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 2013-05-13. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "Light Asylum - 'Light Asylum'". NME Album Reviews. Nme.Com. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "Light Asylum". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 2013-10-27. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "Reviews | Light Asylum". The Quietus. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "Interview: Light Asylum". El Garaje de Frank. 2020-01-21. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
^ "Shannon Funchess Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
^ "The Ballad Of Billy Balls". The Ballad Of Billy Balls. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
^ "The 25 most anticipated synthpop releases of 2023". Synthpop Fanatic. 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-05-03.