L.F.T. - Hell Was Boring
It's fair to say that L.F.T. has been banging out releases of a superb standard at a pretty impressive rate for a while now. Each record mines further into the core of his aesthetic vision. Initially, L.F.T. favoured a more immediate electro flavour, but that has slowly evolved into a rich body of work spanning the far reaches of Europe's counter-cultural electronic and DIY movements.
For an aficionado of electro, the following sentence might not be exactly what you expect. Still, L.F.T.'s latest effort, Hell Was Boring (2025), expands on a rich vein of gothic post-punk that has been slowly growing in popularity through labels like Mannaquine and L.I.E.S. Records. This punky electro twist has been working for me for a while now. L.F.T., otherwise known as Johannes Haas, has been making waves in the scene for a while. All the way back in 2020 with Blood In The Grass, Haas has been refining his art, and at this point in 2025, he might be at the peak of his powers.
Hell Was Boring definitely feels a lot more in your face than efforts before in the best way. Haas showcases a more bombastic side to his production, helped by less synthesised sound. Drums sound fleshy, and guttural bass guitars give everything a raw, DIY edge, setting you up for a great time. Now, trust me when I say it's not all about instrumentation, as Haas has levelled up as a songwriter as well. Even with this switch to a more improvised sound, it's still unmistakably L.F.T. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say the sound has evolved from mature atmospheric and dark to a noisier Cyber goth inspired Trans human power post-punk that comes across effortless cool with shades of German proto-industrial and undercurrents of satanic panic while remaining (dare I say it) accessible. I know what you're thinking, "How can it be this niche and accessible?" Well… I don't really know, the record transports me back to before I was born, to the 1980s when bands like Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees ruled the airwaves, when records were much more about vibe than a particular sub-genre or insider group.
I think one of the most impressive aspects of Hell Was Boring is its ability to capture a DIY tone that feels at home in a dive bar or dingy club. The album is definitely rooted in punk, aggressive leftist music and early German synth, which places it directly within the intended framework of dance music. From the outset, you get thrown into the pit with 'Waste Your Facelift' which combines the gothy tones with fancy percussion and husky bass, punchy drums and a killer singable vocal that hits all the aspects of goth and emo rock. The tracks have a rattly, cobbled-together feel, only updated for modern audiences, much like Boy Harsher, before being taken into deep waters with free cigarettes, where occultist themes are injected into bitey hooks.
Some standouts on the album include 'Going in Circles', which uses tone-heavy, rolling Subs and a combination of local content, lo-fi recording, and dark, reverberant effects to create dissonance that evokes unease. Likewise, 'Iron Sights' slow, almost drunken, languished pace assumes introspection before hitting you upside the head with punchy screams.
The album isn't just a punk revival. The collaborations on the record actually serve as a welcome energy boost while maintaining that aesthetic. Take, for example, 'Totengräber', where, together with Felix Kubin, Haas makes one of the grottiest UK bass lines I've heard with shades of TS7 and RIP Productions. Offering something more closely related to German check-out 'Knebelfreunde' with Das Kinn, as it's a super-stylised Kraftwerk-esque ultra-electronics tune.
Hell Was Boring is less focused on overarching aesthetic themes, instead making interesting choices in favour of a much stronger whole. It becomes hard to tell whether this is an electronic Goth rock album or one rooted more in the industrial scene. I guess it doesn't really matter, as it's all of the above, and maybe one of my favourite albums of the year. It's endlessly replayable and carries enough sass and aggression to capture from the first second all the way to the last beat, all of which will give you a sense of "fuck yeah!" as you march your reclaimed military boots down the High Street, letting your trenchcoat drift from left or right under the immense pressure of your newly found confident shoulders. Superb work.
Mannaquin Records (2025)
L.F.T. - Hell Was Boring
