New Music: Def Nettle – Mohawk

I had thought that the trend for suit-wearing men to sport mohawks was a peculiarly British thing, but Def Nettle has disabused me of the notion in sardonic style.

In a commodified and increasingly always-online culture, subcultures that were considered transgressive can be co-opted in a flash. On Mohawk, Def Nettle – vocalist/producer Glen Brady – is joined by rapper Lisa Doyle-Taaffe, as they take aim at how everything appears to be for sale. If you don’t want to sell your soul, someone will use AI and Temu to make a cheap knock-off for willing customers.

Mohawk isn’t an angry song; Def Nettle knowingly imparts his message via an arrangement and production style that places the track between goth and post-punk, with Easter eggs galore in the lyrics. It’s social commentary, with Brady in louche form and Doyle-Taaffe channelling real fire, using a genre that can come across as fashion, without form or function, to pick apart cultural trends.

Brady’s voice is stunning, Bowie mixed with Peter Murphy, perfect for lyrics that reference The Sisters, The Cure, and more in the lyrics, and an arrangement featuring a sonic love note to Killing Joke as the song fades out. Fuck art, let’s goth.

Mohawk can be streamed on Bandcamp and Spotify. Connect with Glen Brady and Def Nettle on Instagram or TikTok for artist and music updates.