Music Crowns is proud to premiere the release of Nervous Systems, the long-awaited debut album from Seattle-based musician Dan Powers, known for his evocative solo project Mutual Shock.
The ten-track collection builds on the critical acclaim of last year’s Stimulus Progression EP, carving even deeper into the brooding sonic and emotional terrain that defines Powers’ unique musical voice.
Fusing the hypnotic allure of synthpop with the stark minimalism of cold wave, Nervous Systems is a sonic journey through alienation, societal decay, and the ambient dread of modern existence. Drawing inspiration from the grayscale melancholy of Black Marble and Molchat Doma, as well as the industrial edge of Nine Inch Nails and Cabaret Voltaire, Powers crafts a sound that pulses with the haunting elegance of Drab Majesty, the kinetic urgency of Boy Harsher, and the genre-shaping echoes of New Order and Depeche Mode.
“This album is about navigating the slow erosion of self under late capitalism,” Powers explains. “It’s about doubt, unease, and trying to make sense of a world that often feels dehumanizing and disconnected.”
Lyrically sharp and thematically unflinching, Nervous Systems explores the numbing monotony of work culture, digital disconnection, and the existential weight of a hyper-mediated society. It’s introspective music that speaks outwardly—an artistic mirror reflecting both inner turmoil and collective anxiety.
Preceded by singles “Destroyer,” “Body Together,” and “Bore Me,” the album teases a darker, more urgent sound palette—where brooding electronics blur into post-punk shadows and minimalist structures crackle with emotional electricity.
With Nervous Systems, Mutual Shock doesn’t just offer a collection of songs, but a vivid soundscape for uncertain times—a debut that feels both timeless and utterly of the moment.
Listen to Nervous Systems—now premiering exclusively on Music Crowns.
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