Ruff Majik Premiere “She’s Still a Goth” Video; New Album Elektrik Ram Due in April
With the release tomorrow of their new single She’s Still a Goth, Lydenburg, South Africa, four-piece-with-new-press-shots-soon Ruff Majik also announce the coming of their next album, Elektrik Ram, due from Mongrel Records in April 2023, which may feel and sound like the distant future when people live on Mars and there’s no war on Earth and someone still being a goth would be like a big surprise I guess, but, you know, isn’t actually that far away. Far enough that I haven’t asked to hear the record yet though, not least since I don’t know whether or not it’s done.
I know this song rocks. Among the rampage of admirable qualities in Ruff Majik‘s music, whether it’s the frenetic guitar strum and intertwining leads of Johni Holiday or the depth of vocal arrangement that’s somewhere between Axl Rose and Josh Homme, the shove of groove, etc., the willingness to have actual-fun is a standout, and “She’s Still a Goth” — why on earth wouldn’t she be? — is a blast in that very spirit. Written in homage to Holiday‘s wife, Anni Buchner, who’s been doing art for the band for years now as Ale & Cake Illustration — she helmed the Pulp comic they had out last year as well, and that also was actual-fun — it is nonetheless a reminder that, no matter who you are, where or how you live, gender, orientation, anything, at some point, 
everybody has had a crush on a goth girl. It’s a part of life in modern times.
Ruff Majik would probably need to slow down a bit to play toward actual goth music, but I’ve known goths into Misfits and Ministry and so on, so maybe there’s a place for them to play at ‘grim’ for a while — at least for the sub-three-minute run of this track — and if the rules are bent, so be it. One more reason to look forward to Elektrik Ram, which will serve as the follow-up to 2020’s The Devil’s Cattle (review here), an absolute fucking destroyer of a rock album that the band of course didn’t get to give nearly the support touring that it deserved because, well, you were there.
Ooh, I wonder if they’ll have a pandemic song on the record. Those are lyrics I want to see.
Onto the list of 2023’s most anticipated it goes, and I’m just kind of assuming they’ll head back up to Europe to tour, but I haven’t actually seen dates or anything yet. April release means Spring festival season is in play, though, so it’ll be worth keeping an eye out.
Enjoy the video. Yes, it’s got a bat:
Ruff Majik, “She’s Still a Goth” video premiere
South African stoner rock cult Ruff Majik releases their first new music since the critically acclaimed 2020 album The Devil’s Cattle. Frontman and chief songwriter, Johni Holiday splatters latest single She’s Still A Goth with 80’s tinged goth saturated rock and roll synth-wave. Biting down on a dirty riff and even filthier backbeat the song includes a doom infused breakdown and highly flammable swagger throughout. The track is the first single from their highly anticipated upcoming album Elektrik Ram, which drops in April 2023.
Johni and his wife’s (Anni Buchner of Ale & Cake Illustration) fascination with b-grade horror and gothic imagery has always been influential in the lyrical themes and overall image of the band. When Anni fell in love once more with 80’s tinged gothic synthwave during the pandemic, it inspired him to write a tune in ode to her – featuring references to classic gothic imagery whilst still fitting neatly into the realm of Tarantino-esque desert rock.
It’s just a love song. Nothing more, nothing less. Packaged neatly in a ghoulish package…” – Johni Holiday
Buy / Stream She’s Still a Goth on Mongrel Records
https://orcd.co/shesstillagoth
Current lineup:
Johni Holiday
Jimmy Glass
Cowboy Bez
Steven Bosman
