Review: Locomotion of Escape by Tachanka/Vanessa Funke (Split album, 2025)

Band info

Location: US

Location: Germany

Album: ‘Locomotion of Escape‘

Released: February 21st, 2025

Review

All art in the present day is forced to deal with the fact that capitalism is unravelling the world, both literally and metaphorically, and the music we bring to ABMN is made by those who have decided to fight for a better world in any way they can. Sometimes, however, all of us wish we could just… escape.

And ‘Locomotion of Escape‘, a split by our comrades Tachanka and Vanessa Funke, in this reviewer’s opinion, is a bit of a soundtrack to that. This is not “escapism” per se; it does not focus on Tolkien or Malazan or Madoka or whatever alternate universe – not that there would be anything wrong with that -, but rather, it just seems to express that desperate need to just get away from the daily war that is waged on our bodies and minds by the bourgeoisie. As trans women, arguably the single most persecuted group in the world right now (and not only by fascists, as the UK’s Labour or Greece’s KKE horribly demonstrate), they manage to evoke that longing with a lot of atmospheric, but also VERY unorthodox songs.

Vanessa‘s side is easier to put in words, being a mix of melodic black/death metal with gothic overtones and a mellow touch – think the lighter moments of Insomnium, and you’ll have an idea, though it’s more complicated than that. What Tachanka does, though, is much harder to even vaguely describe… “ambient/sludge prog post-rock/metal” (?) is what comes to mind, with a very intentionally rarefied, bassy sound that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Whatever one calls it, it somehow communicates with this reviewer’s pain. If Trans Woman Black Metal is our weapon, like we have repeatedly stated, ‘Locomotion of Escape‘ shows it can also be, not precisely a shield, but maybe a balm to soothe the soul a bit, or at least to show that our wounds are collective and not the result of individual failure.

We take what we can, with lives like ours – and here Vanessa Funke and Tachanka help us get through the week, or the day, or something. No small feat.

Band info

Review

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