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Nov 19, 2024 By Caleb Campbell Photography by John Wiener

WORK is a new LA-based electro punk duo from musicians Julio Tavarez and Joe Zizzo. Both musicians cut their teeth in rock bands in the early 2000s, with Zizzo playing in post punk band The Sleeping and Tavarez playing in the indie rock outfit As Tall As Lions. More recently, the pair have also worked together as the rhythm section for alt rock band Bob Moses. WORK represents the duo’s foray into electronic and dance-tinged styles, debuting this year with a series of new singles, “Please,” “Islands,” and their latest track, “Manson.”

Today, they’re sharing an accompanying music video for “Manson,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Manson” is a concentrated burst of shadowy dance punk, driven by a relentless mechanical beat and pulsing bassline. Tavarez and Zizzo suffuse the track with equal parts manic furor and dancefloor glamor, blending Nine Inch Nails’ jagged industrial edges with a sleek electro pop undercurrent. Squalling guitars intersect with buzzing, bass-heavy percussion and chopped vocals, all as Tavarez spirals into moody theatrics. Although the title references the infamous cult leader, the lyrics are more oblique, instead letting Tavarez craft a repetitious chant that is equal parts hypnotic and sinister: “Can anybody tell / I’ve been talking to myself?” The accompanying video takes on a similarly disorienting edge, with the band moving in and out of focus while covered in blacklight paint.

Tavarez states, “It’s about the relentless, restless feeling of running from something you can’t quite shake and the spiral of exhaustion and self-questioning. The plea for someone to notice deals with isolation and the struggle to find peace or clarity in the middle of chaos. It also represents the anxiety of having an overactive mind, which in today’s world, is something we are all struggling with.”

Check out the song and video below, out everywhere now. Stream it here.