| French synthwave icon Carpenter Brut has released his brand new single ‘Leather Temple’. Featuring abrasive beats and dark textures, it’s the first taste and title track of Carpenter Brut’s third and final album in his Leather trilogy, due out in 2026. The single is accompanied by an immersive video directed by Dehn Sora. It introduces Midwichpolis, a post-apocalyptic city risen from nuclear fallout in 2077 which is the beating heart of the forthcoming album. The brutal empire is ruled by Iron Tusk, and at the centre of Midwichpolis stands the Temple, Iron Tusk’s tower, rising from the ground like a black blade driven into the city’s core. From its hundreds of floors, it looks down on the City of Light, sanctuary of the Mighty, where life is a parade of obscene luxury. Up there, the nights are never dark; neon and holograms bath the streets in artificial light, hiding the corruption and excess behind glass facades. Below, beyond walls that no one could breach, stretch the Midwich Slums – a kingdom of poverty, wreckage, and fear. Screens broadcast Tusk’s propaganda without pause, promising order and prosperity. In truth, misery rots the streets, and repression falls on anyone who dares to oppose him. Where the light was brightest, the shadows were deepest. ‘Leather Temple’ dives into a raw, rhythmic, and restless energy, capturing the anger and uprising in the slums with heavy metal riffs, while the pulsating neon synths beam from the City of Light. It distils a saturated 90s electro atmosphere — dark and unflinching — driven by sharp beats, distorted layers, and unrelenting tension. LISTEN TO ‘LEATHER TEMPLE’ HERE / WATCH THE VIDEO HERESince 2012, Carpenter Brut has been blending electronic music, metal, and 1980s pop culture into a unique universe that is both dark and energetic, and in the process has established himself as one of the leading figures on the international synthwave scene, with a powerful, dynamic sound. Drawing inspiration from John Carpenter and Dario Argento as much as from Slayer or Justice, Carpenter Brut has built a coherent, stylised, and shadowy world at the crossroads of retro thrillers, glam metal, and futuristic dystopia. His forthcoming new album finishes the Leather trilogy, which includes the hugely acclaimed 2018 debut Leather Teeth, which was in parts a celebratory take on ‘80s glam rock, and the 2022 follow-up Leather Terror, an altogether more malevolent slasher-horror affair telling the story of Brett Halford, a serial killer anti-hero wreaking revenge on those who wronged him. Like its predecessors, the new album forms the soundtrack in the latest chapter of this filmic concept. The aural and visual spectacle continues into Carpenter Brut live shows, and he has announced shows across Europe and the USA in March 2026. He will perform a special standalone UK headline appearance at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire on March 22nd. Full dates and tickets can be found here. | 
