SPILL TRACK OF THE MONTH: ESSEX – “EIGHTIES”

ESSEX – “EIGHTIES”

CLEOPATRA RECORDS

Essex is back! The singularly-named singer who made his debut earlier this year alongside Runaways legend Cherie Currie on the viral hit “When You’re Young,” returns with his first ever solo single, a pounding reinvention of Killing Joke’s “Eighties” – a UK hit back in 1984, and a widely rumored influence on the Nirvana song “Come As You Are” a decade later.

The song certainly was an appropriate choice for Essex. Poised to land at the precise intersection of Duran Duran’s sleek pulse, Billy Idol’s swagger, and Joy Division’s shadow, Essex’s music draws from a time when guitars and synths hit hard, songs were built to last, and authenticity mattered more than trends, or being flashy and glammy – a bold, uncompromising sound custom built for today’s alternative landscape.

Producer Jürgen Engler, who worked with Killing Joke’s own Paul Raven (RIP), was certainly impressed. “Essex’s vocals add a raw energy to the old favorite Killing Joke track ‘Eighties’, the likes we haven’t heard in a long time! It perfectly fits the urgency of the song, deeply rooted in the 80s but with a very contemporary feel! I have the feeling Raven would have approved of it, and maybe he would have even played the bass on it… heaven only knows.”

Essex himself continues, “Reimagining a cover while still respecting the original was important to me, and having collaborators like Marcus Nand [he tracked Essex’s vocals] and Vicente Cordero helped bring that vision to life. Even though the song is rooted in the ’80s, a lot of its themes still feel incredibly relevant today, and the video helped amplify that atmosphere.”

The accompanying video does indeed capture Essex in prime form, a dark night in the darkest niterie, Essex striding through in his signature red coat as the bright young things of the post-Rocky Horror demi-monde pose, preen and sway around him. It is both a glorious throwback to the titular decade, and a brilliant reminder that, no matter what is going on in the musical mainstream, the underground will always find its own way into the light.

“This was the first time I truly felt connected to the visual side of my artistry,” said Essex, “and working with Vicente and Marcus made that experience even more meaningful. Seeing so many talented people come together for the project was genuinely eye-opening — it felt like a creative dream coming to life.”

Essex himself is currently hard at work on his full length debut album. Scheduled for release later this year its dark-edged fulled guitars and synths, commanding melodies, and sharp, aggressive bite continue channeling the raw electricity of the MTV-era ’80s at their peak, even as they charge forward with modern grit and venomous danger.

This is music built on volume, emotion, and conviction, hooks you can shout, grooves you can feel, and a presence that refuses to be ignored.

Right now, though, “Eighties” – like “When You’re Young” – is the ideal introduction to him, a supercharged collision of eras, attitude, and influence, as momentous as it is memorable, and as unique as the talent that brings the song back to life.

TRACK FEATURED BY DJ DREAMDOCTOR ON CURRENTS | EPISODE #22

Essex
[Single]
(Cleopatra Records)
Release Date: May 20, 2026