Shaven Primates Shares “Chasing The Dragon” EP: A Raw Exploration of Desire’s Dark Corners

Something wonderfully ironic about the fact that Shaven Primates, a band from Oxford, makes some of the most evolved dark wave art rock in the UK.

Their most recent EP, “Chasing the Dragon,” is not just an improvement; it is a conscious step back into darker soundscapes, and it works perfectly.

Following their deep dives into conspiracy theories on “Birds Are not Real” and childhood pain on “Child of Dirt,” the band now turns their attention to desire itself.

But this is not just another collection of love songs. Instead, Shaven Primates break down all kinds of wanting: the need for connection in “Airwaves,” the need for truth in their gender-flipped cover of Kate Bush’s “Babooshka,” and, most viscerally, the need to quit in “I will Quit Tomorrow.”

On the first track of the EP, “Airwaves,” there are clear four-part harmonies floating above powerful instruments, like radio messages cutting through static. It is a clever sound metaphor for how the song talks about finding real connection in a world where competition is always present.

The band’s criticism of work culture does not fall into lazy pessimism. Instead, it makes a moving case for extreme humanity.

Their take on “Babooshka” is a masterful way to put it in a new light. By switching the parts of men and women in Bush’s story about a paranoid relationship, they add new layers to the original while still keeping its theatrical spirit.

While keeping the original’s baroque drama, this show adds sharp points of current dissatisfaction. It is less about how men and women interact when the male singer sings the famous chorus, and more about how the fear of betrayal can poison even the greatest love.

But “I will Quit Tomorrow” is the most heart-breaking song on the EP. The song brutally captures the looping logic of addiction. The grinding guitars and pumping rhythm section create a suffocating atmosphere that reflects how stuck people feel when they are addicted.

The voices go back and forth between sultry croons and deep screams, representing both the cycle’s pleasure and pain. In the best way possible, hearing makes you feel bad.

The whole process of production keeps a purposeful rawness that works perfectly with the material. “Chasing the Dragon” is very different from their previous work, which often used studio polish to create surreal noises. It is like being locked in a small room with four very talented players working through their problems in real time.

The band’s said inspirations, such as The Velvet Underground and Tool, are visible but well-digested, coming through as eerie sounds rather than clear tributes.

Shaven Primates stand out in the crowded UK post-punk revival scene because they are not content with just making choices about how they look; they also dig deep into their feelings.

That is not dark wave as a fashion statement; this is dark wave as a psychological dig. They have made something that feels both timeless and urgently modern, like finding drawings from old caves that show current worries.

“Chasing the Dragon” only has three tracks, but that is what makes it great. Like any strong desire, it makes you want more while also being respectful of the power of what it is talking about by not staying too long.

The Primates have given us exactly what we need: honest music with complex skills and just the right amount of art-rock experimentation to keep things wonderfully weird in a time when many bands mistake number for quality.

People who have been watching the band’s growth will see that this EP is both a natural next step and an exciting change. It is a great way for newbies to start exploring their unique world.

Any way you look at it, “Chasing the Dragon” shows that Shaven Primates are still one of the most interesting bands working in the rich area between post-punk force and art rock desire.

They are, in fact, after something, and we are lucky to be following along.