ELM

ELM was formed in 2016 in Cuneo, the largest province in Piedmont, in northern Italy.

The band consists of a classic quartet: guitars (Alessandro Martines), bass (Andrea Meinero), drums (Giorgio Rita), and vocals (Matteo Torterolo).

Drawing on a wide range of sources, ELM’s music blends musical (Theory of Ruin, The Birthday Party, Cop Shoot Cop, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Killing Joke and so on) and literary influences (Jim Thompson, Alain Robbe-Grillet, William Faulkner, László Krasznahorkai among others) to tell stories and portray characters rooted in the quiet life of the countryside and small towns—characters fascinated by the allure of the wider world and its attractions, yet hopelessly attached to their roots, which span both geographical and moral boundaries.

Following the self-titled EP (2016) and the LPs DOG (2017) and The Wait (2020)—all produced by Bronson Recordings—the new album The Midnight Zone was released in 2026, produced by the Italian label Vollmer Records in collaboration with the French label Day Off Records, the American label Forbidden Place Records, and the Austrian label Grazil Records.

The noise-driven distortions of their early days and the visionary intensity of their second album give way to more expansive, wide-ranging compositions—yet still permeated by the sense of constant tension that defines the band.

On the smooth edge of a razor, The Midnight Zone redefines ELM’s sound, blending hardcore, new wave, and post-punk: eight short stories set against the backdrop of a world in constant retreat, eight snapshots of a reality prey to its own inexorable dissipation.