Since the release of their ‘Aloha Moon’ album back in 2012, Magic Wands have been a consistantly reliable source for enjoyable music. Their blend of light electronica and dream pop, at its best, sometimes shares some DNA with the short lived Transister; it sometimes plays like a mix of Garbage, Metric and Elastic Sleep, but wherever the melodies go, they’re always strong – and usually very accessible.

‘Time To Dream’ is no exception. Opening with a cold, phased guitar and echoing noises, the track quickly sets a cold atmosphere. Then adding a programmed rhythm, the number adopts a mid tempo that sounds like a throwback to a couple of early Cure tunes, before branching out into a goth infused world of dream pop that feels like it belongs somewhere in the early 90s. The way bright guitar sounds clash against the never shifting tempo sets up a classic sounding heart for the track – one that feels a little more like The Bolshoi than any distant relation of the Shirley Manson universe – and a few swirling extra layers even hint at a love of shoegaze. Fans will recognise something that’s resolutely Magic Wands here, though, since Dexy Valentine’s slightly aloof vocal forms a huge part of the number’s identity, despite various phased effects doing their best to keep her performance feeling a little buried, even distant. Everything combined results in an instant genre classic; the kind of track that feels like a throwback to goth’s heyday and dreampop’s early 90s pomp, but at the same time, it shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere throwback. It’s a recording that captures a classic sound and reinforces any feelings that this most cult of bands are capable of something approaching greatness pretty much every time.

Joining the new track, a remix of ‘Armour’ (a track originally released in 2024, capturing even more of the band’s goth inspirations and mixing them with a strong shoegaze guitar line) shares something a little tougher sounding. The original number’s core melody holds firm, but Lost Signal has applied some much bigger beats, in keeping with record label Metropolis’s more industrial interests. The pulsing keys add a pleasingly dark tone throughout which contrasts brilliantly with Dexy’s heavily treated, almost ethereal vocal, and by occasionally allowing the rhythmic heart to fall away, there’s a spaciousness between the verses that adds a moment or two of quiet that almost derails everything. The stop/start qualities were absent from the original cut, but they work here, creating a slightly uneven feel that really compliments the ghostly vocal. Measured against a typical remix by labelmates KMFDM, this is rather subtle, but it brings a pleasing new take on a track that deserves to become a fan favourite.

These two tracks are, naturally, rather different from each other, but presented together as a short listen, they provide a great showcase of the Magic Wands sound for those who may be unfamiliar, whilst giving fans something of genuine interest for their digital music collections. Continuing a run of enjoyable releases, this will cement any feelings those fans may have about Magic Wands being one of the more underrated acts within the alternative underground.

September 2025