The Los Angeles duo’s latest release arrives as part of a three-track sequence built around the atmosphere of an after-hours night in Koreatown.
Los Angeles heavy music project THE DARK.FM have released their latest single, “Thai Angel,” through Arising Empire, continuing the band’s blend of modern metal, electronic rhythm and retro-inspired guitar work.
The song is part of a three-track bundle that opens with “prometheus.exe” and closes with “epoch.exe.” All three pieces are incorporated into the accompanying official music video, creating a continuous musical and visual sequence rather than presenting “Thai Angel” as a completely isolated release.
At the center of the track is vocalist Craig Johns Jr.’s recollection of an after-hours location in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. According to Johns, the venue known as Thai Angel became the setting for the song after nights spent there following work at a nearby nightclub.
“‘Thai Angel’ was the name of an (alleged) after-hours in Koreatown that I would frequent after getting off work at the nightclub around the corner,” Johns said. “It was very much a ‘if you know, you know’ type spot.”
That setting shaped both the lyrical and musical construction of the track. Johns described wanting the song to reflect the rise and fall of energy inside an after-hours environment at 6 a.m., moving between moments of intimacy, anticipation and intensity.
The arrangement brings together ’80s-influenced guitar textures, heavier riffing and beat-driven verses before opening into a larger chorus. The track ultimately transitions into “epoch.exe,” reinforcing the three-song release as a connected sequence.
Johns said the progression was designed to mirror the feeling of entering and becoming immersed in the environment that inspired the song.
“Sonically anyway, I wanted it to feel like the highs and lows of being in a place like that at 6am in Los Angeles,” he said.
“Thai Angel” follows the band’s self-titled The Dark EP, released in 2025. That project combined electronic elements with breakdowns, heavier vocal passages and melodic sections, establishing the stylistic direction THE DARK.FM have continued developing with their newer material.
THE DARK.FM began as a collaboration between Johns and guitarist Alan Ashby. Beyond music, the project draws from the pair’s overlapping interests in fashion, film, video games and late-1990s and early-2000s visual culture. Their cited influences include The Matrix, PlayStation-era imagery and Cyberpunk 2077, alongside bands such as Slipknot, Korn and Limp Bizkit.
According to the band’s press materials, tracks from The Dark EP have accumulated more than 3 million streams. THE DARK.FM also expanded their live presence with festival appearances connected to Vans Warped Tour and Sick New World.
The band’s 2026 schedule will continue in October with two major festival stops. THE DARK.FM are set to perform at Furnace Fest in Birmingham on October 10 before appearing at Sick New World in Fort Worth on October 24.
With “Thai Angel” and its surrounding three-track sequence, THE DARK.FM continue exploring the intersection of heavy music and electronic production while building on the visual world introduced through their earlier work.
Release Information
Artist: THE DARK.FM
Single: “Thai Angel”
Label: Arising Empire
Release Format: Three-track bundle
Tracks: “prometheus.exe,” “Thai Angel,” “epoch.exe”
Festival Appearances
October 10, 2026 — Birmingham, United States — Furnace Fest 2026
October 24, 2026 — Fort Worth, United States — Sick New World 2026
Leave a Reply