New York avant-electro project Energy Whores release new album Arsenal of Democracy is not built for passive listening. Urgent, tense and openly political, the record wrestles with democratic erosion, manufactured fear and the quiet withdrawal of public engagement in an era shaped by instability.
The project is led by Carrie Schoenfeld (vocals, keyboards) alongside guitarist Attilio Valenti. Together they position Energy Whores in a space where electronic music collides with art rock, protest folk and synth-driven pop. Rather than leaning on nostalgia or irony, the duo aim for confrontation, writing songs that probe how power structures endure through spectacle, apathy and the illusion of consent.
The album’s title track acts as its centrepiece and thesis. ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ unfolds with restrained intensity, framing democracy not as an abstract slogan but as something fragile and participatory — a system that survives only when people remain actively involved.
Created in a DIY basement studio in New York City, the album shifts between driving rhythmic tracks and more hypnotic, melodic moments. Songs like Hey Hey Hate and Pretty Sparkly Things take aim at consumer culture and the machinery of outrage, while Mach9ne and Bunker Man explore technological dominance, social isolation and elite survivalism with a streak of dark satire. The closing track, Two Minutes to Midnight, lands as a stark reflection on collective responsibility, drawing a line between authoritarian rhetoric and the real-world consequences that follow when it goes unchallenged.
Energy Whores has steadily built recognition within the independent and alternative music press, with critics often highlighting the project’s confrontational lyricism, genre-blurring production, and uncompromising political stance. Carrie Schoenfeld’s background in film and theatre has also drawn attention, with the project’s visual and conceptual elements frequently extending far beyond the music itself.
Speaking on the lead track, Schoenfeld explains:
“‘Arsenal of Democracy’ is about how democracy erodes when people disengage, and how it survives through attention, truth, and participation. It’s a reminder that change starts by taking responsibility for our actions rather than just blaming and complaining.”
Sonically, the record invites comparisons to the likes of Talking Heads, Radiohead, Massive Attack, St. Vincent and Rage Against The Machine. Synths, electric guitars, electronic drums and programmed bass combine with Schoenfeld’s vocals to produce a sound that feels both immersive and confrontational. The campaign around the album also includes an official music video for the title track, continuing the project’s emphasis on visual storytelling.
Schoenfeld, a classically trained pianist as well as an independent filmmaker and off-Broadway producer, oversees every creative aspect of Energy Whores. The project’s artwork, videos and design are all produced in-house, turning each release into a fully realised multimedia statement.
Arsenal of Democracy is out now across all major platforms. Rather than offering escapism, Energy Whores delivers something more provocative, a record that insists on attention, and reminds listeners that indifference rarely arrives without consequences.