Nothing hits harder than life, as they say, and the series of bloody-knuckle bouts to get to the release of Yours, With Malice led to some deep introspection by YOUTH CODE regarding who they are, what they’ve accomplished and their next steps.“I think a lot of people’s stories during the pandemic were about self-reflection, but the ironic thing is we were already in a state of reemergence and re-imagination of self before the rest of the world was forced to do it,” says Ryan George
Nothing hits harder than life, as they say, and the series of bloody-knuckle bouts to get to the release of Yours, With Malice led to some deep introspection by YOUTH CODE regarding who they are, what they’ve accomplished and their next steps.
“I think a lot of people’s stories during the pandemic were about self-reflection, but the ironic thing is we were already in a state of reemergence and re-imagination of self before the rest of the world was forced to do it,” says Ryan George. “We took time and began to workshop and demo vocals on some of the material we had. We never stop writing and are sitting on a mountain of tracks that we can rework and tweak. Not having deadlines surrounding us and in no hurry to get our material out there, all of a sudden the partnership with Sumerian arrived. That sort of ignited a fire and got us to where we are now.”
These last few years of self-reflection found YOUTH CODE stewing in a simmering cauldron of bile and vitriol as Yours, With Malice is clearly their most intricate, well-crafted and blood-thirsty release to date and their first offering for Sumerian Records.
Sumerian Vice President Julien O'Neill adds: "YOUTH CODE have long been a commanding voice in both electronic and heavy music, and we are incredibly honoured to welcome them to Sumerian Records with the announcement of their latest release, 'Yours, With Malice'. We believe this marks a powerful new chapter in their already illustrious career and are excited for what the future will bring for both new and longtime fans alike."
While some of the sounds and references on Yours… come from classic 90s influences such as Nine Inch Nails’ classic Broken/Fixed duality, the untouchable middle period Ministry era that spawned The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, in addition to a plethora of others like Front 242, Cabaret Voltaire, and Portion Control, the core attack has not changed much for the Los Angeles-based duo.
If the music of YOUTH CODE is the sketchy, yellowing passenger van luring in unsuspecting listeners, then the melodies on Yours… are the out-stretched hand of unlimited candy that growing legions won’t be able to resist. Sara Taylor shares: “I started exploring more melodic vocals on our record with King Yosef [the 2021 collab A Skeleton Key in the Doors of Depression], but I’ve always felt somewhat insecure in my voice… At the same time, Eartha Kitt had a gravelly voice and she was the epitome of a vocalist that ably captured attention – she understood the song and how to make the most of it with what she had.”
What has changed is YOUTH CODE's attention to detail and their hyper focus on execution in songwriting, two things that can only come from the wellspring of knowledge found in a band that has been at it for more than a decade. The group began in 2012 as a project between partners George and Taylor, inspired by the classic sounds of New Order, Depeche Mode and the hardcore punk that soundtracked so much of their youth. What emerged was a demo cassette that led to a 7” release on Angry Love, the first band unrelated to the legendary Psychic TV to be released on that label. A self-titled album followed, then 2014’s A Place to Stand EP, and 2016’s Commitment to Complications LP, all while touring with a diverse groups like Chelsea Wolfe, HEALTH, Skinny Puppy, and more, in addition to arena shows with My Chemical Romance and main stage appearances with Nine Inch Nails. Heaps of press accolades followed before the pandemic hit, and now, in 2025, YOUTH CODE return with their magnum opus.
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