EMF Return With New Cover Of Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”

Just in time for Halloween, British dance-rock quintet EMF has released modern yet faithful cover of the Bauhaus post-punk classic “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” Incorporating the trademark indie-rave aesthetic of Forest of Dean’s favorite sons within the dark confines of the iconic midnight anthem, EMF brings new life to the undead classic.

“At the local pub in our teenage years was a jukebox,” recalls vocalist Ian Atkin. “The go-to record that eventually got worn out by us was Bauhaus’ ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead.’ To be able to revisit this and do our own EMF-inspired cover version is a real treat for us, a real Halloween treat, that is. It may come as a surprise, but we embraced true goth culture in our youth. The first band I actually saw play live was The Mission.”

The artist adds: “The first band guitarist Ian Denchsaw, however, was the band who provided the source material. I saw Bauhaus play at Bristol Locarno in the U.K. on October 10, 1982. I was 18. Their energy and the way they created an atmosphere was electrifying, especially when they played ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead.”

The group’s rendition of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” caught the ear of Bauhaus guitarist David J, who commented, “A colony of bats burst out from the Forest of Dean to the soundtrack of ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ fed through a contemporary minimalist dystopian filter. The tight rhythmic dub echoes making for a propulsive drive that sees this compact and condensed cover rush past the finishing line in misty Transylvania.”