Today, Melbourne-based post-punk upstarts Sex Mask return with the announcement of a brooding new single titled “Raid”, the single is the first to be taken from their new EPRaid, which is out 31stJuly via Unpopular. Alongside the announcement, the band have also shared two new remixes of the single by Japanese black metal gabber experimentalists Violent Magic Orchestra and B-Mo.
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The much-anticipated new material follows the band’s widely acclaimed “Body Broker” EP, which came out in late 2025 and earned plaudits for their exhilarating and immediate blend of early 80s industrial, no-wave and absurdist punk influences. The self-contained writing/production unit – comprised of Vicente Moncada on drums/production, Wry Gray on vocals and lyrics, and Kaya Martin on guitars and synths – have already amassed over 2.5M streams for some their early releases and featured in several one to watch lists including the NME 100 and Dork’s Hype list. They’ve also earned further praise from the likes of DIY, Kerrang!, Notion, The Independent, The Line Of Best Fit, So Young, and more, and last year played both a packed-out headline show at The Lexington in London, as well as a sold-out SCALA alongside fast-rising hometown friends Radio Free Alice, who they toured with extensively in winter.
Today’s new single “Raid” sees Sex Mask double down on their compelling blend of high adrenaline, deceptively complex guitar work, muscular drums, and snarled vocals as Gray repeats “Fuck your favour, fuck your help / I was doing it all myself”. The track also sees them breaking further sonic ground with more pronounced synth and electronic work, at times leaning into more psych-inflected, motorik territory.
Speaking on the single they say, “Raid is delusional monologues. When someone should have helped but didn’t, so you have to help yourself. You Raid.”
The two new remixes reimagine “Raid” in stark contrast. Whereas the original track is a sweaty call to the pit, B-Mo’s version beckons to the basement club with driving drums, jungle drum work, and groove-heavy, euphoric synth work. Violent Magic Orchestra drive this into darker territory, with high tempo industrial beats and EBM stomp which is at once ethereal and brutal.
Sex Mask’s gripping live show has already seen them support the likes of Fcukers, Big Special, and Fat White Family, as well as appearing at Dot To Dot, The Great Escape, SXSW Austin / Australia and completing a packed-out EU/UK co-headline tour playing some of their biggest crowds to date. This summer the band will head out on their own headline tour across the continent, including appearances at End Of The Road Festival, Reeperbahn Festival, Manchester Psych Festival, and more.
Following up their busy European summer tour schedule, the band has also announced a special one off show in Athens Greece in November at Pomanteo, hosted by the team behind Plissken Festival. The band will return to Europe that month having been added to Pitchfork Paris Festival. More shows to be announced.
Tour dates:
AUS
Sunday 12.07 – King Street Crawl, Sydney AUS
AUG/SEP UK & EURO
Thursday 27.08 – The Grand Social – Dublin IE
Saturday 29.08 – Zerox – Newcastle UK
Sunday 30.08 – Sneaky Pete’s – Edinburgh UK
Wednesday 02.09 – Oporto – Leeds UK
Thursday 03.09 – The George Tavern – London UK
Friday 04.09 – Brighton Psych Festival – Brighton, UK
Saturday 05.09 – Manchester Psych Festival – Manchester UK
Sunday 06.09 – End Of The Road – Salisbury UK
Thursday 10.09 – The Hope & Ruin – Brighton UK
Friday 11.09 – 013 Hall Of Fame – Tilburg NL
Saturday 12.09 – Simplon – Groningen NL
Sunday 13.09 – Leffingeleuren Festival – Middelkerke, BE
Tuesday 15.09 – Helios37 – Köln DE
Wednesday 16.09 – Ilses Erika – Leipzig DE
Thursday 17.09 – Urban Spree – Berlin DE
Friday 18.09 – Reeperbahn Festival – Hamburg DE
Saturday 19.09 – Stengade – Copenhagen DK
AUS
Sunday 04.10 – Yours & Owls, Wollongong AUS