·December 9, 2025·3 min read

Still Ruins Expand Their Sound on the Multifaceted EP “Our Penance”

About the Artist

Still Ruins’ Our Penance arrives as a focused maxi-single/EP, released in November 2025 through à La Carte Records. The Oakland trio, formed in 2020, by Frankie Soto, Jose Medina, and Cyrus VandenBerghe, shape a sound that blends sophisti-pop softness, dream-pop haze, and a subtle post-punk edge. Our Penance leads with its original title track, a widescreen, melancholic song that draws on 80s synth-pop and college-rock influences while exploring regret and the strain of a fading relationship.

Furthermore, the EP broadens its palette with five different remixes by They Are Gutting a Body of Water, Normal Bias, Blood Rave, and Foliage—each pushing the song into distinct underground territories. Together, these versions add dimension and reinterpret the track’s emotional core through new textures. Our Penance reinforces Still Ruins’ evolving presence across the intersecting worlds of sophisti-pop, dream-pop, and post-punk.

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The Album

Our Penance, the original single, opens with a bright burst of heavy synths and sharp drum hits, immediately setting a vivid tone. The sound practically throws you into an 80s daydream: a singer in a slick purple suit steps onto a dimly lit bar stage, slides the mic stand toward him, taps his polished shoes to the beat, and leans into the spotlight with effortless swagger. The track carries that mood completely. Its glossy production, bold melody, and tight rhythmic drive capture your attention instantly; the lyrics deepen the atmosphere, but the melody alone keeps the song gripping from the first note to the last.

Then, the Our Penance (Normal Bias Remix) shifts the energy. Here, a steady EDM pulse replaces the barroom strut with something more kinetic. The beat pushes you forward, and, consequently, you find yourself bobbing your head, drifting toward a dance floor washed in shifting colors. The electronic textures brighten the arrangement, adding a back-and-forth sway that turns the track into a multi-light, club-leaning version of itself.

After that, Our Penance (They Are Gutting A Body of Water Remix) transforms the song completely. Instead of brightness, it wraps the melody in a gauzy, experimental shoegaze haze. The sound becomes moody, stretched, and soft around the edges, like neon light diffused through fog. The beat pulses beneath the surface—slower and slightly distant—creating an atmosphere that feels suspended in time.

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Next, Our Penance (Blood Rave Remix) hits with a slightly darker, faster energy. It pulls the song into a brooding darkwave space, where heavy beats collide with bright textures. Subtle echoes trail the vocals in the background, giving the track a sense of movement that feels almost physical. The rhythm bounces between high and low impact, like a rubber ball thudding against the ceiling and the floor, creating a restless, urgent momentum.

Lastly, Our Penance (Foliage Remix) softens the intensity and leans into dream-pop warmth. The guitar strums cut through more clearly, grounding the track as the tempo picks up. As the song unfolds, it gives the melody room to breathe; the vocals drift in and out gently, while the arrangement changes pace from fast to slow. This version also adds a more reflective touch, with its draggy vocals. It highlights the emotional core of the project and leaves with a spacious closure.

Taken together, these five versions of Our Penance reveal how adaptable the song’s emotional core truly is. Each remix pulls a different thread from the original—whether its 80s brightness, its melancholy undercurrent, or its rhythmic momentum—and reshapes it into a new mood without losing the track’s identity. With different artists bringing in their own textures and sensibilities, the release moves confidently across genres while still feeling cohesive. Ultimately, it expands the world of the song rather than just reinterpreting it, highlighting both the range of Still Ruins’ sound and the strength of the songwriting at its center.