This past Friday, Provoker returned with their third full-length collection of evocative post-punk, Mausoleum, a journey through the trio’s now-familiar gloomy, gothic soundscapes embellished by Kenny Beats’ lucid production. That dedication to an ’80s-era coldwave aesthetic makes them the perfect act to round out this year’s Cruel World Festival, the annual day-long, pre-summer event in Pasadena celebrating all things musically gothic, post-punk, and/or new-wave-y. Provoker are among the young artists performing in the early afternoon to warm up the stage for the May 17 fest’s headlining icons, including New Order, Nick Cave, Garbage, and Devo.
Leading up to this Saturday, then, Provoker are taking over the FLOOD FM airwaves with a special Cruel World 2025 edition of “Hacked.” Appropriately splitting the difference between alt-rock legends like Cocteau Twins and Cleaners From Venus and contemporary sounds from the likes of Skrillex and Ela Minus, check out the group’s episode every day this week (May 12 – 16) at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. PT only on FLOOD FM. For those heading to Cruel World, you can catch Provoker at the Lost Boys stage at 1:45 p.m.—and for those not yet planning on heading to Cruel World, tickets are still on sale here.
