After months of anticipation, Adelaide cinematic post-hardcore outfit AKIRA SLIDE are finally ready to show why Wall of Sound named them one of their “15 Emerging Aussie Acts To Watch In 2026” as they drop their CUPID DEATH MACHINE EP today.
The first full chapter in the mysterious narrative that encompasses everything from stage personas to their social media presence, AKIRA SLIDE will be celebrating the release throughout November with their first interstate tour alongside nu-metal kings Flow Kobra (NSW) and emo punk heroes All Regards (VIC), ending in a massive hometown debut headliner at The Ed Castle on November 27, 2026.
In the universe of AKIRA SLIDE, the band themselves is a public relations/propaganda project from the mysterious AKSD. Corporation as they try to sway public perception in their favour in the wake of some heavily classified “incident“. Since the band’s inception, with lore drip-fed through social media post captions, narrative vignettes, music videos, single releases and even merchandise drops, AKIRA SLIDE have been meticulously setting the supernaturally-charged and Kafkaesque scene within which the story of CUPID DEATH MACHINE takes place.
The story of CUPID DEATH MACHINE centers on two characters: The Experiment, a lonely and directionless person looking for belonging and purpose, and The Scientist, an AKSD Corp. researcher who is leading a project that aims to channel divine beings into mortal bodies. The Scientist and their team believe that deeply-felt emotional reactions induced in specific and controlled circumstances could prime one’s body and soul to become a host to one of these divine beings. Given that the powerful emotion the research team believe they can most reliably induce and control is love, and given the impossibly low projected survival rate of the project, the project develops a certain reputation amongst other AKSD Corp. staff who begin to refer to the project with a less-than-flattering unofficial moniker: The Cupid Death Machine.
Of course, there’s plenty more to the band and story, so check out the interview below to dive deeper into the sonically rich world of Akira Slide.
