Fields of the Nephilim
“Dark Wave,” hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Matt Sebastian, explores the darker side of classic ’80s alternative, including vintage goth, post-punk and industrial. The show airs at 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern every Sunday on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave (Channel 33).
The most recent two episodes are available to subscribers to stream via the Sirius XM app.
Got a request? Requests will be considered for future episodes, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be played. They must fit the show’s format and fall generally within the 1st Wave era. And not be something the host really dislikes. If there’s something you’d like to hear, drop it in the comments below.
HOUR 1
Strawberry Switchblade, “Jolene” (Strawberry Switchblade: Expanded Edition)
Love and Rockets, “It Could Be Sunshine” (Express)
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Paradise Place” (Kaleidoscope)
Fields of the Nephilim, “Moonchild” (The Nephilim)
The Mission, “Tower of Strength” (Children)
Public Image Ltd., “Home” (Album)
Alien Sex Fiend, “Boneshaker Baby” (Acid Bath)
Danielle Dax, “Big Hollow Man” (Dark Adapted Eye)
Gene Loves Jezebel, “Cow” (Immigrant)
David Bowie and Pat Metheny Group, “This Is Not America” (Best of David Bowie 1980/1987)
The Passions, “I’m In Love With a German Film Star” (Thirty Thousand Feet Over China)
Dominatrix, “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight” (The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight)
Depeche Mode, “Get the Balance Right” (Construction Time Again)
HOUR 2
Nitzer Ebb, “Captivate” (William Orbit Mix) (Belief)
Colourbox, “Tarantula” (7-Inch Version) (Colourbox)
Severed Heads, “Dead Eyes Opened” (Dead Eyes Opened)
Front 242, “Until Death (Do Us Part)” (Front By Front)
The Psychedelic Furs, “All That Money Wants” (All Of This and Nothing)
The The, “Slow Emotion Replayed” (Slow Emotion Replayed)
Duran Duran, “Night Boat” (Duran Duran)
The Cure, “Sinking” (The Head on the Door)
The Smiths, “Suffer Little Children” (The Smiths)
The Church, “Ripple” (Priest=Aura)
Daniel Ash, “Foolish Thing Desire” (Foolish Thing Desire)
Magazine, “Shot By Both Sides” (Real Life)
HOUR 3
Christian Death, “Electra Descending” (Catastrophe Ballet)
Xmal Deutschland, “Polarlicht” (Viva)
Dead Can Dance, “Threshold” (Dead Can Dance)
Executive Slacks, “Our Lady” (The Complete Recordings)
KMFDM, “Juke Joint Jezebel” (Single Mix) (Greatest Shit)
Skinny Puppy, “Addiction” (Gunter Schulz of KMFDM Remix) (Remix Dys Temper)
Fad Gadget, “Back to Nature” (Fad Gadget By Frank Tovey)
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, “First Cut” (My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult)
Clan of Xymox, “Kiss and Tell” (Masters of Mind, Body and Soul)
Pretty & Twisted, “Souvenir” (Pretty & Twisted)
Joy Division, “Insight” (Unknown Pleasures)
The Sisters of Mercy, “Possession” (First and Last and Always)
Bauhaus, “Dark Entries” (1979-1983, Vol. 1)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Matt Sebastian (8/23/26)
- Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Matt Sebastian (8/16/26)
- Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Matt Sebastian (8/9/26)
Slicing Up Eyeballs independently selects all releases featured on this site, but we may earn a commission from products purchased through affiliate links. Those commissions help support and fund the site.
An ocassional reminder about requests: They are always appreciated and all are considered, but I make no guarantees they’ll be played. I don’t plan to weigh in on individual songs and why they do or don’t get played, but the most common reason requests don’t get played is when they don’t fit the format of the show, whether that means they’re from the wrong genre or (probably most often) the wrong era. The show celebrates the darker side of classic ’80s alternative (which I admidetdly stretch the boundaries of a little).
Also, please note that I have to submit playlists fairly early, so it’s rarely possible to request something for the next week’s show or even the show after that. So please know that there can be a several-week lag from when a request is made to when it’s played. So if there’s something you’d like to hear on a particular date or show, plan ahead!
Thank you.
just saw nitzer ebb in LA and wanted to hear lakeside drive as it wasn’t on their setlist. thanks
Good show this week Matt.
I’d like to request
Die Warsaw
Something off of Engine
Great show tonight. Lots to love. Pretty & Twisted was a great cut. And not sure I’ve ever heard the Strawberry Switchblade cover of Jolene. Thanks for that.
Since you brought up David Bowie and “soundtrack” in the same thought, how about another one of his movie tunes? “Cat People” or “Always Crashing In The Same Car”. Yeah, “Always Crashing” wasn’t in The Man Who Fell To Earth. But Low was pretty much that movie’s soundtrack. Or should have been that movie’s soundtrack.
Thanks for the good music. Have a good week.
I am glad that strawberry switchblade is getting more play on 1st wave , I had expected to hear them more in 2025 because it was the 40th anniversary of their one and only debut album in 1985 .
“Always Crashing in the Same Car” – yes!
Pretty & Twisted was aside project of Concrete Blonde. 1995 It is a great album.
Johnette and Marc Moreland from Wall of Voodoo and the subject of the song “Joey.” Thanks for playing it Matt. Such a great song.
It was a good show, but I’m sad. This makes several weeks in row without any of my requests being played (even accounting for the 3-week interval between posting here and live shows), and I do think they’re format-appropriate, imo!
But more importantly, there was no mention of the TEAR GARDEN TOUR that is starting in just two weeks. That tour is huge news for a band that formed in 1986 and has NEVER toured until now! I had really hoped that Tear Garden would at least get a mention for the tour, if not any actual songs. Cry.
Well. I’ll keep making requests anyway.
1. Attrition – Fusillade Part 3 (or) The Game Is Up
2. Einstürzende Neubauten – Die Befindlichkeit des Landes
3. Intermix – Voices
4. Girls Under Glass – Grey In Grey
5. Nurse With Wound – Space Funk With Springs
I’m looking forward to hearing tear gardens you and me and rainbows performed live.
And I would not mind hearing the full 16 minute version played on darkwave.
I’ll second the Attrition request, plus would also like to hear anything by Tear Garden since the tour is less than two weeks away! :)
Always a pleasant surprise to hear “I’m in Love with a German Film Star”. I first heard that track in a video game of all places!
Great track, never heard it! That’s why we need Dark Wave.
Absolutely!
Faith and the Muse – Sredni Vashtar
This Ascension – Columba Aspexit
Controlled Bleeding – Words of the Dying
Dessau – Isolation (Joy Division cover)
Severed Heads – Jet Lag 400 blows mix
And One – Deutschmaschine or Techno Man
VNV Nation – Legion or Genesis
Das Ich – Destillat – VNV Nation Remix
Suicide Commando – Hellraiser (VNV Nation remix)
No More – Suicide Commando
:Wumpscut: – Soylent Green
Wolfsheim – Once in a Lifetime or The Sparrows and the Nightingales
Apoptygma Berzerk – Kathy’s Song (VNV Nation Remix)
Covenant – Dead Stars or Like Tears in Rain
Velvet Acid Christ – Fun With Drugs or Lysergia or Decypher
Combichrist – This S*it Will Fcuk You Up
Project Pitchfork – Timekiller
Leæther Strip – Strap Me Down
The Klinik – Moving Hands
Portion Control – Amnesia or Rise
Fad Gadget – Love Parasite, Ricky’s Hand, Back to Nature, Lady Shave , collapsing new people.
Einstürzende Neubauten – Yü-Gung – Fütter Mein Ego Adrian Sherwood mix
Ministry – Over the Shoulder squirrely version
Revolting Cocks – Stainless Steel Providers
Skinny Puppy – Smothered Hope
Front Line Assembly – Mindphaser
ohGr – Water
Hilt – no crack in junk Street, or Superhoney
Tear Garden – you and me and Rainbows
Legendary pink dots – Casting the Ruins
I’ll second the Severed Heads songs, had no idea 400 Blows did a remix of it (and I like both bands!).
My girlfriend wants to hear Pop Will Eat It Self – Def Con One . But I think Sluggo plays it on his party show.
Very nice show again, especially liked the Günter Schulz remix of Addiction. Here’s some new requests for future shows, with a theme again; lesser known side projects of more famous bands/artists:
Princess Tinymeat – Angels in Pain (Virgin Prunes offshoot)
Flowering Blight – Holy Sugarwater (Paul Barker’s one-off solo project)
Black Line – Shut It Down (Basically Nitzer Ebb + friends)
For future shows:
1. Dear Heart – Cocteau Twins
2. The Headmaster Ritual – the Smiths
3. My Love Life – Morrissey
4. I Remember Nothing – Joy Division
5. Dreamland – Rose of Avalanche
6. Grinding Halt – the Cure
7. Burning Bridge – Kate Bush
8. Bang Bang – Iggy Pop
9. Look Back in Anger – David Bowie
10. Sorry For Laughing – Propaganda
11. Blue Hotel – Lene Lovich
12. Visions In Blue – Ultravox
13. Showroom Dummies – Kraftwerk
14. See Those Eyes – Altered Images
15. When I Was Young – Danielle Dax
16. Smack Jack – Nina Hagen
17. Same Old Scene – Roxy Music
18. A Matter of Time – Berlin (with Terri Nunn off the “Best of Berlin” compilation)
19. Tora! Tora! Tora! – Depeche Mode
An incredible show last night Matt!
Thank you do much for playing my Psychedelic Furs request.
I have to give it to hour one. Kicking it off with the Dolly tribute by Strawberry Switchblade and then Love and Rockets. And what an awesome trifecta to finish the hour with The Passions, Dominatrix and Depeche mode. Phenomenal stuff!
Hey Matt, I was at Duff’s bar in Brooklyn, NY this past weekend where they pay homage to native son, Pete Steele. So how about playing some Type O Negative – the self-esteem anthem “I Don’t Wanna Be Me” is one of my personal faves. Thanks!
RIP Dolly, you will be missed
Appreciate you Matt, never stop
Hey Matt,
That was a great show last night!
Great show Matt, thanks for playing my Colourbox request. Appreciate the Dolly tribute, RIP
For some reason, I am not getting last night’s show. I’m in Canada if that makes a difference.
Thank you for playing Duran Duran!
They have several deep cuts that are darker and moodier than most would think. “The Man Who Stole a Leopard” from 2010 is a great example.
And Silva Halo – actually most anything off of Medazzaland was really dark.
The Sisters Of Mercy – Afterhours
Howdy do Matt! I absolutely loved the program this week – it feels like there was something for everyone. And RIP Dolly…..many in the limelight are not worthy of my respect (I’m not being elitest just honest) but she was an absolute treasure. I am a bit confused by ppl being upset that you don’t play their requests. It is puzzling since one, it’s your show and you can play what you want, and two, you tell us on a regular basis that not all requests will be honored. Anyway love that Mission song to pieces and was thrilled you played Duran Duran!
Some possible suggestions for next time:
Duran Duran – Careless Memories
Tones On Tail – Real Life
The Smiths – Unloveable
Thanks again as always!!!! ｡◕‿◕｡
Another awesome show Matt! Perfect way to begin the show too. As Tina said above, Dolly was definitely a treasure. Andrew and Dok Avalanche know it too. You played a ton of requests this week, as you do just about every week and we cannot thank you enough. Thanks for playing my Executive Slacks request. Is Ripple The Church’s best song? Contender. And I said last week that Stagger Lee is a perfect showstopper, but man, Dark Entries hits the bullseye too. I feel for anyone who never had the pleasure of seeing Bauhaus play that one live.
Request for a future communion: “Hard On for Love” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Have a great week Matt, cheers!
The Church – The Maven
Thanks for playing Danielle Dax’s “Big Hollow Man.” She is so overlooked!
Maybe some dark and twisted night, the Residents’ Laughing Song will fit the mood.
Matt,you really nailed this week down,it was tremendously Dark & big thanx for the play and a lot of my favs as well,cannot thank you enuff.
Got some others here,so here ya go,and you know,ALL THE BEST,ALWAYS!
MODERN ENGLISH-Drowning Man
FRONT 242-Moldavia
NITZER EBB-Smear Body
M.
Enjoyed each hour!
Here’s a request as we head into September –
Killing Joke – Sun Goes Down
Thanks!
Hey Matt!
Great show as always! Absolutely *groove-y* remix of SP’s Addiction – my first time hearing it! :)
Dilemma!: I’ve been struggling with which track to request from Love and Rockets final full release “Lift”, a personal fave. I’ve narrowed down to a few that (perhaps?) are least likely to have been played on Dark Wave previously .. Of course, I could be completely wrong on all counts hehe… anyhow, pls take any pick from the below if you are so inclined!
Ghosts of the Multiple Feature
Resurrection Hex
Party’s Not Over
Cheers!
Nice request JR! I’ve always been partial to Resurrection Hex but would love to hear anthing from Lift on the show.
Thanks for an amazing 3 hours Matt.
That Dolly tribute was a perfect way to start the show and the Mission track was certainly epic. Another band I never really listened to — but after this week’s track and last week’s track, really starting to like them. Speaking of last week and epic, listening to that episode again, I payed more attention to the Stagger Lee lyrics. So delightfully demented.
Diamanda Galas- My world is empty without you.
I’m doing some home health care and this episode was just the thing! The Passions have been on my mind all week so it was great to hear “I’m in Love with a German Film Star”. Could you please play anything from their Sanctuary album? I’d love the title track or “Love Is Essential” – I’m a champion of that album.
I was unaware William Orbit had died, RIP. I remember loving Torch Song and his solo work so that hurt after losing Dolly and Tim. Play “Don’t Look Now” or any of his solo instrumental IRS stuff please.
Since I’m writing, Jeffrey Lee Pierce sounds good on radio: I’d appreciate hearing “Love and Desperation” and “Get Away”.
Thanks for all you do. I didn’t know I needed this episode but I did :-)
The Arms Of Someone New – St. Catherine (1985)
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/susan-sleepwalking-2025-remaster
Fuck Cancer
Duran Duran’s Night Boat! Great find!
Also I hadn’t heard Colourbox in maybe 35 years. For such a long time I kept a track of theirs on my mixtape called “Edit the Dragon/Hypnition”. I went searching on Wikipedia for it and apparently it’s on a mini album called Colourbox MAD 509. My old friend Mark at WOSR had a special talent for collecting obscurities like that. I don’t know if you can track it down, but I certainly hope you could!
Both songs are available from Apple & Qobuz on the album Music Of The Band (1982-1987)
Also a couple of requests: “Any Day Now” by Cop Shoot Cop.
“Vaster Than Empires” by Nine Inch Nails. It’s from the soundtrack to a 2024 film called “Queer” and it’s very haunting.
Hey Matt,
Great show this past week. I really dug The Passions and Pretty & Twisted — nice new old music to my ears. Very cool songs by Magazine and Fields of the Nephelim too. Not to mention some killer standards by Cure and Joy Division. I’l be looking forward to the Labor Day edition as I brace myself for the start of another school year…fortunately not too many more to go!
WELL DONE MATT!!! Much better! Great show! Thank you
Boy, did this show bring back some good memories! I haven’t heard Gene Loves Jezebel’s Cow in ages. Love that song.
Follow up request to Cow –
Gene Loves Jezebel – Worth Waiting For
Thank you for playing the darker side of Duran! I never expected to hear them here. They are one of my all time favorite bands – and I love it when they go dark on occasion. The video for Nightboat is a hoot.
Other darker Duran requests –
Friends of Mine
Tel Aviv
Sound of Thunder
Of Crime and Passion
Or Simon and Nick’s gothy side project Arcadia –
Election Day
The Flame
Rose Arcana (extended mix if you have it)
Thank you too for Electra Descending. Ashes and Catastrophe Ballet are two of my all time favorite albums as well as my favorite XD era.
Great show. Thanks again Matt!
Thanks too for sending out love and respect to Dolly. What a loss. Such a good soul. Tim Curry too.