Rock Monsters Romania

On November 13, starting at 19:00, at Club Control (4 Constantin Mille Street, Bucharest), Orkid marks a double launch: the new single “Urlă ca marea” (“Roar Like the Sea”) and the relaunch of the independent alternative music platform Stray Lights 2.0, through a special concert alongside Rotko, a band from Cluj performing their first-ever show in Bucharest. The event is part of the Stray Lights Sessions series, which will continue twice a month starting in November, bringing a new wave of indie and alternative acts from Romania to the Control stage.

Stray Lights is a DIY community that brings together some of the most relevant Romanian alternative music acts, including Cardinal, Orkid, D.E.N.I.S, Kadjavsi, Zammorian, Second Wave, Baby Elvis, Gunshee, PLANT, Valerinne, Methadone Skies, Faunlet, Getchoo, Brainwasher, Coridor Apartament, Astro Générale, Taxawall, Asincron, Mock Surprise, Midpoint, Air Lines, Black Water, Jahmolxes, Church of Cthulhu, Bluebell Creeper, and Rotko. The platform functions as an informal network of support and collaboration, aiming to offer visibility, context, and solidarity to independent bands in a constantly evolving musical landscape.

“Stray Lights 2.0 is a necessity. It is a form of unity, collaboration, and mutual support among as many bands as possible that make alternative, relevant, and forward-thinking music in Romania. Most of these bands are ignored, and many disappear after a year or two. There is no real plan for supporting and developing this kind of creative expression, which is so essential. Stray Lights is not a booking agency, a label, or a production house; it is a small group of people trying to help each other however they can. And beyond that, it is a joy to be together, to talk, to share a beer, and from time to time, to play a show,” says Vlad Ilicevici, member of Orkid and founder of Stray Lights.

ORKID, the Bucharest-based trio formed by Vlad Ilicevici (guitars, synths, vocals), Radu Pop (drums, synths), and Mihnea Dumitrescu (bass), defines its sound as angry shoegaze and post-traumatic blues, an intense blend of emotion and distortion. Drawing influences from punk and garage to post-metal, indie, and blues, Orkid has released five studio albums so far: Standing Still in the Dark (2016), Suruaika (2018), Deraiat (2020), In the Light We Are Safe (2022), and Noi contra Noi (2023), the last three produced by Adrian Despot and Sorin “Pupe” Tănase.

The new single “Urlă ca marea” marks the renewal of their collaboration with Andrei Robin Proca (Robin and the Backstabbers), producer of their debut album. The track introduces a fresh, minimalist yet powerful sound that captures the tension of repressed emotion, erupting with the force of a storm, raw, intense, and devastating. The accompanying video is based on a live drawing by visual artist Pisica Pătrată. The single premiered on November 6 on Radio Guerrilla’s Avanpost show.

The November 13 concert will feature guest musician Victor Dădaciu, bassist and vocalist of the band Cardinal. From Cluj-Napoca comes ROTKO, an art rock, alternative, and electronic project founded in 2025, combining modular synths, drum machines, and distorted guitars to create a melancholic, introspective atmosphere. ROTKO brings a cinematic and modern aesthetic to the Romanian scene, blurring the line between dream and reality.

Through this double launch, Orkid and Stray Lights 2.0 reaffirm the communal spirit of Romania’s alternative scene, a scene that thrives on collaboration, courage, and authenticity in a constantly changing musical landscape.

Media partners: CVLTARTES, CriticEyez, Happ.ro, InfoMusic, Observator Cultural, Rock Monsters, Subversiv, Sunete, Trăiește Muzica, Utopia Balcanică, Zile și Nopți.