Everybody is hiding
all the things that hurt
I will share my light
through the screen, no more
We bury the most jagged edges of ourselves, tucking away the darkness that feels too raw, too real for others to face. What remains is a carefully curated façade, smoothed and softened, a mask easier for the world to bear. This suppression, this self-pruning, becomes habit—an unspoken agreement to preserve comfort over authenticity. The deepest parts of us, the restless truths that churn beneath the surface, are left unseen, whispered only in solitude. In hiding, we deny not just others, but ourselves, the fullness of who we are, trading complexity for palatability, and connection for a fragile, false peace.
Red Apple Cvlt, from San José – Costa Rica, tackles this conundrum with their stellar new gothic dreampop single Everything Becomes a Lie.
Red Apple Cvlt, helmed by singer-songwriter and bassist Eva Red (Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos), first graced the stage in 2019 at the Awake Gothic Festival in San Jose, sharing the spotlight with locals Last Dusk and British goth icons 1919. Guitarist Noe Urtecho joins her in the evocative Everything Becomes a Lie, a track that delves into the tension between authenticity and artifice.
The song unfolds as an exploration of the societal demand to suppress pain and wear a mask of contentment, concealing inner turmoil beneath a polished facade. Its ambient echoes and dark pop flourishes amplify the isolation of hiding one’s true self. Everything Becomes a Lie reflects on the disconnection that arises when truth is buried under the weight of pretense, revealing a world where smiles obscure suffering and authenticity struggles to find a voice.
The song was inspired by “the idea of how we all suppress some of the darkest essential parts of who we are, to only show whatever is more comfortable for others to deal with,” says Red.
The dreamy and visceral video, directed by Ariel Maniki of MediaLuna Studio, unfolds like a waking fever dream. The two band members inhabit separate, fog-laden landscapes, their movements steeped in an almost ritualistic intensity. Interspersed with symbolic imagery of time’s passage and life’s inevitable decay, the visuals pulse with a sense of yearning and fragility. Lyrics, written on cards beside a flickering candle, suggest the incantation of a spell, as if each word holds the weight of transformation.
The music conjures echoes of Tori Amos, Kate Bush, and Cocteau Twins, its ethereal tones perfectly paired with the video’s stark beauty. Produced in San José, Costa Rica, at MediaLuna Studios, the track carries the deft touch of Ariel Maniki, who not only shaped its sound but also crafted the video’s concept, direction, and editing.
Watch the video for “Everything Becomes a Lie” below:
Despite being published independently, this release is supported by Spanish label Endemoniada Records and MediaLuna Studios Costa Rica.
Red Apple Cvlt burst into the dark music scene in January of 2019 with their EP Immaculate, showcasing their unique blend of gothgaze, dreampop and darkwave. In June 2020 they released the album The Lovers Path. In November 2022, a new 5-song EP called Ashes: An Unexpected Introspection dove into a more experimental sound with hints of ambient and folk styles.
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The post Costa Rican Duo Red Apple Cvlt Mask Their Darkness in the Video for “Everything Becomes A Lie” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
