Amulet unveil ‘Purification’ EP with remixes from Interface, Tragic Impulse, and more
Amulet
The Washington, D.C.-based dark romantic electro-rock band Amulet has released the seven-track EP “Purification” through Distortion Productions.
“Purification” revisits key songs from Amulet’s 2024 album “Katharsis”, presenting new mixes. The EP opens with two versions of “So Cold”: “So Cold (Frozen Phoenix)” and “So Cold (Rising Phoenix)”, both reworked by MJ Phoenix as alternate takes on one of the album’s core tracks. The middle of the EP focuses on “Dirty Hard Beats (XXX)”, pairing the album version with “Dirty Hard Beats (MJ Phoenix Remix)”, while the closing section hands “Tear Me Apart” to Tragic Impulse and The Synthetic Dream Foundation, and “The Hope That Kills You” to Interface for three distinct reinterpretations.
In the band’s own words, the EP “reimagines the band’s most spellbinding moments” from “Katharsis” with “fresh teeth, bass, and bite”, and also includes what they describe as “the previously unreleased on digital, uncensored version of ‘Dirty Hard Beats’; it’s raw, unapologetic, and finally free to say exactly what it means.”
About Amulet
Amulet is a dark alternative / electro-industrial rock band based in Washington, D.C., formed by bassist, guitarist, composer and vocalist MJ Phoenix and vocalist and songwriter Stephanie Stryker during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Their early live lineup, as documented in Side-Line’s 2021 coverage of the “Last Ditch” video, included Bob Carr and Mark Schramm on guitars, Alison Frane on keyboards, and Thomas Grothe on drums.
The band introduced itself with the 16-track debut album “House of Black + White”, released in April 2021 and distributed digitally via Bandcamp and mainstream platforms. The record established the band’s combination of bass-driven dark rock, programmed electronics, and prominent female vocals, and provided source material for later remixes, including “Last Ditch (Stabbing Westward Remix)”.
In October 2022 Amulet issued the seven-track remix EP “Perfect Fusion” on Distortion Productions, featuring reworks of “House of Black + White” material by Stabbing Westward, Grendel, Stoneburner, The Joy Thieves, 11Grams, Red This Ever, and unitcode:machine.This release marked the start of their collaboration with the Pittsburgh-based industrial and goth label, which has Amulet among its roster of 26 acts.
The partnership continued with the “When Winter Comes” EP in 2023, released via Distortion Productions with a focus on remixes from William Faith, Dan Milligan, Rob Early and Amulet’s own MJ Parr.. In October 2024 Amulet followed up with their second full-length album “Katharsis” on Distortion Productions, a 19-track, 73–74 minute release available on CD and digital platforms.
Several tracks from “Katharsis”, including “For Your Love”, “Dance of Duality”, “Total Power Exchange (TPE)”, “Erase Me”, “So Cold” and “Dirty Hard Beats (XXX)”, later appeared as singles or remix singles across 2023–2025. Amulet also contributed new material to Distortion Productions’ charity compilation “Electronic Saviors Volume 7: ReUnion”.
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