Provoker is a band from the Bay Area, featuring members of San Jose and Oakland punk bands. The collective plays a cracked version of new wave/dark wave—steady beats, warbled horror soundtrack synths, reverb, gauze-like layers of guitar sound over undeniable melody. There is a narcotic effect to their brand of synth pop, fusing the mood and atmosphere of Pornography-era The Cure with a brighter MGMT aesthetic. Provoker is both hangover and remedy for 80’s oversaturation, skipping the pomp and grandiosity for something more organic.