Inside Terminus: Resonance 2026 and the Five Performances that Defined the Weekend
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - God Tongue live at Terminus
For its ninth edition, Terminus: Resonance once again transformed Dickens into one of North America's most compelling gatherings for industrial, EBM, darkwave, and post-punk. Each year founder Chris Hewitt curates the festival around a central theme, and this year's "Resonance" explored the connections that ripple through music. Alongside familiar faces like Calgary's WANTS and Alberta's Verttigo were artists making their Calgary debuts, including Spain's SDH, Ireland's Yard, and Nevada's past self, who were given the opportunity to experience the city's underground community firsthand. In return, audiences were invited into the worlds these artists have built within their own local scenes, discovering the shared threads that connect underground music across continents.
With artists travelling from Ireland, Spain, South Korea, the United States, and beyond, the weekend highlighted why Terminus continues to be one of Canada's most vital showcases for underground electronic and alternative music. Just as importantly, Hewitt's annual festival themes have become a reflection of where the scene is evolving, with ‘Resonance’ capturing a moment where darker sounds continue to push and inspire others within the genre who are inspiring the next wave of EBM and electronic music.
Here are some of the performances that resonated with us most throughout the weekend:
past self
Nevada’s k-goth outfit past self brought out a fervent section of fans to Terminus on Friday night. Scanning the crowd at Dickens you could spot their admirers through their matching combination of white face makeup alongside the band’s signature red streak across their eyes. Performing in both Korean and English, past self had a theatrical stage presence that captivated the crowd. Their fan’s devotion also paid off when the band invited the front row to join them on stage to dance along to their final song of the evening "Rusty Knife (녹슨 칼).”
- Kenn Enns
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Owls live at Terminus
Dublin trio Yard were among the festival's most anticipated acts after being added to the lineup later in the announcement cycle. They followed fellow Longford, Ireland artist Owls, who had just delivered one of the weekend's most emotionally raw performances. Despite performing solo, Owls gave a full and energetic show, bouncing between his synth setup and the crowd while maniacally pacing the floor, singing about death, nightmares, and heartbreak over synth lines reminiscent of Depeche Mode and The Knife.
It set the stage perfectly for Yard to turn the intensity up another notch. Opening with "Trevor," the trio quickly won over the crowd as their music gradually swelled into heavier, dance-driven industrial territory. The set reached its climax with "Friction," as vocalist Emmett White balanced shouted, aggressive vocals with heavily processed effects that felt almost alien. The band also debuted three new songs, signalling that a debut album is on the horizon, and if their Terminus performance was any indication, they're only just getting started.
- Jess Arcand
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - Yard live at Terminus
God Tongue
Seattle's God Tongue, featuring Vancouver's Isku Katerwol of Total Chroma behind the decks, delivered one of Sunday's most refreshing performances. Rather than remaining on stage, vocalist Camille performed from the floor of Dickens, thrashing through the crowd as attendees gathered around them dancing, transforming the venue into a full-fledged Sunday 7:45pm rave. It was exactly the burst of energy the festival's final day needed. Highlights included "STRESS" from their debut album L I M I N A L, with Camille snarling, "I'm that bitch," over a pulsing acid beat while the crowd fed off every moment. What might typically be a slower closing day instead became one of the weekend's biggest dance parties.
- Jess Arcand
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - God Tongue live at Terminus
SDH (Semiotics Department of Heteronyms)
A testament to Terminus’ international programming, Barcelona’s SDH performed for the first time in Canada on Sunday night. The duo of Andrea P. Latorre and Sergi Algiz take inspiration from EBM and techno but pair their darker influences with pop lyricism. Latorre was able to bring the band’s “crash-body music” to life with a completely captivating live performance. Highlights from their set included the title track off of their newest album Rider, which wasreleased earlier this year from Artoffact Records. Do not miss out on SDH as their star continues to rise.
- Kenn Enns
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder) - SDH live at Terminus