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Powerplant has come a long way from rocking in the bedroom to playing hard on the world stage. The synth-punk band is based in London, UK and is unmistakable for the sad & hopeful atmosphere the music conjures via catchy goblinesque vocal melodies, wailing synthesisers, giddy bass and the rhythmic march of the drum machines. Before your ears get mesmerized, your eyes will get stuck on the artwork. But don’t go ripping off their designs like Lazy Oaf did in ‘22.

The debut synth-punk album ‘People in the Sun’ took the internet by storm in 2019. Created solely by the band leader Theo Zhykharyev, it captivated the world with eccentric bass lines, fuzzy synthesisers and touching lyrics. It landed on ‘Best of...’ lists by Pitchfork and Bandcamp, receiving nods from Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins.

Zhykharyev assembled a band for touring, consisting of the best London’s underground has to offer. Featuring bassist Karim Newble (Hitmen, Island of Love), drummer Lloyd Clipston (Arms Race, Tramadol) and synth player Cajm (Jeshi, Tex, Pigbaby). Together, they tour the globe relentlessly, going on 10 tours in the past 2.5 years alone, ending the streak by doing a KEXP session. They played far and wide on both coasts of the US, Scandinavia, Europe and the UK.
Powerplant performed at festivals, like End of The Road, Outbreak and Fluff Fest. They shared the stage with international cult rockers like OSees, Show Me The Body, Hotline TNT and Ovlov.

Powerplant moves at its own accord, always morphing into something more powerful and mysterious. With each release, Powerplant reinvents itself. Going from original 2017 lo-fi releases to 2019’s a synth-punk LP ‘People in the Sun’. From RPG inspired ‘Stump Soup’ dungeon-synth album in 2022 to experimental rock ‘Grass’ EP in 2023’. The music making machine has been restarted in full force with return-to-form ‘Crashing Cars’ 7” and ‘Heat’ EP in 2025, released on PP’s own label Arcane Dynamics.

With each addition to their catalog, Theo Zhykharyev throws new sonic mutations in the mix. It’s never the same, but always 100% Powerplant.