The Floria Wars, the fourth full-length release from New York experimental, melodic post hardcore band Ultra Deluxe, is out now via Lonely Ghost Records.
Built around a sci-fi narrative set in the 2700s, the album blends screamo, post-hardcore, pop, cybergrind, orchestral arrangements, and electronic elements into a dense, politically charged and super adventurous soundscape.
It marks the latest chapter in an ongoing concept saga that imagines a future ravaged by capitalism and imperialism—where the fascist United Galactic Federation exploits the ice planet Xevium and its population fights back with help from Earth’s Contra force.
Max Narotzky, the band’s founder and primary songwriter, describes the project as “a political band first and foremost,” rooted in punk and DIY ethics but shaped by an experimental approach.
“I always had a goal of making a theatrical/orchestral sounding punk album,” they explain, and with The Floria Wars, that vision comes into full focus thanks to the contributions of a broad group of collaborators playing strings, horns, and modular synths.
The record was engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered by Doug Gallo in New Jersey, with additional string recordings by Richie DeVon in Philadelphia.
The lineup includes Narotzky on vocals, lyrics, drums, synths, and various instruments; Dane York on guitar and bass; Thuy Nguyen on violin and viola; Liz Fackelman on trombone; Emily Zimmerman on cello and vocals; Ellie Shannon on french horn; and guest contributions from Phong Tran, Jorge Ivan Velez, and Fear Not Ourselves Alone.
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Thematically, the album situates itself in a dystopian future where resistance against oppression is still possible, guided by what Narotzky calls “revolutionary optimism.” “I strive for revolutionary optimism both in my personal political work and in my lyrics,” they say. “I feel like my lyrics are serious and intense but I still try to make them uplifting given the current political climate.”
Ultra Deluxe began as a solo outlet in 2015 after Narotzky graduated college. Over time, the project evolved into a full band with contributions from an expanding circle of collaborators. By incorporating live instruments like cello, violin, and brass, Narotzky was able to bring to life a sound that had long existed only in fragments on synths and samples. “From 2017 and on the project began to turn more into a ‘band,’” they recall, noting that the inclusion of orchestral instruments helped solidify the layered, cinematic style heard on the latest record.
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Much of the material for The Floria Wars was composed during the pandemic, following a period of relentless touring between 2017 and 2019. “My songwriting process always starts with me in my New York City apartment working on a riff, sample and synth line,” Narotzky says. “I don’t often know where a song is going when I start it.” Collaborator Dane York fills in many of the gaps—writing basslines, chord progressions, and textures after Narotzky has structured the main body of the songs.
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The band returned to the stage in 2021 with renewed energy. “We all experienced the harsh reality of the pandemic and lockdown, and chasing the feeling of togetherness that comes with playing shows is not something we want to take for granted again,” Narotzky says.
Their live shows often feature bubble guns, toy lightsabers, and spontaneous venue interactions. “The world is so fucked up that the 30 minutes I spend playing music live I wanna make as wild as possible.”
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Visual storytelling also plays a major role in the project. The album artwork for The Floria Wars was created by Aaron Fernandez, whose “whimsical yet detailed sci-fi 3D style fits our band perfectly.” Narotzky hopes to one day stage The Floria Wars as a full theatrical rock opera, possibly involving puppetry, and has plans for a comic book to accompany the album’s narrative arc. They cite conceptual influence from Coheed and Cambria, and highlight the importance of building out the visual and narrative aspects of the story through recurring characters and artwork.
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A video for the track “Housed in the Arctic” was produced by Videomancer, who created game-inspired 3D visuals that captured both the sci-fi tone and the project’s underlying sense of humor and hope. “She knocked it out of the park,” Narotzky says.
At its core, Ultra Deluxe is as much about building community as it is about pushing genre boundaries. Narotzky, who grew up attending DIY shows in suburban New Jersey, now co-runs Friendship Quest Booking in NYC alongside friends from local bands like Tonsil Hockey, Gutless, and Fear Not Ourselves Alone.
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The collective aims to foster sustainable, supportive spaces for small bands from around the world. “We just want to make a community that sustains and supports itself, especially in a country that places competition over community.”
Narotzky closes by shouting out several local NYC bands that reflect that ethos: Career Day, Better Living, Wifey, Nelly Was Nervous, Paper Champs, Look at the Bones, Blisspoint, Big Scary Indian, and Ok Cuddle.
The Floria Wars is available now on Bandcamp.
