Space-age pop ensemble to release first album on September 30th.
The quintet formerly known as Orlando, renamed after singer Cathy Lucas’ twin absorbed in utero, has been making waves in London’s psychedelic circles, and has finally announced their debut on Soundway Records (remember Flamingods ? This is purely coincidental, of course !).
The band, composed of drummer Valentina Magaletti (Tomaga, Shit and Shine), bassist Susumu Mukai (aka Zongamin, minimalist electro producer), synth wizard Phil MFU (aka Man From Uranus), and flautist, percussionist and visual artist Elliott Arndt, have already given us a few tracks in anticipation of the release.
The video for ‘Vanishing Twin Syndrome’, directed by bandmember Elliott Arndt, takes us into soft, ethereal madness, where dimensions seem to fade into one another and perspective is an elastic concept. Ritualistic elements and costumes play a central role, much like in the band’s live performances. The karaoke-style display of lyrics, on the bottom of the screen, tell the bittersweet yet haunting story of the singer’s vanished twin.
Title track ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ and ‘The Conservation of Energy’ both point to a decidedly retro-futuristic and jazzy sound, marked by experimentation, but underlined by a solid rhythm section. If names like Stereolab or Broadcast come to mind, Vanishing Twin cites library music, early electronic music and space jazz à la Sun Ra as main influences. However, they do stand on their own, driven by Lucas’ crystal-clear vocals, delivering a thread for us to follow amidst the atmospheric instrumentals.
The album was produced collaboratively with Malcolm Catto (who has also worked with The Heliocentrics), and with endorsement from the likes of Gilles Peterson and The Quietus, as well as a few european concerts in the coming months, it should be no surprise if we hear more from Vanishing Twin in the near future.
Make sure to follow them on Facebook to keep up to speed with news, releases and tour dates.
Choose Your Own Adventure, out on Soundway Records September 30th.