Meet the Brighton duo specialising in sweet bass music with a hint of bitter
Hometown: Brighton.
The lineup: Max Wheeler (producer), Victoria Port (vocals, songs).
The background: Anushka are a duo – neither of whom is called Anushka, but there you go – who use sweet vocals with the seamlessness of American soul (not necessarily R&B), as well as beats and production that place them in a UK tradition of US-aping electro, techno and house. Sorry for being so specific, but they do. They remind us of (to pick an act from each of the last four decades of homegrown dance, so you'll think we're clever) Freeez, Krush, the Chimes and AlunaGeorge. There is roughness and polish in equal measure, sophistication and that jejune quality that is typically British. Anushka call what they do "vocal bass music from the future" but we'd prefer "past-referencing melodic/rhythmic pop that acknowledges the cross-pollinating nature of Anglo-American vocal bass music" although we admit, it's not quite as catchy.
Reading on mobile? Click here to listen
Never Can Decide is their new single and it is, to coin a genre, sugar house. It's bubblicious, although as ever there is a twist, or a kick, something that suggests all is not sweet in Anushka's, um, garden (chocolate factory?). She's "anchored down … stuck in this town". The fact that she falls asleep with his arm round her neck raises concerns about her breathing and, well, safety in general. Then there's the chorus: "We twist and turn/ I never learn," sings Victoria Port, clearly a lady prone to ponder the meaning of existence when she could easily just chuck her handbag on the dancefloor and boogie. Elsewhere, he falters and she "just can't win". Not exactly Get Lucky, is it? On One More Time – not the Daft Punk one – there is more fear and loathing, or at least trepidation and prevarication. "Guess we could do this one more time. Distance don't matter." It's bass music with a hefty dose of ennui. "I guess I'll wait forever" – there's a lot of guessing in their songs. You could say hesitation is a leitmotif. They've even got one called Yes Guess, which is house with sweet soul vocals and no little intimation of fuss and panic. Commercial, though – but then, as far back as Chic, dance music was able to accommodate anxiety and doubt. Talking of dread, check out Atom Bombs, which is like Jill Scott or Erykah Badu going techno, with distant echoes of dubstep. And check out that title again: Atom Bombs. That'll explain the "toxic air" imagery and the overall downer view of male-female affairs (unless we're missing the subtle subtext alluding to Sino-Russian relations). Best of all is Kisses, which one wag described as "like Lorde if she was on Talkin' Loud". It's a total hit, a glucose rush of a future club and chart smash, although knowing Anushka the kisses in question are a metaphor for poisonous death-blows or somesuch.
The buzz: "A kaleidoscopic pop song" – Dazed Digital.
The truth: Sweetly sulphurous UK bass.
Most likely to: Do the Southern Freeez.
Least likely to: Leave a warm glow.
What to buy: Never Can Decide is released by Brownswood on 14 January.
File next to: AlunaGeorge, Inner City, Krush, Freeez.
Links: soundcloud.com/anushkauk.
Friday's new band: Angel Olsen.
by Paul Lester via Music: Electronic music | theguardian.com
No comments:
Post a Comment