New York’s Violens (pronounced “vy-lenz”) will follow up their outstanding debut EP (Deadly Recordings) with the June 22 release of a limited edition 7” single on Chess Club Records, a young label with a talent for picking up the hottest bands on the horizon. To celebrate the release, Violens are heading to London for a run of shows with British chart-toppers White Lies, Brooklyn's School of Seven Bells and Hatcham Social!
A-side Lighting Lightning fuses bouncy riffs and horn synths with the tremolo picking of black metal music to convey its melodic and lyrical themes - a picture of a couple whose progressive mental devolution impairs their ability to responsibly take care of one another.
Violent Sensation Descends (Lansing-Dreiden Remix) is a dance-floor interpretation of the original "sunny" 60s pop-sounding Violens song, by the art collective of which frontman Jorge Elbrecht is also a member. The track features a pulsing low end, muted clean guitar parts (a la Durutti Column), chopped vocal phrases, and the sound of Costa Rican rainforest birds having dirty sex with humans.
Over the coming weeks the quartet will also release a free digital remix EP culled from tracks off their debut. VLNS RMX EP will include contributions from their pals MGMT, Philadelphia pop chameleons Lilys, international remix collective RAC, and newcomers Subtle People! Caroline Polacheck of Chairlift also crafted visuals for a "video remix" of Already Over, the song originally premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC show.
Violens are currently on the road in France for Les Inrocks Indie Club tour with Camera Obscura, Cazals and Dinosaur Pile Up. Following their debut performance with MGMT & Yeasayer last year, Violens have toured and performed in the US with Grizzly Bear, Handsome Furs, Deerhunter, Chairlift, Telepathe, and Jay Reatard among others. Before heading into the studio to record their debut album, they closed out 2008 supporting MGMT throughout the UK alongside openers Amazing Baby.
With the impending release of Lighting Lightning and their debut album to follow later this year, Violens are about to make an unmistakable impact. They boast the kind of songwriting ability that captures hearts and imaginations from the first listen in songs that you feel like you’ve always known.
Upcoming shows
Iddo Arad (synths/vocals), Ben Brantley (bass), Jorge Elbrecht (lead vocals/guitar), Kris King (drums)
"Violens manage to traverse between eras that time forgot to the present with insatiable ease... at least three of the four songs on this EP could quite easily have been singles in their own right." Drowned In Sound
A-side Lighting Lightning fuses bouncy riffs and horn synths with the tremolo picking of black metal music to convey its melodic and lyrical themes - a picture of a couple whose progressive mental devolution impairs their ability to responsibly take care of one another.
Violent Sensation Descends (Lansing-Dreiden Remix) is a dance-floor interpretation of the original "sunny" 60s pop-sounding Violens song, by the art collective of which frontman Jorge Elbrecht is also a member. The track features a pulsing low end, muted clean guitar parts (a la Durutti Column), chopped vocal phrases, and the sound of Costa Rican rainforest birds having dirty sex with humans.
Over the coming weeks the quartet will also release a free digital remix EP culled from tracks off their debut. VLNS RMX EP will include contributions from their pals MGMT, Philadelphia pop chameleons Lilys, international remix collective RAC, and newcomers Subtle People! Caroline Polacheck of Chairlift also crafted visuals for a "video remix" of Already Over, the song originally premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC show.
Violens are currently on the road in France for Les Inrocks Indie Club tour with Camera Obscura, Cazals and Dinosaur Pile Up. Following their debut performance with MGMT & Yeasayer last year, Violens have toured and performed in the US with Grizzly Bear, Handsome Furs, Deerhunter, Chairlift, Telepathe, and Jay Reatard among others. Before heading into the studio to record their debut album, they closed out 2008 supporting MGMT throughout the UK alongside openers Amazing Baby.
With the impending release of Lighting Lightning and their debut album to follow later this year, Violens are about to make an unmistakable impact. They boast the kind of songwriting ability that captures hearts and imaginations from the first listen in songs that you feel like you’ve always known.
Upcoming shows
Thursday 7th May – Heaven, London w/ White Lies & School of Seven Bells
Friday 8th May – Heaven, London w/ White Lies & School of Seven Bells
Friday 8th May – Cargo 11pm show w/ Klaxons DJ set
Saturday 9th May – Puregroove Instore 3pm
Saturday 9th May – Violens DJ set w/ Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip)
Monday 11th May – 93 Feet East w/ Telepathe
Violens are:
Iddo Arad (synths/vocals), Ben Brantley (bass), Jorge Elbrecht (lead vocals/guitar), Kris King (drums)
"Violens manage to traverse between eras that time forgot to the present with insatiable ease... at least three of the four songs on this EP could quite easily have been singles in their own right." Drowned In Sound
“If they can produce a whole album as good as Doomed, Trance Like Turn and Already Over, it's (tour headliners) MGMT who will be following in Violens' slipstream.” The Guardian
"Aztec Camera and Tears For Fears are major sources of inspiration for this quartet, but … they switch from fey jingle-jangles into wild, MBV-esque noise freak-outs in the blink of an eye. Luckily, each side of the group is as entrancing as the other." NME
Violens on MySpace Music
Violens on MySpace Music
