Tuesday 1 August 2017

Holy Fuck 'Bird Brains' (EP REVIEW)


Including the f-word in your band’s moniker can prove attention grabbing whilst simultaneously sending the promoters fleeing for the hills. Despite this, Canadian electronica quartet Holy Fuck continue to make innovative music, now well into their second decade, fusing live instrumentals with boatloads of electronica, creating urgent and infectious grooves guaranteed to make even the most leaden footed of us start tapping away.

Switching to Californian based record label Innovative Leisure as recently as 2016, ‘Bird Brains’ marks their second release with this publisher, a follow-up EP to last year’s well-received fourth album “Congrats”. They’re also headed across to Europe this month with a dozen British Isles dates, one of which will be Leeds' Belgrave Music Hall on 12th August.


‘Bird Brains’ proves a real tour de force, the band remaining on top form and the pulsating title track boasting a strangely alluring promo video as hedonism meets the avant-garde, reminiscent of the mid- 1990s rave scene. Second track ‘Chains’ is equally hypnotic building to a furious climax not once but twice whereas penultimate track ‘Raymond’ is much more of a laid back scene setter, expertly blending drum n bass, dub and industrial. Closer ‘New Dang’, another guaranteed dance floor filler completing a fine quartet of new tracks.

Holy Fuck live shows are frequently incendiary experiences so no doubt there will be hordes of revellers heading to Belgrave’s fine first floor venue come August 12th. Be sure to be one of them.

Words - Mike Price
         Tour dates;
09-Aug London, UK- Jazz Cafe

10-Aug Birmingham, UK- Hare and Hounds
11-Aug Manchester, UK- Soup Kitchen
14-Aug Galway, Ireland - Roisin Dubh
15-Aug Cork, Ireland- Cyprus Avenue
16-Aug Limerick, Ireland- Dolans Warehouse
17-Aug Belfast, Ireland- Empire Music Hall
19-Aug Cardross Estate, Scotland- Doune the Rabbit Hole
20-Aug Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK- Think Tank
22-Aug Bristol, UK- Colston Hall 2
23-Aug Brighton, UK- Patterns