Wednesday 4 January 2012

Happy Hunting - New Waves

Happy Hunting is a new multi-instrumentalist boy-girl duo from north-west London who create sensually brooding dark flotation-tank pop. Like all the best pop it’s not straightforward, crafted as it is from eerie atmospherics as much as obvious hooks. Having started the project last summer Happy Hunting released their debut EP Pitchblack through Bandcamp (here) back in November 2011.  A further release, which is likely to simply be called Happy Hunting is being planned for this new year together with some live shows. The four songs on the Pitchblack EP have a fractured beauty that brings to mind bands such as Visions of Trees with less dance flavoured sensibilities, Purity Ring with less emphasis on synthetics and a hint of the more mystical textures of Bat For Lashes. They make soundtracks to the fragile switch of the twilight hours with tumbling drums, shadowy synths and accomplished feminine vocals.

With their monochrome video and blurry press shots it could be easy to assume that Happy Hunting are going down the whole mystery band approach (which let’s be honest is so 2009/10 these days) but thankfully they’re not; for Happy Hunting have already revealed that they are siblings named Alex and Jana with a wide range of influences from the likes of Bjork and Beirut to the more dubious disposition of enjoying metal bands. They’ve also stated that they would like to play shows in more unorthodox venues than typical bars and clubs and certainly we could imagine their music suiting the likes of crypts, churches or maybe a lost misty forest.

Come the witching hour you might just find yourself falling under this duo’s spell. You have been warned, let the magic commence.

Happy Hunting - My Life Is A Mess



Happy Hunting - Immorality




Happy Hunting - Pitchblack