Artifacts

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“...soundscapes of pure ecstasy.” - Artrocker

Artifacts returned with their single, Sad Face, on August 19th via The Disappearing Act Records.

Sad Face was the follow up to the brilliant single Echoes, released earlier in 2013 to widespread acclaim. The band picked up support from the likes of Artrocker, The 405, God Is In The TV and Music Muso having previously received praise from Clash who described the band’s sound as “Noisy guitars embellished with synths struck like percussion”.

Sad Face, and the free download b-side ‘Fracture’, saw Artifacts continue to explore their stadium-sized sound, driven by Patrick Fitzroy’s dreamy, echoing vocal melodies and surrounded by walls of epic guitar riffs and chiming synths.

Lead track Sad Face displays Artifacts’ diverse sound, with tender, introspective moments accentuated by the kind of rawness which White Lies and Clinic would be proud of. The song twists and turns from start to finish as the band toy with time-changes and sublime melodies. Indeed, this is a band whose expertly crafted sound and lyrical depth belies their youth - on the forthcoming free download ‘Fracture’, Patrick sings, “I’ll hold my hands high, and move the clouds over me...” as the song swells beautifully into a grandiose, hypnotic guitar riff which truly sweeps you away.

Artifacts were formed in secondary school by Patrick Fitzroy (vocals/guitar), Mark Rivers (sampler/keyboards) and Craig Brown (drums/vocals), with Sam Upton (guitar) and Tom Doyle (bass guitar) completing the current line-up. The band draw on influences such as My Bloody Valentine, Jeff Buckley, Sigur Ros and Radiohead, without ever imitating, to produce a modern and distinctive sound unbound by specific genres.

2013 has been a busy year for the band - having released Echoes in January, Fracture’ on July 3rd, followed by a remix by Esstie, before releasing Sad Face on August 19th. They have also been performing throughout the UK, culminating with a headline slot at the High Street Live Festival in Crawley.