News
Strange & Primitive release Highwayman video!
"...an explosion of ideas that crafts an intimate, intense experience." - Clash
"“…traces the border between the cerebral and the imaginative...” - Gigwise
“…a journey through exotic, electro-tinged and undeniably catchy soundscapes.” - Exclaim!
Canadian duo Strange & Primitive have released a fantastic stop motion video to accompany their track Highwayman, which features on their self-titled debut album out now via The Deep Floor Inc.
The video premiered on Clash but you can watch it now now via Strange & Primitive's YouTube page and download the track for free via Soundcloud.
The video sees the return of 'Spaceman' and 'Robot' to continue their obsession with hot dogs as they go on a holiday to see the sights of the galaxy! Though much like in their previous appearance in the Eureka video, Spaceman again takes advantage of Robot's unquestioning love for him when things start to go wrong.
You can listen to Highwayman and the other singles from their debut album on Soundcloud playlist.
There’s a distinct 80s flavour to the album, albeit the darker side of the era. Difficulties Be Damned is tense - tribal beats and robotic synths entwine, crescendoing with electronic eloquence. The track is trance-like, with Jeff Musgrave channelling Mark Hollis-esque vocals, in homage to influences like Talk Talk. ‘Eureka’ is lighter in comparison but still in keeping with the bands brooding sound. ‘The Hunt Is Over’ harks back to the aforementioned Talk Talk’s moodier moments whilst track ‘Highwayman’ takes us for a drive in the dead of night, synth-laden beats and guitars fuelling the journey as the band steer us towards an end point that seems to mysteriously dim as we get ever closer. ‘Keep Your Eyes On Daylight’ is the one instrumental track on the album, which gives us an insight into the less ‘human’ element of the band, before they decided to add vocals to the proceedings. The 7-minute track breaks the continuity at the exact half-way point of the album as we reach our second act. Its filmic, futuristic quality sounds like a Tron: Legacy soundtrack that could have been.
Jeff and Graham Fish grew up on different sides of Canada. Jeff was born in Osaka, Japan but brought up in Vancouver, with Graham born and raised in Guelph, Ontario. Jeff moved to Guelph to attend University in 2005, where he met Graham after responding to an advert looking for a singer / guitarist. They enjoyed jamming together, infusing their styles, honing their craft and released an instrumental album Melody In The Half-Light in 2012 under the name Audiograft. Self-titled album Strange & Primitive is their latest creation - a rebirth of enmeshed styles, influences and experiences.
In the studio, the pair take on whatever role is required of them with the exception that Jeff sings on every track. As Strange & Primitive they are one heart, one soul, one melodic organism brought to life by music.
Strange & Primitive’s self-titled debut album is out now in the UK and Europe via The Deep Floor Inc. and is available now on iTunes.