Sydney’s synth band Ipso Factopus and their debut EP is anthemic EDM meets rock – you’ll be hooked on its danceability and slow-releasing sense of danger.
Sydney synth-rock-dance four piece, Ipso Factopus with Tom Barkel (vocals, guitar), Cameron Taylor (synths, tracks, samples), James Butler (drums & percussion) and Dylan Moore (bass) have independently released their debut EP, Trouble. Forming in 2013, this band is well on their way to forging a truly distinctive sound – I can picture it now, Ipso Factopus with their synth infused EDM meets rock blasting through a grand warehouse setting as it sends electrifying sonic waves through your core, with synchronised lights beaming overhead and bouncing off the silvery blank walls with captivating colour – anthemic powerhouse potential there, with nothing but time on their side in reaching that level.
With resemblances to The Killers, Muse and Sydney’s own Art vs Science, Ipso Factopus’s allegiance with the dark side is clear in this debut EP. Moments of industrial clamouring and dizzying distortion add that unique sense of endangerment into this soundscape of frustration and desire. The thunderous guitar riffs, and effervescent percussion and synths with each track, fuels the looming space-like aura that latches onto this band’s sound, gifting them with a dangerous commandment and danceability – your very first taste of this is Spectre – ghostly and unrelentingly undead.
With a mixture of lo-fi and hi-fi production, No One is heavy with its bass, hallucinogenic sampling and showcases Tom’s soaring vocal range – one of the stronger vocal performances. The digitally treated vocals adds to the whole mechanical vibe of Ipso Factopus, but at times slightly takes away from the full energy and impacting strength that could be unleashed.
The aggressive sound of Rowboat is the result of combing a jazzy bass, intoxicating and crackling sirens and heavily vibrating synth lines. Breaking In offers a more downtempo and reflective tune with it’s trickle of bright syths that soon become the climax of the song- like an afterglow with a saxophone solo to set the mood that one notch more smoother.
Trouble’s jangle guitar lines is what spices up this dance track. The middle of the song has this slow build up which drops into a moment of silence, before getting caught up again in the intense lyrics of: “Watch yourself, it’s not your turn to wreck yourself, that girl’s trouble for you”.
Get your free download of Trouble right here on Happy!
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