Dunedin electronic duo Strange Harvest has finished the follow up to its excellent sophomore album, and celebrates the release with a show tonight at Chick's Hotel.
The album, Pattern Recognition, another fantastic collection of otherworldly hypnotic synth numbers, is self-released digitally and on cassette tape.
''We're control freaks,'' guitarist and vocalist Justin Walshaw said via email.
''Also, we wanted to do it on cassette. Very limited run. And have it online on our bandcamp page. So you get an old and a new format.
''And we're not worried about audience numbers or having board meetings. I mean, we have a board meeting every night obviously, in the kitchen. We make soup. We're not opposed to labels though. But they'd have to bring some spoons and a bowl.
''It doesn't seem like three albums. We definitely didn't have second-album blues like the cliche says. This, the third record, came about very easily. We'd been sitting on the songs for a long time and recorded them quick.
"Skye Strange [keyboardist and vocalist] was listening to lots of '80s and 2000s synth music. I was listening to pop music, like Rihanna and some hip-hop.
''On the last album there was a bit of `celebrity news' and the whole album seemed dense and direct. So we have chilled a bit. Things are a bit more oblique and rounded and some of the songs are quite pretty.''
Even through email, Walshaw has a bit of a speak-sing cadence.
His sentences are little esoteric quips, having an attitude and feel all their own: knowing, relaxed, and bemused at it all.
''[Dunedin's psychogeography] feels pretty good. It's 'autumn calm'. There is probably a colour called 'autumn calm'. It feels like a good time to release a record, which is why so many people are releasing records. In a few months, all the musicians will go back to their poorly insulated bedrooms and make more music.''
MAGICAL FLAIR
Chelsea Nikkel, aka Princess Chelsea, is touring her sophomore album through the country, and will play a show in Dunedin on Wednesday.
The album builds on the success of debut Little Golden Book and its breakout hit Cigarette Duet, which currently has more than 20 million views on YouTube.
Chelsea and her band will play through the lush electro work with her typical magical flair, before heading to the US and Europe in May.
HYPNOTISING SHOW
Three of the country's best synth, drone, and slow-dance exponents will play a hypnotising show tomorrow at Taste Merchants.
Touring the country as The Softsynth Siren Tour, expect reverbed-out beats, alien template and ice-cool sounds.
Be there
• Strange Harvest Pattern Recognition album release show, with Opposite Sex and Astro Children, tonight at Chick's Hotel, Port Chalmers, $5 from 8.30pm.
The Chick's Hotel Magic Bus leaves Countdown Central at 8.30pm, university library at 8.35pm, returning after the show. Pattern Recognition cassette tapes will be available on the night.
• Princess Chelsea The Great Cybernetic Depression album release, with Kane Strang and Pesk, Wednesday, April 29, at Chick's Hotel, Port Chalmers, 8pm doors. Presales available from undertheradar.co.nzThe Chick's Hotel Magic Bus will be running at its regular time.
• The Softsynth Siren Tour (Misfit Mod, Lttle Phnx, and Instant Fantasy), Sunday, April 26, at Taste Merchants, Lower Stuart St, doors at 8pm, $10.
