Band: Proxies
Release: Lost Tapes, Volume 1 (EP)
Release Date: Out Now
Proxies have got a steadily increasing fan base, which has just kept creeping up in numbers since their formation in 2010. Evidently people are drawn to their energetic sound that sort of surmises as a rockier Pendulum. The keys in ‘Gambit’ confirm this band match.
When this free EP was made available last week, some fans (and the inquisitive) took the five tracks for free, thank you very much. But for some they wanted more. The four-piece announced that they’d be selling 50 limited edition packages of the single for £12, each one individually put together. These sold out in less than 10 minutes, showing how much this band already means to some people. They’re willing to be sleep-deprived and pay £12 for music that is legally free.
Jordan Fish, responsible for Proxies’ electro sound through his key and synth skills has spoken about how the drafted term ‘demo’ has no place within ‘Lost Tapes, Volume 1′:
“The collection was initially supposed to be called ‘The Lost Demos’ as they were intended to be demo versions of the songs we love playing live, but as time passed and we worked harder on the songs it felt cruel to taint them with the word ‘demo’.”
This was a good decision. The songs are refined and sound like album material, even though they were recorded in their bedrooms and self-produced. The work they have put in has ensured this polished result. ‘No Swimming On The Dancefloor’ has a pacey electro-centred riff that draws similarities to the ‘Crank It Up’ era of Hadouken!. Though the band’s electronic influences have their place within the music, the rock element is a very prominent feature. Joe Todd’s voice has a weighty quality, as do the guitars, ensuring that the rock is kept in amid the electro buzz. Track ‘!’ minus the synths would sound a bit like The Blackout. But the keys add a crucial layer to Proxies’ attempt at originality.
‘In & Out Of Somnia’ and ‘In Minutia’ are definitely more rock-driven with drown out words of emotion ‘”I can hardly lie beside you” and ‘”I dream but rarely sleep”. Crashing guitars accompany in true fashion.
Proxies have demonstrated that they can drum up an army of fans pretty effortlessly. An early EP with heaps of electro-rock potential and with the vacancy open, could they be the next Pendulum?
You can download it for free here.
9/10
Reviewer: Hayley Fox
