Solar Bears’ ambient dreams

Irish duo Solar Bears apparently cite the likes of Stanley Kubrick and Andrei Tarkovsky as influences and their brand of dreamy electro soundscapes is suitably cinematic, with a certain 70s arthouse sci-fi film feel too. They also bear a debt to the early ambient works of Aphex Twin, though I think one track I heard veers perilously close to Zero 7, but don’t let that put you off.

The pair, John Kowalski and Rian Trench (right), have been picked up by Planet Mu who will release their album She Was Coloured In at the 20 September. The whole record is streaming on the Planet Mu site. Listen to two tracks from the record below: “Neon Colony” is a beautiful and quietly soaring synth and guitar epic, while “Crystalline (Be Again)” is a bit more beat driven.

Neon Colony

Crystalline (Be Again)

Incidentally, I accidentally had “Neon Colony” playing on two pages at the same time. Sounded quite cool. An idea for their next record perhaps…

They’ve also put together a mix for NME, check it out here.

(With an appreciative nod to GvsB)

Recent Posts on Arts - News, notes and quotes on the Arts world -

• Mario & Vidis: An album makes you rethink what you've been doing
• Beth Jeans Houghton interview: “I hate London”
• Turbo Records going into overdrive for 2012
• Review of Being Human: 'Being Human 1955’
• Motek's creators speak about their intimate London shindigs