Delphic, my new favorite band.

Only heard the totally ace Counterpoint single and the This Momentary single... don't even know if they've got anything else out, but omg they are terrific!!!

Counterpoint is just so joyously over the top, reminds me of all the great part of synthpop and the glee of indiepop, but minus the amateurish nature of it all.

Anyone know anything more about them? They're a Kistune affiliate, which can be a good or bad thing, but in this case, they are GREAT!!!

Saw them at Field Day - they seemed pleasantly New Order-ish in all the right ways.

they're also an R&S affiliate!

also ewan pearson is producing their album, if memory serves.

Ewan Pearson's blog, with the following comments:

Groove Column: On being a "veteran" (April 2009)

Welcome to Wales and the control room of Rockfield Studios. I’m here with Delphic, a young Manchester three-piece whose debut album I am producing. They are lovely, in awe of New Order although they weren't even born when Ceremony or Blue Monday were released. They revere Orbital too and ask me excitedly what it was like to hear their records at parties in 1991. I can't really remember how it felt, but I know exactly how I feel now. I feel old.

I've become a huge fan of Pearson over the past two years, and to the point that I'll seek out somewhat more obscure releases he's had a hand in, like the Lost Valentinos album (unfortunately AU only atm). Thanks for the heads up on Delphic. The influences Pearson notes are worn proudly on the singles...

Have a feeling the album might be a few kinds of awesome.

The third single, "Doubt", is every bit as good as "Counterpoint", and a big step up from some of the mood pieces that have leaked. I'm hoping they take the hint from the feedback and the album is bow-to-stern downcast but upbeat, leaving the slower pieces for b-sides.

Two 6 minute songs (One of which is 'Counterpoint') and the 8 minute long title track. (Am on first listen)

Has this leaked?

Counterpoint reminds me a bit of So Here We Are by Bloc Party, but with the electronic influences spelt out rather than hinted at. Not sure yet... I think Friendly Fires have set a bit of a high water mark for recent indie bands incorporating techno influences into the songs, and this feels a bit skingrafted in comparison.

i've been listening to that friendly fires album a bit recently - it isn't bad, although as i say the opening and closing tracks stand out miles ahead of the others

delphic are not very good, imo

delphic are going for that technique-era new order sound. wasnt too impressed by the song on jools holland and no they arent as good as friendly fires but theyre capable of something good i think.

Yeah I think they're capable of more, certainly, what they're doing right now seems very obvious and predictable though. Ewan Pearson should be able to wring something good out of them though.

i didn't really rate them and then saw them live where they absolutely came into their own.

Got several weeks to plan a review for this album, which is a rare-ish luxury these days. First listen now, while I'm trying to do other stuff, and yeh: obvious, predictable, capable of more, but still absolutely Grimly-tastic :)

Second listen. I'm starting to love this. Oh, Counterpoint!

The album has some typically great hands-in-the-air Ewan Pearson production - and really fantastic in some cases, the title track in particular - but the band themselves feel like this enormous charisma-free blank space in the middle. Weird to hear an indie-dance act where the indie bit feels more faceless than the dance bit.

can't believe Counterpoint is on R&S

That facelessness is a big part of their appeal for me.

what's r&s?

R&S Records
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R&S_Records

Yeah it's the kind of lack of any sort of interesting vocal presence that bugs me a bit. It's like there's this huge clouds of sonics and the band themselves are kinda transparent at the centre of it.

My understanding of it is that they're essentially an electronic dance act who gradually added guitar, live drums and vocals just to increase the texture of it.

Not everyone can be Carl Hyde. Not even Carl Hyde if that recent awful jazz pastiche song that Underworld did with Brian Eno is anything to go by.

Petridis reviews them in the Guardian today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jan/07/delphic-acolyte-cd-review

I'm ashamed to say I chortled at the Peter Hook gag.

I'm enjoying this, I take issue with the amount of skittering on the cymbals though, makes the Friendly Fires comparison such an easy one. Hit the bloody things man!

A late half-page advert meant I ended up writing less than half what I'd hoped about this (still, who's complaining? ADVERTS = MONEY = ANOTHER NEWSPAPER TOMORROW) but it can basically be summed up as: lovely ideas, impeccable production, promises the world but ultimately lacks depth. Or "Matt DC OTM".

Without wishing to nick Geir's schtick, it lacks all the lovely little harmonic counterpoints (yes, I know) that made (say) New Order so special. Whether New Order really knew what they were doing half the time is a moot point, but the fact remains: they, and many others, were just so much more interesting.

Still a good/borderline great album, though, so hey.

I'm ashamed to say I chortled at the Peter Hook gag

It's a very good line.

I really like this, surprise surprise.

This hits some of the same pleasure centers as Silent Alarm, so yay.

I saw them last summer at Melt! festival in Germany, and Delphic bored the shit out of me. No tunes, just sterile, generic synth-rock, couldn't remember anything from them.

I'm not sure how much I'll LOVE this in six months time, but right now it's hitting a spot.

Perhaps I don't like them, because Greek song titles and this kind of earnestness are things I hate very much.

whenever i see this band name i am reminded that WFANFC need to get their asses back into gear and release something

God this album is criminally groove free. The whole thing feels like it's been cynically put together to earn royalties by soundtracking as many sporting highlights reels as possible.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=19353005&blogId=525225724

bye bye delphic, it was nice knowing you

how so? because WFANFC's 2nd album will overtake their hype?

it's more a personal thing - i am divorcing my interest in this band, which was never great to begin with

unless you'd all like to convince me otherwise

it's more a personal thing - i am divorcing my interest in this band, which was never great to begin with

This is a bit like Andy Cole ostentatiously retiring from England duty knowing full well he was never going to get picked anyway.

AndREW Cole, not Andy, heathen.

Fun Andrew Cole facts!
1/ It was he who coined the name "Bison Head" for Brian Woolnough
2/ In a piece in the Time Out Book of Football published in the mid-90s, Nicholas Royle alleges that Cole was sold by Arsenal because he used to steal from the dressing room. I am astonished that TO never got a libel suit for that, because they'd never have been able to prove it in court. Presumbaly neither Cole nor the appalling Paul Stretford read the book.

On topic, I like the Delphic album.

Any takers for the new album? Couple of tracks in and it sounds like total guff to me.

I thought the new single was quite good until I realised it was rubbish.

I've only heard bad things, so I've avoided it like the plague.

Hope you like our new direction

I had completely forgotten they existed. Their first album had basically zero personality, although Ewan Pearson tried his best with it.

I thought the new single was quite good until I realised it was rubbish.

ah yeah, that was the second song: singer declares 'all hell is breaking loose', four minutes of tepid indie electro follow