Nova Robotics – Popola EP

Bristol-based Nova Robotics produce an electronics and guitar concoction for your listening pleasure. Free downloads.

I’m not a fan of anything with ‘post’ in the title. Always sounds like the thing you liked but worthier or duller. And this is described as ‘post-rock’, which is something that makes my stomach give a little worried lurch. But it’s a bit more leftfield dance and poppy.

Although they’re from Bristol I know nothing else, so Ted’s Top Ten quiz seemed in order:

1. Weatherall or Oakenfold? Weatherall – for his work with ‘Fuck Buttons’
2. Real Instruments or Synthesisers? Both, its the super top secret to the sound we discovered/stole.
3. Dance or rock?  Rock kids at raves and ravers at rock shows.
4. Beer or Cider?   Got to say Cider or our friends will disown us.
5. Brizzle or Bristol?  Brizzle for shizzle.
6. Death or Disco?  DISCO
7. Bristol City or Bristol Rovers? Too short attention span for 90 minutes without music.
8. New Order or Daft Punk? New Order for changing the sound of indie dance clubs forever and Daft Punk for bringing it to the masses.
9. 808 or 303? The 808 might have to have this one due to a childhood obsession with hip-hop.
10. Trip hop or Dubstep? Bit like ex-girlfriends who you had fun with while it lasted but it all went stale pretty quickly its probably for the best that you both moved on.

And so to the EP. There’s something a bit New Order about all this, with the mix of guitar and electronics. Popola is a chiming guitar with near dubstep bass stylings. A bit of Coldplay in the stiving for something bigger. Supanova has more guitar and squelchy electronic bass. Devola let’s the guitar do more of the work. And so to the last and best track. Overproof makes the others seem like sketches in preparation for a grand finale. Here, the mix of guitar and IDM electronics weld perfectly. The bass buzzes sullenly. The beats clatter about leaving you slightly off-balance. The guitar has delicate refrains. And the synths give the whole thing a euphoric coherence.

Overproof