Thalab in London, photo by Serena Mirambeau Brey

Photo by Serena Mirambeau Brey

Who is it?

THALAB, two cousins from Barcelona currently living in London. We stumbled across them a while back when we started our What’s Your Sound section and have been in love ever since, naming them Sound of ’17 back in January. Their EP A Good Swim is out now, and it takes Thalab’s slick, balearic sound to a new level.

Why should you listen to it?

While THALAB‘s previous releases like Jule or Wreck fused electronica with sunlit guitars and driving rhythms, A Good Swim takes energy levels down a notch, instead opting for a decidedly more chilly and reserved tone – it is certainly informed by their move to London, which exposed the two brothers to more bleak and cold surroundings. The title track, in all its playfulness, hints at darker places: ‘And in my sleep / All I do is crawl, crawl, crawl / My way through the dream’ mourns Oscar Guardans, as brassy synthesizers, plucky bass lines and gentle percussion back him. The vintage-stylised bass playing is a constant on A Good Swim, bringing in groove in places where a more moody, electronic aesthetic prevails. There are shades of METRONOMY, MOUNT KIMBIE and contemporary electronica here, but listening to tracks like 2 Sails or the urgent Morning, Before My Plant Dies, you get the sense that THALAB have carved out a distinct sound for themselves.

What’s next?

The gentlemen have just returned from playing a mini tour of North America and presenting their EP A Good Swim at a live-streamed show in London, which you can rewatch here.


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THALAB