Leeds’ electro-noise quartet Bathing Suits have dropped an epic seven minute industrial trance track “Empathy”, the first release on newly established Underplay Recordings. There’s a radio friendly three minute edit available too, but why would you deprive yourself?
Their mantra of “Always dancey. Always loud. Always sexy”, has never felt so apt as they mix raunchy pop sensibilities with abrasive and atmospheric clubland beats and techno.
Vocalist and live drum machine operator Freyja Blevins displays the same frenetic energy of her live shows and comes across like a possessed sermon leader chanting “Lack Empathy!” and she’s drawing on a feeling she describes, “like there’s no empathy left for anyone – like we’ve run out of it or something. The song feels cold, angry, suffocating and tense.”
Bathing Suits have been gigging ceaselessly throughout the UK and beyond in the past year or so based on their incendiary shows and building on acclaim for previous singles “Lousy Havoc / Relay”, and “I Can Be A Freak” (below) and “Empathy” distills these into an hypnotic epic that sounds as thrilling on record as it does performed live. It’s a track that establishes their club credentials, if they even needed to, and widens their musical horizons with seeming ease.
Bathing Suits Live Dates
25 FEB – The Lexington, London
8 MAR – The waterfront Studios, Norwich
10 MAR – The Mash House, Edinburgh
23 APR – (TGE Presents) The Old Blue Last, London
14 MAY – The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
12 JUN – More Women On Stage Festival, Paris, France
20-23 AUG – Green Man Festival, Crickhowell
5 SEP – Manchester Psych Festival, Manchester
Undoubtedly more dates will be added
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