"We've followed things where they've taken us," Jonathan Allen says. "We've had an English space rock sort of sound, done dark trip hop, art rock, then sort of an experimental thing for a while. Things got very strange."

A process without a purpose? Hardly. It's all helped Music for Headphones, with its consistent lineup changes and persistent experimentation, find out what they really want to be: namely, a great rock band that doesn't sound quite like anyone else.

"There are records out there that drive me to be a better musician. Those records are what I want to achieve. I don't think I will ever be totally happy with what I create, but that's what keeps you going."