Astrio

There are not two ways about it: Astrio are addictive. You'd be hard put to find as enticing, powerful, distinctive and surprising a live act as this accomplished trio.

Even when playing the same set list, every single performance has something quite unique to it. It is as though they reinvented their songs with every new rendition, tweaking them here and there and turning them into some sort of novel and exciting cover version. The constant morphing of their music onstage may well reflect the eerie identity of a band in permanent transition.

Those fortunate enough to have followed their ascent will bear witness to the steady, silent, wilful transformation operated in Astrio's music. The deliberately intellectual, complex groove of their nostalgic, Hammond-soaked beginnings is now a thing of the past. By the time their second album Desplazamiento came out (and in the barrage of concerts that followed), the evolution in their sound was almost as palpable as their refusal of any stylistic commitment. It is at this juncture that Astrio experiment with electronica and blur once and for all their musical scope; and yet (and herein lies the trick) they remain as easily identifiable as ever. Only Astrio sound like Asstrio.

Their latest effort Don’t Leave The Planet goes on to confirm this breakthrough. The trio have managed to come up with a studio album as effective and compelling as their live performances. An excellent, many-faceted record in its own right, the accompanying tour is guaranteed to be nothing short of spectacular. The boys may have shed an S (as well as their ties) along the way, but the music remains as poignant and transgressive and their live performances as compelling as ever. Perhaps even more. Don't leave the planet, boys.