CMYK

Sometimes all I want is a dance song about dancing. CMYK fills the need and more with their best song, a vo-coded ode to the last dance of the night aptly named “Last Dance.” Classic Atari arpeggios lock in with a clockwork rhythm and junior boy-ims to form a euphoric pulse. It’s a perfect ending for the the night out.

The center of CMYK songs are drums, fussily constructed for maximum impact. The bass drum thuds and the claps slap the slapiest slap. It serves the music well, always underscoring T-minus’, Shorty Circuit’s and Sex Brains’ ponderous vocals with an insistent beat.

As is to be expected from a musician named Sex Brains, the songs are mostly concerned with nasty business time. “My Lady” is a syrupy dance song that is unafraid to use hot-chip-level soul vocals and puns to secure seduction. “There ain’t nobody but your body for me,” the band croons.

Don’t get me wrong here, CMYK might have a tongue in their cheek but it doesn’t belong to them. “2 by 2” glides by on blips so sensual it’s impossible to get off ironically. Here the band is focused, hushed drums contrast the baroque harmonies that headline their other songs.

It’s easy to imagine a music video that is just close ups of people biting other people’s ears; CMYK are a band about pleasure and they wouldn’t have it any other way. - Publicola.net

I first saw CMYK a couple years ago playing as a trio called The Long Ranger, and they’ve since added a drummer along with changing their name. What hasn’t changed is their cool electro-pop music and fun show. Lead singer/guitarist Ted showed off some great dance moves — though no breakdancing, as he’s done in the past — and jumped down offstage to sing from the audience. Keyboardist Sylvia added sweet vocal harmonies as well as a fine turn on lead vocals; the second guitarist and drummer did a great job rounding out the sound. CMYK were playful, sexy, and soulful, a good combination for the dreary grey Seattle winter evening. - KEXP

The Long Ranger (now CMYK) brought a laid back, sexy, sophisticated electro dance party more refreshing than anything I’d seen at a club in months. It was all the best parts of New Order mixed with a twinge of Phoenix and completed perfectly by brother/sister vocal harmonies. You may recognize keyboardist/singer Sylvia Chen from Velella Velella, another one of Seattle’s finest electro dance acts. The Long Ranger is less of a funk band and more of a pop one than VV though – basically the whole set felt like the scene in Lost In Translation where everyone is dancing to “Too Young.” - The Stranger

A trio who've gone from playing basements to entertaining a sold-out Neumo's crowd in just over a year, the Long Ranger are a smoldering Basement Jaxx to U.S.E.'s Daft Punk.

With bubbling synths and Dance Dance Revolution exuberance, the Long Ranger's songs more closely resemble the hyperactive, hysteric glamour of commerce-crazed Japan. - Seattle Weekly

Like the Faint? Yer gonna love The Long Ranger. This track made KEXP intern Sharlese Metcalf come bouncing into the studio and ask, "Who's the sexy band?" and made Lisa Wood crack porn jokes. Good times. The band is a brother-sister duo, and shares a member from local band the Stereo Future. Get ready to shake your stuff. - Three Imaginary Girls on KEXP radio

The second band up was the Long Ranger, an electro pop trio. If Beehive recalls classic rock bands, the Long Ranger would not be out of place on Top 40 radio. (Even though much of what you hear on pop radio is bullshit, I mean this as a compliment.) They have an atmospheric style with beats made for dancing and very solid pop instincts. Fans of Prince, R. Kelly, and (especially) Justin Timberlake are likely to be equally charmed by the Long Ranger -- if they’d just get the chance to hear them. - Three Imaginary Girls