[debut]
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[debut]

Los Angeles, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2006 | INDIE

Los Angeles, CA | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2006
Solo Alternative Electronic

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Music

Press


"Album Review"

"...Pop tunes that quickly evolve in to something otherworldly, building to an explosive climax ..... Cinematic material" - Pop Dose


"Album Review"

"cinematic, sleek and nothing short of captivating. extremely close to being a gothic masterpiece" - The Big Takeover Blog


"Album Review"

"Intimate and honest, Postcards From Berlin achieves that illusive quality in music - something that’s harking back to the past, but resolutely facing the future. Well worth a listen." - The Weekly Podcast


"Album Review"

“Passion” is the pinnacle of the record. Thomas' talent is displayed in full glory and proves the earlier claims of his ability to ascend in his industry. It shifts and rolls with power, while showing a sweet vulnerability. This is Thomas' masterpiece." - AXS.com


"Album Review"

"the most unique project EPIC has come across ...... Filled with intimacy and honesty, this is definitely one for those looking to branch out of their normal listening, and discover something new" - Epic Productions


"Album Review"

“...a musical odyssey and your job is to sit back, turn up the volume and let the music take you to a different world... intimate, dark and melancholy at times but there are bits of optimism scattered throughout evident in the soaring pianos and raw, industrial soundscapes. It’s a beautiful experience” - Fourculture Magazine


"Album Review"

“[debut] successfully blends the modern electronic influences like IAMX and Massive Attack with the dark, reflective songwriting and lyricism of Peter Gabriel.” - AlternativeControl.com


"New Artist Review"

Music serves many purposes for the human spirit. It can entertain, send a message, start a riot and transcend. It can be made selfishly and selflessly, for the ears of everyone or the ears of no one. It can put your mind at ease or fill it with fear. Some music tells a story not only with its lyrics, but with its sound. New artist [debut] is a Los Angeles-based group that is always evolving and never static. Creator Gareth Thomas describes the project as “more than a band. It’s a music and art collective with an ever-changing cast.” [debut] raised over $10,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of their first full length album Postcards From Berlin.

Beginning as a solo project with singer and producer Gareth Thomas, it has shape shifted into a rich and reflective ensemble project where the dynamic is always changing with its members. Thomas blended his love for analog synth and experimental music with the vibrational experience of electronic music to create a nebulous sound that encompasses you. The group’s first single “Starting to Love it” was released in 2013 and featured Chris Eigner of Depeche Mode on drums.

Siobhan Lynch of Recoil, Cyd Claire, Angela Bartys and Sammi Doll also shared their talents with [debut]’s art collective. They have also worked with prominent filmmakers Chris Corner (Sneaker Pimps, IAMX) as well as Danny Drysdale (The Killers, IAMX). Released on March 5th, Postcards From Berlin was produced by Thomas and engineered by Fabian G. Knof at Hansa Meistersaal (U2, David Bowie, Depeche Mode) in Berlin and mixed by Alvin Wee at Westside Pacific Studios in Los Angeles. Recording in two countries by multiple minds and styles gives the album a diverse sonic palette.

On Postcards From Berlin, we follow [debut] as they discover their unique sound. Still a work in progress, [debut]’s music is highly cinematic and evocative, utilizing dark, electronically produced beats and synth paired with ethereal pianos, strings and female vocals. Even without lyrics, these tracks tell a story, leading the listener on a journey down a deep river of sound. The emotive lyrics are haunting and could easily find a home on an epic film soundtrack. Reminiscent of late 80s and 90s electronic alternative, their sound has been likened to Depeche Mode, IAMX, Massive Attack and Nine Inch Nails. Sweeping melodies and bridges make your body sway like a buoyant string of kelp. Each song is an honest and raw lament, evoking feelings of turmoil and obscure pasts. An example of how music can be therapeutic not just for its listener, but also for its creator.

Postcards From Berlin is not for those seeking vacuous music with the sole purpose of entertainment. [debut] is for those who seek music that does not fear darkness but rather embraces it. Just like the duality of mankind, Postcards From Berlin is as wistful as it is angelic, as melancholy as it is sublime. The union of yin and yang translated into sound. For those who have no fear of plunging into dark sonic landscapes, [debut]’s Postcards From Berlin will intrepidly guide you there. - Huffington Post


Discography

Starting to Love It EP (March 2013)
Sweet Little Girl EP (May 2013)
Postcards From Berlin Album (May 2015)
The Battle EP (Nov 2016)

Photos

Bio

[debut] is more than a band. It’s a music and art collective with an ever-changing cast, directed by songwriter/producer Gareth Thomas.

Lying somewhere between electro pop and alternative rock, [debut] delivers soundscapes that are cinematic and challenging yet at the same time accessible and emotive. [debut] began as a solo project and the first two studio albums were instrumental, electronic outings fueled by Thomas’s love of analog synths and experimental music. Many of the tracks from “Soaked” (2006) and “Set to Zero” (2010) have since been featured in film and tv spots.

More recently, to complete an increasingly diverse palate of song based material, Thomas has turned [debut] in to more of a collective venture with a revolving door of talent being brought in to complete larger studio productions and a full band live show. This collaborative approach has expanded to video, film and art with the forthcoming “Passion” & “Home” projects defining this concept.

“Starting to Love it” was released in early 2013 and featured Depeche Mode drummer Christian Eigner. The video, filmed by Chris Corner (IAMX/ Sneaker Pimps), was featured on Depeche’s social media channels receiving a 95% “thumbs up” rating from the partisan Depeche fans. The much anticipated, follow-up single “Sweet Little Girl”, was released mid-2013 with an acoustic, in-studio version premiering 5 days prior. The official video was directed by renowned indie film-maker, Danny Drysdale (The Killers).

2015 saw the release of the first full, song based [debut] album. “Postcards From Berlin” was fan-funded through Kickstarter crowd-funding. Recorded in the famous Hansa Meistersaal (U2, Bowie, Depeche Mode) and UFO Sound Studios (IAMX) in Berlin, the album presents a unique palate of soaring strings, dark and brooding pianos, bunker drums and pulsing electronics. It’s release has delivered a storm of rave reviews …

 “Highly cinematic and evocative …. an honest and raw lament.”  Huffington Post

“Cinematic, sleek and nothing short of captivating. Extremely close to being a gothic masterpiece.”  The Big Takeover

“Intense and captivatingly eccentric …. a colossal peak, an electrifying tempest of bass & synths.”  Papercut Magazine 

“Introverted and dark but with hints of optimism throughout. Simply Gorgeous.”  Fourculture Magazine

Late 2015 saw Thomas drafted in to electronic music legend Gary Numan’s live band for a series of celebratory classic album shows in LA, London, Manchester and Cork. Described as some of the best shows of Numan’s career, Thomas’s synth playing and programming received high praise from the loyal Numanoid fans. Thomas’s film and soundtrack career hit a new high in December 2015, when one of his specifically commissioned songs “I Need Your Love” was featured in the Warner/ Alcon $100 million remake of the surf cult classic “Point Break”. The track was also featured on the accompanying soundtrack release.

For 2016, Thomas has had work in the Syfy Network TV show “The Expanse” and  released a new dance album called “The Battle" on Oct 20th.

Band Members