houdini

Houdini met through the Mentalist Association, a collective of musicians and artists whose Dadaist chaos earned them a special edition of Dazed and Confused before they went their separate ways. As the rhythm section in Hexicon, they soon found that the gentler parts of the set couldn't contain them and Houdini was unchained when they hooked up with their drummer from early band Noise Bitch.

2010 brought two singles on Haircut Records, with ‘Smokers Cough’ catching the attention of Rock Sound, who weren't the only reviewers to compare their frenetic riffing to a darker Arctic Monkeys. The Deadlines EP steps up the intensity on all four tracks. A schizophrenic approach to riffs sees them either pushed to their limit or snatched away before they settle in. 'El Hombre Invisible' uses a William Burroughs reference to explore a secret life lived alongside the rest of the world, in between the spaces. Pummeling instrumentals, reflecting lyrical themes of isolation and anxiety, come to a head on final track 'Come Closer'; the rhythms finally relent and we are left with a plea to "tell me what you know about me, and not the shit you read off that screen". Nurtured over several years, these songs are not instant anthems but bring full-throttle catharsis.

The next year promises to be a busy one for Houdini. These songs are already competing with new tracks for space in the band's set, and with two engineers in the band the first album looms large on the horizon.

“with hooks that swirl and plunge complete with short and sweet vocal lines, this is seven minutes of grunge-pop bliss”
Rock Sound

“angular guitars and raspy sentiments give those smart rhythms a spiky punch”
Music Dash

“bloody good stupid fun”
SoundsXP