New Hands

With roots in West Yorkshire and Canada, New Hands have a strange sense of displacement.

The band's sound - taut post-punk, flamboyant new pop, pared down disco - owes a debt to several locations, several styles, rarely - if ever - coalescing into one place.

Part of the same Ontario scene which spawned Jessy Lanza, New Hands recently stepped into the studio to work on their debut album.

Due to arrive early next year, the group have handed new cut 'Strange Attractor' to Clash. Brooding, downbeat pop music, their glamorous melancholy is matched to a wilfully experimental arrangement.
Reminiscent of Spandau Ballet remixed by James Murphy, you can tune in below: - Clash Magazine

New Hands are based in both Hamilton, ON, and Leeds, UK, and they got some Canadian help on their new single: "Strange Attractor" was mixed by Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck.

Walsh is a good fit with New Hands, who — much like Holy Fuck — mix electronic and rock elements together to danceable effect. That being said, "Strange Attractor" includes pop-friendly vocals, which gives it a post-punk flavour akin to LCD Soundsystem.

Scroll past the band's tour schedule to hear it below. Expect New Hands' debut album to drop in 2015. - Exclaim!

New Hands are ambiguous at their core. A genre-blending band, they produce late-night dance songs laced with bass, synth and video game effects, with a complex but utterly danceable sound, as heard on new single “Strange Attractor.” A hybrid of ‘80s new-wave and more modern dance/electronic with a pulsing beat and dark, seedy romance, the track was mixed by Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck and is a perfect introduction to the new band.

Being difficult to pigeonhole suits the Hamilton, Ontario and Leeds-based quintet just fine. The name New Hands was chosen in part for its openness to interpretation and they fully embrace the difficulty with which the world tries to categorize their sound. Incorporating live rock alongside electronic elements, and with Spence Newell’s startlingly engaging low-register vocals, New Hands bypass the established genres in favor of pioneering their own.

With a debut full-length album due out in 2015, New Hands are poised to introduce the world to the beauty of being outside the pigeonhole. Watch as they embrace the ambiguity. - Northern Transmissions

Canadian/Leeds five piece New Hands are now streaming a new track, ‘Strange Attractor’. Mixed by Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh, it comes ahead of New Hands’ debut album release, due in 2015.

Perhaps one of the few bands to claim equal provenance in both Canada’s Central East and West Yorkshire (synth/keys man Ben Munoz is a graduate of the University of Leeds), New Hands’ continent-straddling origins seem particularly apt in the face of their category-defying music. Working under a name deliberately elected for its openness to interpretation, New Hands combine live rock with electronic elements to compelling results, providing (along with the likes of Hyperdub-signing Jessy Lanza) an intriguing counterpoint to the Hamilton, Ontario rock scene from which they were birthed.

It’s perhaps unsurprising then, that the taut unease of new single ‘Strange Attractor’ feels as equally informed by a love amongst New Hands’ personnel as strong for the likes of Burial (check the insistent, echoed synth pulse and rippling electronics at the track’s nucleus) as for the lean emotional charge packed by their fellow countryman Caribou. The whole affair is lent distinctly dystopian overtones by the sonorous intonation of frontman Spence Newell, a fresh-faced Hamilton native in possession of an improbably well-aged baritone vocal.

For all its wilful elusiveness, that’s not to say the world of New Hands is without playfulness- from the band shot depicting all but Newell as blurred horror-comic figures doused in white paint, to the upcoming video treatment of ‘Strange Attractor’ (painstakingly constructed using over 300 archive gifs which load in a random, unique sequencing each time the video is viewed), there is a wry self-awareness woven through the band’s fibre.

In its mathematical context, the term ‘strange attractor’ refers to ‘a complex pattern of behaviour within a chaotic system’ – laterally, this allusion feels likely indicative of what we might expect in future from a band who embrace their ambiguity to such vital effect. - Born Music

Check out the new track by Hamilton Ontario based electronic band New Hands called Strange Attractor! The new track is a hybrid of ’80s new wave and modern electronic with a pulsing beat and dark, seedy romantic story to tell. Mixed by Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck, it’s a perfect introduction to the band. - Indie Minded

Rising band New Hands, put out a new single today. “Strange Attractor” is a hybrid of ’80s new wave and modern electronic with a pulsing beat and dark, seedy romantic story to tell. It’s a perfect introduction to the band if you’re unfamiliar. A genre-blending collective, they produce late-night dance songs laced with bass, synth and video game effects, with a complex but utterly danceable sound. - Kick Kick Snare

It’s been a while since we’ve posted about New Hands. I actually saw them last Saturday as a part of Craft Beer event Big Smoke Festival where they played old favourites as well as new track I now know as “Strange Attractor”. The dudes in the band are ridiculously young but I can’t get over how good Spence Newell’s low croony voice is. I know there’s great things to come for these boys. - Ride The Tempo

I stumbled across the Ontario-based band New Hands the other day and just had to share their new single. “Whichever Way You’ll Have It” combines elements of electro-pop and techno – it echoes with wave after wave of catchy beats beneath lyrics that outline a relationship in limbo. After the initial bouncy tempo is established, the vocals come as a bit of a surprise – singer Spence Newell has the kind of deep voice that reminds me of the new wave band War Tapes. The vocals are actually what give this song a bit of an edge, complementing the instrumentals well and expanding the depth of the track as a whole. Give the song a listen below and check out New Hands on Bandcamp. - 1146Miles

This has a mid-80s technopop vibe mixed with something that we used to get from 00s bands like The Bravery. And is that a touch of Strokes in the bridge? Give it a listen. - Alan Cross

Five personalities, five separate inspirations, one set of New Hands.

The boys of can agree on two things: they all like The Strokes (because what band doesn’t?) and they are a swaggy boy band. With a voice like The National, Kanye West inspired rhythms and just a little bit of Joy Divison, it’s hard to pigeonhole their sound.

Lucky for them, that’s exactly what they want. Hailing from Hamilton the five guys behind New Hands, Evan Bond, Gordy Bond, Ben Munoz, Spence Newell and Pat O’Brien, are branching out and reaching into the Toronto music scene. They will make you dance and damn, can they make a haiku.

Meredith Gillies: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
Ben Munoz: I would say electronic and dance, but we still have a rock format with guitars, bass, and drums.
Evan Bond: We like real instruments. We love synths and all that and we use a lot of computers but …
BM: Well, synth is a real instrument.
EB: No, I know, but we love real instruments.

MG: How did you guys form New Hands?
BM: We were The Social Workers [before], the lamest, immature … whatever. We were just a high school
band then we decided to take it seriously about…
EB: Probably last summer. When we recorded This I’ve Heard, we said ‘OK, we want to be a real band. We’re putting a lot of money into this, and a lot of time so we want a name that we don’t hate and we want an identity that isn’t just a high school band’ so that’s when we came up with the name and really became New Hands. We started to become self-aware and conscious of what we were doing.

MG: How did you come up with the name New Hands?
Gordy Bond: We were pouring through well over a thousand names but a lot of them were really awful and inappropriate for anyone other than the people in the studio. New Hands is kind of a separated part of a lyric, the words are in close proximity of themselves.
Spence Newell: The lyric was ‘new pair of hands’ and Gordy said, ‘Oh, New Hands.”
GB: Kind of an ambiguous name that can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people.

MG: Do you consider yourself a Hamilton band?
EB: We don’t want to have an association with any place necessarily, not that it’s a bad thing.
SN: We don’t want it to be like Hamilton is our only place. I’m fine with saying that our origins are Hamilton, but I wouldn’t want it so that we get pigeonholed in Hamilton, as lovely of a city as it is. And I say that without sarcasm too.
EB: We’re really trying to start to branch out and get into Toronto.

MG: What’s your favourite part about being in a band?
EB: I think I love live [shows] equally as recording. But the best part of recording is when we’re all in the
studio working on something. When we’re all in there, we’ll go to Giant Tiger, buy way too much junk food and just sit there and watch each other do our parts. I always think of it as a beautiful day where we’re all sitting in the studio.

MG: What’s next for you other than recording right now?
EB: We’re in the studio until–
BM: January.
EB: We’re in there for a long time but basically we’re just trying to play as much as we can. Obviously with recording, money is a big factor; we do have to get money so shows help with that. The main thing is
trying to branch out from Hamilton.

MG: If you could describe your band in 3 words what would they be?
SN: Can I make a haiku is that okay?

MG: You’re the only people who have ever written me a haiku.
SN: This isn’t your run of the mill haiku. Electronica. Sentimentalization. Penta-syllabic.
EB: In layman’s terms, it’s swaggy boy band. - OTM Zine

According to the band's official site, NEW HANDS "are an electronic band operating out of the UK/Canada, making music for late nights". An accurate description, but somehow not enough to describe New Hands' nostalgic sound, like something from the Donnie Darko soundtrack, or The Smiths meeting Rick Astley in the future (there is definitely an electronic influence to be found in the music). The low-register vocals stand out, and the melodies in songs like 'Swimming' are often stuck in my head. There is definitely a certain feel or atmosphere surrounding the music, something that is rare to find. - Sound Cave

One of the most original sounds coming out of Hamilton, ON/Leeds, UK New Hands’ newest single “Swimming” is the band’s first step back into the scene since 2012.

The track is a swirl of droning vocals and dreamy sounds that make you feel like you’re being whisked away to an electro-fantasyland under the sea.

New Hands has such a unique sound because of the band’s ability to use all of the sounds. (Okay, not all of the sounds, but a lot of them). The five guys have shown their ability to use guitars, synth, percussion, bass, keyboard, and awesome baritone vocals to make hugely danceable tunes.

(Check out this video of the band from last summer performing on the rooftop of Dr. Disc. You’ll witness some killer skills and an incredible view of Hamilton’s downtown).

Spence Newell offers up some vocals like some may have never heard before. His sound is like the growl of Samuel T. Herring’s (Future Islands) with a little bit of Matt Berringer’s (The National) velvety, masculine sound.

New Hands have a inimitable, very smooth sound. It’s the type of music you can groove to, or you can play just to relax on a rainy day. The versatility of the boys’ skills on their
instruments is translated in the versatility of the music that they produce.

They haven’t been too heavy into the music scene for a couple of years, taking time to focus on various other artistic endeavors, but the release of this single makes it pretty clear that producing music is just like riding a bike for these guys. They certainly haven’t lost their touch or their definitive mark on the scene.

Also check out a remix of the track by KwikFiks, a producer and DJ out of Toronto. - Monkey Biz

Very pleased to be introducing this woozy, spectral single from New Hands, which marks the Hamilton outfit’s first bit of output since 2012. “Swimming” channels all that’s iconic about the early days of new wave, proudly waving the flag of UK influence and ably hitting the exceptionally high bar set by the genre’s forebears decades ago. This is all reflected almost literally in the beautiful video interpretation,
which frames Spence Newell‘s silhouette against jumpy, VHS-quality projections of footage found from years past. Watch for more material surfacing from the band later this year. - Soft Signal

I distinctly remember one late night among many spent distracted by the offerings of an infinite Internet. Before coming to McMaster, I would convince myself that my lack of sleep was really an investment – one that would later help me get a jump-start on discovering this mystical Hamilton music scene that I had heard so much about. Hamilton was going to be my new home, and music was surely going to be a part of it. My laptop screen lit up my face as I took in everything I could about artists, venues and promoters. I jumped from blog to blog and read about bands like The Reason, The Rest, Young Rival, The Dirty Nil, Terra Lightfoot and, eventually (inevitably), New Hands.

The young band was unlike the other names I had discovered, and that night I made a plan to someday see them live. Seven months later, I found myself in their collective living room, talking music, Hamilton and everything in between.

I spoke to Spence Newell (vocals), Pat O’Brien (guitar, drumpad) and Evan Bond (bass, keyboard), though New Hands isn’t complete without Ben Munoz (keys, guitar) and Gordy Bond (drums). New Hands wasn’t always the New Hands of today, as the band’s early incarnation went through what the three refer to as the quintessential “high school band” phase. They met through a collective will to craft their own music and formed the Social Workers several years ago, though a change in moniker and direction was imminent.

O’Brien summed up the change of pace when they started taking things seriously.

“When we entered the studio in 2011 [Hamilton’s Threshold Recording Studio with producer Michael Keire], we quickly realized that these songs we were turning out were of a higher caliber that our past material, and that’s when we agreed that the direction we wanted to take was largely electronically based,” he said.

“I think a big part of it was, we realized we were putting money into it,” said Bond. “We recognized that, from that point, we did have to pay attention to our image – one that wasn’t the Social Workers, because we didn’t want to look like that.” The name New Hands was a name that everyone “didn’t completely hate.”

O’Brien added that, “I don’t think there is such a thing as an incredible band name. I think it’s the band that backs it. There are good bands that have bad names.”

“It’s ambiguous,” Newell concluded. “We have hands,” offered Bond.
Refocused and ready to work as New Hands, the five still occupy the daytime with education and work in Hamilton. Each attended McMaster at one point, though Evan currently studies at Mohawk College and Gordy is in a graduate program at York University. They have a lengthy practice once a week and intensify their work time together if a show is coming up. This past December, they released a 7” record featuring their new songs “Whichever Way You’ll Have It” and “Tulips,” and the two tracks are a prelude to more material in the near future.

The decision to go vinyl was a collective one. “I think there’s something to be said about having such a tangible piece of music,” O’Brien explained.

“This resurgence is definitely something that needs to be happening,” Evan added. “When you put on a record, there’s more work involved. You are going out of your way to appreciate it ... It’s always been a dream of Gordy and mine to have our own vinyl someday.”

A particularly powerful moment of “Whichever Way You’ll Have It” happens as gang vocals shout “I’m alive and can’t say no.” The part of the song was recorded with a group of friends during the band’s residence at Threshold Studio, and among the featured voices are Evan Bentley of The Rest and The Dirty Nil’s Luke Bentham.

“We felt bad because we couldn’t invite everyone, so it came down to this really creepy process of, ‘whose voice do we like the most?’” Bond explained. “And then we had to go through weird criteria like ‘who laughs the best,’ so essentially some of our best friends got left out because of their laughs.”

Laughing aside, the two-track release has garnered positive reviews and blog attention around the world. The two songs on the 7” will be on the band’s full-length album of about 10 songs, which is currently being mixed and mastered. The release is planned for some time before the fall.

As for the band’s writing process, Munoz is the primary songwriter and the person who comes up with the initial ideas for the structure of songs. “Ben has ideas, and your individual interpretation of those ideas is what makes us a band,” O’Brien said. “I think everyone’s required for it to become a New Hands song.”

“If someone doesn’t feel comfortable playing something, it shouldn’t be brought to the stage,” Newell said. “If I can’t dance while playing it, that’s a pretty good indication,” O’Brien added.

Newell mentioned that although New Hands’ sound hasn’t drastically changed, he still couldn’t have predicted some of the songs they’ve turned out. Although they assert they sound like themselves (as all bands do), reviewers have pinned comparisons on them ranging from New Order to Depeche Mode, Passion Pit to Joy Division and Caribou to the Strokes.

“We basically get comparisons with new-wave bands because I sing in a lower register,” Newell said. “It used to bug me a little bit because I thought some of those bands didn’t have very varied vocalists, but now I get it because I’m a bass. It’s endearing because a lot of people are really into that music ... at the same time we want to be very explicit that we don’t draw from that material.” Primary influences for New Hands include the Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Caribou, James Blake and Burial, with some UK garage music influencing Munoz’s writing. (O’Brien wanted to make sure I included that New Hands’ sound is distinctly “lototech,” a genre they are pioneering.)

The group agreed that the hope of touring and doing what they love on a consistent basis is what really pushes them to make things happen. “Another thing too is, keeping on going, keeps you going,” Newell said.

“Our parents really want us to do our schooling, so I don’t think it’s right to throw that opportunity away when they’re also so supportive of the band,” he added. “My mom used to make us cookies when we practiced at home.”

“There’s definitely the distinction to be made that it’s a community versus a scene,” Newell said of playing music in Hamilton. “No one is out to get you, and people are out to support. You’ll go to so many venues and you’ll see fellow artists.”

“It’s also this community of fans that are so open to a lot of music just because they’re in the area and they want to absorb it,” Bond added. “There aren’t a lot of venues around here, but the ones we do have put on really good shows.

“I think also, in comparison to Toronto, there’s more of a communal vibe here in the sense that, since it’s not as big of a city, it’s easier to be a community here.”

New Hands cite help from other Hamilton musicians as being a big part of their past successes. Young Rival, The Dirty Nil, The Rest, Terra Lightfoot and Dinner Belles have all played a significant role in New Hands’ history. This pattern of connections, not surprisingly, is also how New Hands’ recent show opening for Arkells at This Ain’t Hollywood came together (a text message from Arkells’ singer Max Kerman sealed the deal). The show was as a definite highlight of the band’s time together, along with Supercrawl and a show at the ROM, where they performed in front of dinosaurs, and which turned into a club afterwards.

New Hands’ evolution has been a lengthy one, and they offered some insights to provide to others wanting to start a band of their own.

“Something that’s important is both maturity as a band and maturity as people,” Newell said.

“Before you get all of the professional things rolling, like shows and press and all that stuff, be critical with your music. Keep writing, too,” Bond said. “I think it’s important that you don’t rush it. It’s stressful working around school and work, but the thing to remember is the fun always outweighs the stress. And if you’re doing it for the art and the fun, you should be with your friends.”

“Develop thick skin,” O’Brien suggested, “because there are going to be people who aren’t fond of your music. You’re going to be bad at some point ... learn to roll with the punches.”

The future of New Hands is something the five are eager to write. They apologized for their full-length release taking so long and explained that the delay stems from each of them being very particular through the process. “We’re very proud of what we’ve done so far with it,” Bond said. “It sounds super lototech.”

If you’ve seen New Hands live, you’ve likely heard a good deal of the songs already. But a successful album release isn’t the only thing the band are hoping for. “We’re ambitious; we’re not trying to be a small band for a niche group of people,” O’Brien said. “There’s nothing wrong with a lot of people liking your band. I always get bothered when people say ‘sellout’ or something because that’s a choice they make.”

“I would appreciate respect from a music community more than becoming famous,” he added. “I think being respected from your peers for what you do is a rewarding thing in any field.”

“Meeting Ke$ha would also be a plus.” - The Silhouette

Furthering the theory in our last posting on this band, New Hands have released another single, and it’s a tantalizing one at that.

“Whichever Way You’ll Have It” is whatever you want it to have- some memorable vocals, an opening that will make you want to clap along, a hook or two and soaring guitars. New Hands have a knack for making each song feel like an album- there’s always so much going on that it’s almost impossible to not write an essay about the multiple layers this band constructs.

According to their Facebook they’re apparently working on an album. If huge analysis can be done on just one song, imagine how long our review of ten will be?

“Whichever Way You’ll Have It” is available as a free download from New Hands’ Bandcamp page. - Grayowl Point

Hamilton used to be my least favourite city in Ontario. Synonymous with smog, grime, and industry, I dreaded every moment I had to spend there. But in recent years, the city has transformed itself. Or maybe I’ve just come to see its alternative side – the face I never knew existed. Regardless, Hamilton’s name is now synonymous with a thriving arts scene and one of the best incubation tanks for musical talent in Ontario. Home to a couple of record labels and a city that heavily promotes the arts (see: Supercrawl), Hamilton is Ontario’s answer to Montreal.

One of the newest Hamilton exports to propel themselves to success are New Hands. They’ve been making a name for themselves as a live act in southern Ontario, playing dozens of shows in the Hamilton/Toronto area. They’ll even be opening for Austra next week (see here for event page). While I haven’t been able to see them perform live quite yet, their sparsely-dropped recordings have been pleasing my ears for the past year. They just released ‘Whichever Way You’ll Have It’, and after listening to this track, it’s official: YetiMusic loves New Hands. With a passion. This track is a musical masterpiece. Beginning with deep, National-esque vocals over a driving bassline and rhythm section, the song transforms itself from an alt-rock standard into a frantic dance hit, then back again, taking so many twists and turns along the way it’s viable to make you dizzy. Halfway through, a punchy, echoing synth accompanies the most energetic 20 seconds of the song, as Spence Newell’s vocals jump up an octave and force your feet to move. Just as the song reaches a climax, it doubles back and ends with a haunting denouement. This song has been on repeat all morning. Head over to their bandcamp for more New Hands. -M. - Yeti Music

Hamilton electric rock band, New Hands have been keeping themselves busy with tons of fresh single releases this summer. These songs were recorded with their producer, Michael Keire last year while members spent time living together.

The boisterous electro quintet unveiled another single, Whichever Way You'll Have it last week and it's available for free download on their Bandcamp site.

Likewise other singles, New hands maneuver electrifying synth beat and melodic diapason coated with a husky vocal. As the band stated that "This song best conveys our desire to make people think, feel and dance,” it's so easy to be caught in the vigorous melody from the very first listen. I seriously need to go to their next Toronto show to see these guys.

Give it a listen from the below link and don't forget to grab your free copy.

They've also put together a short video with friends for the chorus of the song. - Music Psychos

New Hands are back and they sound more self-assured, laying down another great track for us to groove to. The Hamilton, Ontario band lived together for over a year, recording and immersing themselves in the music. You might ask, why only one track after a year? I don’t know the answer to that, though I suspect that there is definitely more to come from the band in the near future.

What we do have is great though, and a bit different than the last track we heard (“Tulips”). New Hands said they designed this track to make you think, feel, and dance. The band itself sounds very polished, with a galloping beat that feeds directly into those vox which always stand out for New Hands.

You’re not good with thinking, oh you could only happen to me But the music’s too loud here to make it matter anyways

There is this liquid sounding breakdown around 2:30 into the track which is particularly interesting, and delves into new ground; it sounds like rock meets club, a-la The Strokes scratched on a turntable.

You can grab “Whichever Way You’ll Have It” below or via the group’s bandcamp. New Hands are old hands on Facebook, as well. - Sirens of Decay

The new wave throwback is the first in a series of Hamilton bands featured by CBC Hamilton

New Hands bassist Evan Bond's favourite part of Hamilton's music scene is the sense of community he
feels around every corner.

"We're always welcomed with open arms," he said. "All the bands help each other out."

This was never more evident than when hometown heroes The Arkells retweeted a link to their new single, "Tulips."

New Hands play indie rock steeped in electronic sounds, drawing heavily from '80s new wave bands like Joy Division.

Though he hears that similarity, Bond said most of the band members prefer Kayne West or dance punk band lcd soundsystem.

The group's somber-sounding vocals are reminiscent of indie rock stalwarts The National, a huge influence of theirs.

New Hands spent years in Hamilton listening to local bands like Young Rival and The Abbreviations.

Bond said going from fans of those bands to becoming their peers is one of the best parts of being a Hamilton band.

"That was the coolest feeling I've ever had."

Check out New Hands on Bandcamp, and follow them on Twitter @newhandsband. - CBC

Here we go folks. The last podcast of 2011. We're sad to be heading off‐air for a few weeks but looking forward to catching up on our favourite tunes of the year during holiday downtime. This episode is a fairly unprecedented seasonal sign‐off, at least as far as this usually humbug podcast is concerned: we've got 3 holiday‐themed songs, christmas cookies and a list of holiday shows for you to enjoy. If you need even more yuletide cheer, be sure to check out Sound Vat's compilation, If Jesus Had Been Canadian, He Would Have Needed More Than Swaddling Clothes, featuring 23 classics by some of Canada's best new musicians.

We'll talk at you again in 2012. Until then, peace, love and all that good shit from the Midnight Poutine Podcast:

Radio Radio ‐ Enfant Spécial Valleys ‐ Ordinary Dream
St. Vincent ‐ Surgeon
Kandle ‐ Knew You'd Never Malajube ‐ Chienne Folle
New Hands ‐ This I've Heard
Firework Express ‐ The Long Road
Andrew Johnston ‐ Something You Already Know
The Damn Truth ‐ Kinda Awkward
James Chance ‐ Contort Yourself
The Barr Brothers ‐ Dear Mrs. Claus
The Pretenders ‐ 2000 Miles
Honheehonhee ‐ You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (via Sound Vat's Holiday Mix Tape) - Midnight Poutine

Hamilton and Leeds based five piece New Hands mix (post) rock elements with electronic sounds and drop a terriffic sound via "Strange Attractor" mixed by Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck.

The band's debut album is due somewhen in 2015.

According to last.fm people like New Hands if they're also a fan of Roll Acosta, Flint Eastwood, John Wean. - Album Streams

Canadian genre-blending outfit New Hands releases dance feature
“Strange Attractor”. The chill wave band have laced their songs with synth, and pulsating electronic beats. New Hands, the love child of 80s’-hybrid pop share their affinity for music and seemingly dark romantic vibes. In anticipation of their debut full-length album due on in 2015, they emerge out into the world with an ambiguous approach. Listen below. - Hall of Fame Is Better

A new tune from the Canadian/Leeds band New Hands, Strange Attractor is a disco/post-punk affair, complete with rich, eerie baritone vocals from frontman Spence Newell, who sounds much older than his years.

Starting out with here’s a certain sway to this tune that brings a smile to your face, and enough electronic mayhem in the background to keep your interest from start to finish. An incredibly classy song, Strange Attractor was impeccably produced by Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh.

A very close contender for Single of the Week, this one. - Get Into This

Operating out of Hamilton (with origins split between the Hammer and Leeds, UK), electronic outfit New Hands are in the midst of a residency at their hometown haunt the Baltimore House. The third show in the series is tonight (November 20), and it will serve as fellow Hamiltonians Illitry's EP release party — and to honour the occasion, New Hands have shared a remix of Illitry's "Follow Me."

The new version starts off airy and atmospheric before waves of glitchy synths and twinkling keyboards build up a layered effect on the track. Add in some backmasked electronic weirdness, and it's a definite departure from the original.

You can get details on the upcoming show here and give New Hands' remix of "Follow Me" a spin in the player below. - Exclaim!

So here’s a thought. How many bands do you know that are a (heady?) mix of members from Canada and Leeds. No, me neither – so here’s a first. Five piece New Hands describe their sound as Dance Punk, and originated in the same Ontario scene as Hyperdub’s Jessy Lanza, although synth/keys man Ben Munoz is a graduate of the University of Leeds.

Taken from their soon to be released debut album comes ‘Strange Attractor’, produced by Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh. It’s satisfyingly different stuff too, as the band wrap together electronic elements with live instrumentation to make something that feels different. There’s elements of Lanza, along with Burial about the buried (no pun intended) beats and wriggling synth lines that cascade over the track at times. The guitars converse with these synths, adding their little bit of reality to proceedings. Over the top frontman Spence Newell was clearly forged from the same seam of baritone as the likes of David Gahan, and he delivers this brooding vibe that contrasts beautifully with the bubbling, more positive accompaniment.

Lovely stuff. - Backseat Mafia

This week we were introduced to new boundary-breaking five-piece, New Hands. Hailing from Canada and Leeds (synth/keys man Ben Munoz is a graduate of the University of Leeds) their continent-straddling origins seem particularly apt in the face of their category-defying music.

New Hands combine live rock with electronic elements, resulting in compelling music. New track ‘Strange Attractor’ is a feisty disco-punk track. An echoed synth pulse and rippling electronics lie at the heart of the track, yet merged with rock guitars and the rich baritone vocals of frontman Spence Newell and the track takes you into a whole new dimension.

It’s a clever blend of contrasting genres and we’re intrigued to hear more from the group. - Beat2aChord

This weeks single review will be looking at a five piece band called New Hands. Coming from a Canadian/Leeds background, the group have a lot of influences for its style and the way the music is produced from artists such as Caribou. You can check out the song at the bottom of this review.

The electronic blends of guitars and synths bind together to create a pulsing beat to drive the music forward. Using layers of music within each section of the song keeps the listener wanting more... and they get more.The vocals seem to really become a major part of the song when everything is kicked up a gear mid-way through song like some sort of chorus, but doesn't have the major distinct features of a chorus. From simple beat textures added to the baritone vocals, this song has got it all.

Produced by 'Holy F***s' Graham Walsh, it is clear that the electronic textures used are spaced evenly with a great sound. This track is recommended for headphone users to really get an essence of each layer and texture added to the track. From synthetic melodies to tambourine, its clear that the producer has thought about how to make this song sound big and it has paid off.

The vocals on the record give the track another dimension, the range makes the whole track seem rather disco-punk, but with the flamboyancy of electronic stages pushing and driving the song forward.

If you enjoy the track, be sure to keep an eye out for the bands debut album release that's due in 2015. With thanks too to Partisan PR for introducing me to the band, I'm looking forward to seeing what is in store for the band in 2015. - Love Life, Love Music

New Hands today have shared their video for “Strange Attractor” today, the first GIF-based generative music video of its kind. Each time a viewer watches the video, a different randomized sequence is loaded from a database of over 900 GIFs, each of which was created by the band from archived home videos found on YouTube.

Gord Bond, the drummer of New Hands and a visual artist, came up with the idea and explains,

“It was the GIF format that intrigued me. Technically it is a picture file, but it allows for animation. To me this was an interesting dualism. On the one hand it’s a video and on the other a still image. By using the GIF files we compiled as the frames for the video we are bringing attention to the structural element of video – the individual frame, which when stitched together create movement. This idea of stillness vs movement is also repeated in the thematic element of the video. The GIFs all contain some form of movement. Movement is critical to the song itself, it is constantly in motion.”

Director John Smith built the generative video and elaborates,

“GIFs hold an interesting space in current Internet culture: they are notoriously slow to load due to their relatively large file size, but despite this they have become one of the most popular types of media to share online. They are the perfect middle ground between sharing a still image, and a YouTube video. They are the perfect way to capture an exact moment.”

Being difficult to pigeonhole suits the Hamilton, Ontario and Leeds-based quintet just fine. Self-avowed fans of real instrumentation, they produce late-night dance songs laced with bass, synth and digital effects with a complex but utterly danceable sound. A hybrid of ‘80s new-wave and more modern dance/electronic with a pulsing beat and dark, seedy romance, “Strange Attractor” was mixed by Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck and is a perfect introduction to the new band, whose debut full-length album will be coming in 2015. - Northern Transmissions