The Domino State

"Epic, doom-laden stuff from this fine London band." The Sunday Times - hottest download - The Sunday Times (UK)

"The Domino State make brooding, intense music that knocks spots off much of the competition." The Independent - The Independent (UK)

Which is just as well, because openers The Domino State could well be one of those bands headlining an event like this before long. The London-based five-piece, born from the ashes of At The Lake, mix grandiose pop sensibilities a la Puressence with the surging melodies of The Chameleons or Adorable, and in the twin guitars of Tim Buckland and James Machin have an array of sounds which veer between stadium-sized anthems (forthcoming single 'What's The Question?') and ethereal soundscapes ('Pillow Song' and the closing 'Safe Now'). Its almost like Editors if they grew an extra pair of balls and invested in a rack of Boss FX pedals rather than Chris Martin's old songbook. - Drowned In Sound

Formed from the ashes of seminal neo-shoegaze outfit At The Lake, London-based quintet The Domino State are a prime example of the old adage "if at first you don't succeed, try again". What's more, their recent ascent to one of the capital's hottest properties on the scene isn't merely down to trial and error, but more a case of solid graft, coupled with a panache for writing anthemic effects-laden tunes not too dissimilar from The Chameleons or mid-period Bunnymen, whilst delivering consistently dynamic live performances in the process. Club AC30 obviously think so too, as having already added last year's infectious 'What's The Question?' seven-inch to their already impressive roster, look set to follow suit later this summer by releasing their as-yet untitled debut album, which the band are currently recording. The album will be preceded by a single at the end of June. The Domino State are:- Matthew Forder (vocals), Tim Buckland (guitars), Jim Machin (guitars), Will Padley (bass), Richard Simic (drums). - Drowned In Sound

"Everyone should be falling over themselves to go see them." - The Fly

Nos amis britanniques ont cette capacité incroyable à sortir un flot ininterrompu de groupes aux qualités techniques indéniables, au sens de la mélodie imparable et à la culture musicale impeccable, capables, le temps d'un single, de nous faire croire qu'ils ont réinventé la poudre (ou en tout cas écrit le tube du siècle). Que le succès (et les albums de qualité) soit au rendez-vous ou pas, combien de ces groupes ont laissé, même si juste pour un instant, une place indélébile dans nos coeurs... et nos discothèques ! Dernier exemple en date, The Domino State, auxquels vous êtes priés de ne pas tenir trop rigueur d'avoir fait la première partie de Coldplay vu qu'ils ont aussi accompagné M83 en tournée.



Si les plus cyniques (et il y en a de plus en plus parmi les "amateurs" de musique) n'hésiteront pas à crier que 'Firefly' c'est juste une mélodie guimauve qu'aurait pu écrire Snow Patrol sur des effets de guitare tirés de "la musique shoegaze pour les nuls" et donc un morceau tentant maladroitement de surfer sur des modes (la pop épique light et le revival shoegaze) a priori incompatibles, les autres accepteront de se laisser porter par une chanson simple, intelligemment orchestrée, et au potentiel tubesque indéniable.



Oui, il y a quelque chose de facile, d'évident dans les trois minutes quarante que dure ce titre mais faut-il en tenir rigueur au groupe comme cela a été le cas plus tôt dans l'année pour White Lies ou The Airborne Toxic Event ? Depuis quand écrire un morceau immédiat est-il une tare ? Depuis quand est-il inacceptable qu'une chanson vous donne envie de la reprendre en choeur dès sa première écoute ? Porté par le chant à la fois puissant, viril et sensible de Matt Forder, 'Firefly' porte certes ses influences un peu trop en évidence (et en ce sens rappelle un peu le Addict de 'Monster Side') mais réussit à les transcender en un mélange parfaitement équilibré et délicieusement accrocheur.



Et puis, le temps que s'écoulent les cinq bonnes minutes que dure l'excellente face B 'This Oubliette', qui commence comme une ballade doucereuse et finit en explosion de guitares, on réalise que The Domino State n'est pas que le groupe d'un single et qu'il faut attendre son premier album avec impatience, en maudissant le fait qu'en 10 ans, les singles soient progressivement passés de quatre à deux titres...

- www.danslemurduson.com (FRANCE)

Having been climbing up the radar for the past eighteen months, there was always going to be a point where The Domino State couldn't get any higher; the reason being that they'd pretty much conquered the summit.

Well, 'Firefly' seems to be that moment. Like some redolent catalyst of blood, sweat and tears, this just-under-four-minutes epic is a sure-fire radio-friendly heartbreaker of gargantuan proportions. Whereas their previous singles 'Iron Mask' and 'What's The Question?' hinted at an undisputed purge of grandiose ideas and ambitious lineage, 'Firefly' delivers on every front, bridging the chasm between atmospheric shoegaze tinged rock and stadium balladry's winsome divide.

On first listen this feels like the same hair raising instant you first heard Snow Patrol's 'Run', and almost certainly felt assured their promotion to rock's big league was assured. With Matt Forder's smoothly delivered vocal complimenting an austere mix of swooning strings and elegiac guitar sounds, it really is difficult to pinpoint any weak links here, except at precisely three minutes and forty-three seconds when 'Firefly' finally embers out to a poignant standstill.

Perfection in every sense of the word, The Domino State have redefined the word bliss via the aural trajectory of music.time to clear out another space in that big league me thinks as their arrival surely beckons.

9/10
Dom Gourlay - Contact music

Eben den machen heute The Domino State (auf diesen Seiten schon einmal mit dem grandiosen "What’s The Question?" vertreten) mit ihrer neuen Single. "Firefly" klingt nun allerdings nicht mehr nach lupenreinem Indiepop, sondern versucht sich mit Erolg an der ganz großen, dramatischen Geste, Streicher inklusive versteht sich. Tolle B-Seite auch! - www.bloom.de (GERMANY)

Joy Division, The Smiths, Radiohead.....The Domino State!!!

When we say that The Domino State really could join that list of life changing important bands its really not a case of PR hyperbole but a statement of fact. Not concerned with filling indie dancefloors for kids on WKD or talking about small town life, The Domino State ask the bigger questions and the wall of sound matches that with Tim Buckland and James Machin having a combined array of guitar effects that makes Muse sound basic in comparison...and then there's Matt Forder's Curtis-esque vocals that make the hairs on the back of your next stand out.

The Smiths-esque harmonica led single "Iron Mask" served as a great intro, but listen to the new single "What's The Question" - possibly the most epic, ambitious single you'll hear all year!!

- www.designermagazine.org

(translation) The building of Domino State is structured on the firm deposit of British guitarist music of decade the 80 with their sovereign points of report Echo And [T]he Bunnymen, Smiths and My Bloody Valentine. The compositions group are lented from sound trick Shoegaze, are dressed with [ypokofes] will echo from tremolos and delays and in combination with melancholic/melodramatic phonetically the singer Mat Forder produce a result, splendid and in every case epic. Recent - third for the group single titled Firefly for their company Pop Fiction proves him indisputable. Firefly is a heart-breaking ballad (from the many that have in the past few year offered to us groups as Doves, Elbow, Snow Patrol, Embrace) that your [sigokaiei] the guts and simultaneous in saves with his bulky [symfonika] parts. A ballad that finds more effectively expression no in small dark pubs but in big concert arenas. [Gi]'? this [alloste] and their Coldplay [prosferan] recently a place as support in the [O]2 arena of London. A place that for their Domino State existed until today occasional but that with their obvious talent and few dose of chance can at an early date become permanent… - www.stereoworld.gr (GREECE)