A Terrible Splendour are a London-based duo who weave tales of blackmail and despair, of cruelty and of heartbreak. Their sound is a darkly luxurious synthesized pop. They make a drama out of a crisis.
The band’s limited edition cassette EP, released on Desire in autumn 2012, sold out fast and left audiences wanting more. Their wish is now granted with the release of the band’s debut album ‘Poseurs’, released on desire.
Available in LP, CD and digital format, it features 11 tracks ranging in style from dissolute disco to sombre cabaret musings. Resolutely modern synth sounds, in turn lush and vicious, combine with lyrics addressing the eternal themes of rebellion, shame and the vagaries of outrageous fortune.
It was recorded by the band with James Aparicio (credits include Spiritualized, These New Puritans, Grinderman) and JJD (Soft Riot, Savage Furs, Radio Berlin).
Tracks from this album have previously featured on several compilations, such as 290.625 by Flexiwave (first run sold out) and the Ninthwave electro-pop sampler (#1 on the Amazon USA free download chart). They are also featured on And You’ll Find Them In the Basement, a compilation documenting the modern London synth scene released on desire.
Their live shows are a theatre of love and death, with performances drawing on Weimar-era cabaret. The recent self-made video for their track Victimless Crime displays an aesthetic that references German Impressionist cinema and gothic storytelling.
Live highlights include a triumphant performance at the Exit Festival in Serbia and well-received shows on the London circuit (Camden Barfly, The Lexington, Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, The Macbeth) and the UK Synth/Wave scene (Never Come Back, Bedsitland, Dancing and Laughing, Festival of Sins).
“One of the most exciting live acts of the moment”
Resonance FM
“A world of intrigue and disillusionment”
Electro and Pop
“Doused in glamour, dank with weirdness”
Some Of It Was True
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For more information on purchasing this release digitally, read more here.
“The first time we heard them we felt an attraction we could not control, like an arrow, a love at first sight”
The Scrap Mag
You are cordially invited to spend an evening in the company of A Terrible Splendour.