Starlings - New Waves

If you’re on Twitter, here’s a band to tweet about – they’re called Starlings. That thankfully is the only bird-pun joke we’re making about this group, because their Balaeric blend of synthy-Fenech-Soleristic-indie-dance will probably make you smile anyway. Hailing from Sheffield, Starlings follow the trajectory set by residents past of the steel city. Its music scene has produced a great number of electronic acts, from the techno of Warp Records and Autechre, the industrial sounds of Cabaret Voltaire to the pop of The Human League and Heaven 17. It’s the dance-house-pop territory that Starlings sit in, their debut single Weight in Gold having caught our attention, and then being bolstered by the rather excellent Starkey Remix which takes the song to heavier, dirtier levels.

Having worked with former Grid man Richard Norris (anyone remember bonkers-banjo-rave-up top 5 smash Swamp Thing or their gun-pumping Texas Cowboy?) Starlings are very much on a mission to the dance floor – their music is full of hot-blooded synth riffs designed to inject a little adrenalin into your life – it may not be startlingly original (even Starlingly original) or life changing, but ask yourself, how much music truly is these days? There’s a danger in intellectualising too much about music and wanting everything to be groundbreaking - it would be like asking your partner to come up with a new sexual position every night of your life. Sometimes as long as the music produces an emotion – to smile, to laugh, to cry, to dance or takes you somewhere, that’s enough. Oh, and we already mentioned Fenech-Soler once but it’s fair to say that if you like them, you will almost certainly get off to Starlings as well.

Having featured on BBC Radio 1’s Kissy Sell Out ‘San City High Tour’ the bands next planned live excursions are 3 gigs in London, with one planned each month – check their Myspace for details. Now here’s some listening for you - c'mon gang it's hands in the air time again ! Synthtastic-indie-dance for fun time Fridays.

Starlings - Weight in Gold (Radio Edit) by STARLINGS

STARLINGS | CLUB SCENE (Demo) by STARLINGS

Starlings - Weight in Gold (Starkey Remix) by STARLINGS