Stoke On Trent, UK art rock/new wave/synthpop band Formal Sppeedwear have released their debut single “Bunto“, alongside a music video.
The track features on the upcoming self-titled EP, set to arrive on May 3 via Melodic Records. Pre-order it here.
Formal Sppeedwear is a wonky new wave teacup ready to be sipped, brimming with a heady infusion of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Neu, XTC, and DEVO. Defying the seas of young musicians moving to London and Manchester to find their path, Beck Clewlow (bass, vocals, synthesisers) Charlie Ball (guitar, synthesisers), and Connor Wells (drums, guitar, synthesisers) stuck it out in Stoke, using the city as a blank canvas, devoting their spare time to writing and experimenting, and building their own studio out of charity shop finds, cash converter synths, and recording equipment.
Out in the creative wilderness of Staffordshire there’s a healthy DIY scene brewing with bands waiting to make their mark; fly posting their own shows, making one-off merch for each gig, sharing lineups with one another. “There is no sense of geographical confinement here, there’s a wealth of talent who act indifferently to their surroundings. It’s particularly nice that some of our friends from here are starting to receive attention from elsewhere” say the band.
Taking creative cues from Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies and Conny Plank’s experimental recording techniques to flesh out synthpop-oriented melodies, the EP stomps along with Scary Monsters-era Bowie guitar lines, early 80s Numan basslines and surreal lyrics.
Watch the video for “Bunto” below.
Formal Sppeedwear Tracklist:
- Bunto
- 6 Lofty Ash
- The Line
- A Dismount
