aaamusic | On 23, May 2011

Swedish electro/pop/rock ensemble Baron Bane have managed to cling onto an element of showmanship long lost from modern musical acts – an element of mystery. This company of forward thinking musicians, artists and designers stand (nearly) anonymously behind a fictionally created Baron, and – together with their music – they exhibit art, incorporate dance into their shows, and dabble in graphic design. Despite being around since 2003, there remains little in the blogosphere about their actual identities, and their website and social media – although looking very slick and active – is minimal and intentionally uninformative. It’s all very mysterious. And with most artists tweeting their every thought, uploading pictures of their every meal, and zines and blogs revealing any and all of their facts-of-life, it is refreshing to be left somewhat in the dark about the day-to-day lives of the band members.

Baron Bane’s new single ‘Echoes’ – taken from their future album LPTO’ – is a pretty piece of effortless electro pop-rock. And just to prove that they are still as artistically ambitious as ever, it is accompanied by a 3D promo video (for which you may need to locate a pair of 3D glasses). The track itself is alluring. There’s a lot to take in – the strings, the acoustic strummings, and Ida Long’s vocal range, are all propelled by chunky synths (which incorporate both an 80s vibe, in the vein of Cut Copy, as well as an underlying futuristic eeriness, in the vein of a sci-fi movie soundtrack).

The band are often compared to Ladytron, but the pop rock undertones and the quick-fire keys of the build – not to mention the overall pomp and eccentricity – are actually reminiscent of Muse’s ‘Bliss.’ Blissful stuff (sorry).

Author: Clive Rozario