“Inventive slab of fuzzy, at times ethereal but mostly noise-infused post-punk.” – Drowned In Sound
“Slow Riot join the ranks of Eagulls and Savages at the forefront of a new breed of bands fusing danceable beats with dark pop sentiments.” – The Line Of Best Fit
Explosive Irish three-piece Slow Riot return this autumn with a brand new single ‘Absent Dreams’ and a string of new live dates, including a special London show at the Sebright Arms on November 10th hosted by Communion and Kilimanjaro. 'Absent Dreams' is the band's first new release since the acclaimed 'Trophy Wife' single in April, and their first since signing to London label Killing Moon Records.
Slow Riot infuse influences such as Gang of Four, Television and Wire with more contemporary bands such as Girl Band and Future of the Left. ‘Absent Dreams’ showcases more of the bands insidious, driving motorik bass and thick plumes of distortion in a battle between athletic, lean post-punk and thematic darkness. Of the band’s subject matter, lyricist Niall Clancy offers:
“Absent Dreams is about reaching the realisation that those who affect your life negatively don’t need to be tolerated. It’s about looking for reasons to hold onto the past and not finding any”.
The single is the third time that Slow Riot have teamed up with producer Kevin Vanbergen (The Pixies, The Maccabees, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The La’s and Biffy Clyro), this time at Hastings’ Savage Sound studio, in a partnership that has challenged the band to forge their own distinct style, breathing fresh life into the post-punk genre. "Absent Dreams was one of two new tracks recorded in Hastings over the course of three days of no sleep, bad food but great energy. The process of capturing those new tracks pushed us to new limits but the results speak for themselves and we can’t wait to share them with the world”.
Likewise, the process of testing their own personal boundaries didn’t end with their sound. Forever crystallising their artistic vision and demonstrating the band’s global sense of ambition, Slow Riot have been working with Japanese artist Nobuhiro Nakanishi to create the artwork for the new single and renowned Polish director Lukasz Pytlik for the song’s accompanying video.
Formed of Niall Clancy (bass, vocals), Aaron Duff (guitars) and Paul Cosgrave (drums), early demos of ‘Demons’ and ‘Cooper’s Dream’ were immediately praised by fans and caught the attention of London label Straight Lines Are Fine, who in the summer of 2015 recorded their sell-out debut EP ‘Cathedral’ at the Manic Street Preachers’ FASTER studio in Cardiff with Vanbergen. Critically acclaimed, the release showcased the band’s commanding and ferocious poise whilst allowing each member’s contribution to smoulder with equal intensity, but it was live that the primal, bone-rattling force of the songs became evident.
The band has been hotly tipped by tastemakers on both sides of the Irish Sea, with Drowned In Sound, Q Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit, The Irish Times and Hotpress amongst many others citing them for big things. ‘Trophy Wife’ earned the band plaudits from Shaun Keaveny on the 6Music Breakfast Show, Radio X, Absolute and was a mainstay on the band’s native Today FM with DJ Paul McLoone declaring Slow Riot to be “my new favourite Irish band”, a proclamation he backed up by inviting the band in for a live session and booking them to open his stage at 2016’s Interlude Festival.