Enter Shikari
This U.K. group makes no excuses for its focus on the hardcore and "trance" genre. The growling sounds of "OK, Time For Plan B" from Take To The Skies intertwine with clear vocals from Rou (Roughton Reynolds) who also contributes the electronic sound effects that are a major part of the band’s sound. Some excellent harmonies, often with bassist Chris Batten, add an extra flavor. Then thoughts turn to youth/punk philosophy with "Sorry You’re Not A Winner," a message song if there ever was one.
Billing themselves as "standard geezers" according to their official Web site, Enter Shakiri has been hammering the strings, the keyboards and the drums for about four years. Enter Shikari, which means "enter the hunter," is intended to convey the band philosophy of positive aggression. The group brings this philosophy to life by considering the crowd at their concerts as a "collective fifth member" invited to mix it up, build pyramids and even invade the stage occasionally. Live shows are intended to be a release and a treat for fans (no apologies).
The band, which includes strong guitar work from Liam "Rory" Clewlow and crisp drumming from Rob Rolfe, covers Europe throughout October and November, with some dates already sold out (Glasgow, Southhampton, Norwich). A couple of extra shows have been added to accommodate the growing listener base.
Tags: enter shikari, music, indie music, independent music, indie
The combination/mixture of hardcore (or metal) with trance like electronics is awesome and works a treat, giving them their own separate and individual sound, though one has to bare in mind that they are not the only band to have tried this. Still, it’s brilliant nonetheless.
The jungle/d’n’b breaks that Rou performs live are also rather tasty and the lads certainly know how to get the crowd going, no matter how big or small the venue may be. From here, the future is looking very bright for these young St. Albans punks.
Like it or not, I put my money on them being around for a very long time indeed.