It sounds as if Hello Cosmos have thrown everything into this debut EP. By that, I mean it’s an amusement park of sounds and genres, first couple of tracks in rock territory along the lines of Rage Against The Machine, The Cribs, or The Fall with the next few tracks more electro, along the lines of a less angry Sleaford Mods, Clinic or LCD Soundsystem. It’s an EP that keeps you on your toes, but in a really exciting and intriguing way. Opening track ‘Run For President’ has lead vocalist Ben Robinson stating “I don’t believe in idols, I just believe in you” over a heavy duty riff and pulsating bassline. ‘The Cosmic Trigger’ has a Kasabian sounding aura to it which breaks down into a pysch-tastic spoken word bit halfway through. The sound veers even more into dance territory with the effervescent sounds of ‘Frequency Fields’ which reminds me a bit of New Fast Automatic Daffodils meets Art Brut.
Hello Cosmos have also managed to squeeze in collaborations throughout the EP from a host of Leeds bands including Lanterns On The Lake and Hyde Park Book Club. There’s also a remix on here of the title track from Sabers Of Paradise producer, Jagz Kooner, who has also remixed the Likes of Primal Scream, Kasabian, Oasis and The Charlatans. ‘Anyone Is A King’ then steers the ship into calmer waters with the guitar, harmonised vocals and spoken word sounds – it’s a complete contrast to what’s gone before. Hello Cosmos are a truly eclectic bunch, with one foot on the dancefloor and another on the distortion pedal. Another great batch of tunes from this Manchester collective.
Hello Cosmos – Run For President EP: Out Now (Cosmic Glue Records)
From the early days of creating handmade zines, in a DIY paper and glue style, interviewing bands around town, then pestering Piccadilly Records to sell them, to writing for various independent mags such as Chimp and Ablaze, writing about the music I love is still a great passion. After testing the music industry waters in London with stints at various labels, being back in my hometown again, writing about this city’s vibrant music scene is as exciting as ever. All time favourite bands include Sonic Youth, Nick Cave, Patti Smith although anything from electro to folk via blues and pysch rock will also do nicely too. A great album, is simply a great album, regardless of whatever musical cage you put it in.
