Deafkid

Hometown: London
Lineup: Christopher Lockington and Florian Sauvaire
For fans of: Amateur Best, Alt-J, Breton
Key tracks: ‘Horns’, ‘Vigilante’
See them live: Catch, Shoreditch, 4 July
Connect: Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter | YouTube

London-based duo Christopher Lockington and Florian Sauvaire stepped out of the shadows towards the end of last year, releasing their debut single under the Deafkid banner, ‘Talk’ / ‘Pig’.

The record was promptly eaten up by the likes of Zane Lowe, NME and Clash, partly thanks to their affiliation with Ghostpoet - Chris and Flo were touring members of the hip-hop alchemist’s band and contributed to his acclaimed LP Peanut Butter Blues And Melancholy Jam - and partly because of its killer experimental electro-pop swagger.

Some will dismiss the duo’s blend of disintegrated acoustic elements and bold sampling as a low-fat alternative to Alt-J but once you’ve worked past the fraught vocals, knotted rhythms and other such Awesome Wave hokum, you see Deafkid bathed in a more sensitive, challenging light than their Mercury winning counterparts.

Paired with turbulent tropical pomp of ‘Vigilante’ as part of another double A-side release, this time via Tape Club Records, ‘Horns’ is Deafkid untangled; soothing, despondent chants of, ‘they used to know my name/used to have respect in every circle’ trickle over twinkling glockenspiel and gluey handclaps. Cranking up a gear with punchy floor toms and Balearic synth swells for the final third, ‘Horns’ offers a sleek, down-tempo take on the snipped and sewn sample-pop of Breton and Amateur Best.

Two blistering singles in and we’re feeling increasingly assured that Deafkid have got the chops to kick on in this increasingly saturated genre. Stream ‘Horns’ exclusively at Best Fit below.