Listen: Department M – I'll Fax You An Apology

We’re seriously excited about Department M, the new project from Owen Brinley, formerly of Best Fit favourites, Grammatics. With a live band now assembled, a fleshed out Department M are all set to release their debut single, ‘I’ll Fax You An Apology’, on 25 March through Leeds label Hide And Seek Records.

Brinley showcased a brace of dark uncompromising pop songs called ‘Blackout Boutique’ and ‘pHARMACY ’ under his adopted guise towards the end of last year and this first official release follows in a similar vein; contrasting sharp electronic bleeps and distant rattles of percussion with Brinley’s wistfully organic vocal textures. There’s a palpable tension between the natural and the synthetic throughout but it’s an atmosphere Brinley controls to spellbinding effect.