Electronic music duo to tour North America, Austin

Digitalism is an electronic duo from Germany currently touring in support of a new EP "Circles" which is set for release on Dec. 6 via V2/ Cooperative Music/Downtown. Their second album "I Love You, Dude" was released over the summer culminating with The Hard Festival Tour where they were a featured act.

Digitalism is a complex musical group and to simply define them as electronic is a miscalculation. There are too many intricacies going in each track to place them just under the umbrella term of electronic. Most songs consist of a multitude of synthesizers painstakingly layered into each track behind beautifully crafted beats. Tracks bravely leap from one genre to another sometimes becoming ambient melodies and other times dissolving into house beats. The tracks with vocals are catchy providing a nice touch of ambience to compliment the pulsating drumbeats. There remains an unrelenting sadness behind the vocals at times and the forlorn lyrics build upon this melancholy feeling. This undercurrent of emotions leaves you ultimately feeling curious about the upcoming tracks. Some of the highlights

off their album "I Love You, Dude" include the tracks "Blitz", "2 Hearts" and "Circles". When listening to the decadent soundscapes from "Blitz" it's hard not to imagine a packed dance floor with everyone having an enjoyable time. The video for this song depicts this imagery perfectly with a live performance of the band tearing up the song on stage in front of an adoring crowd. In contrast, "2 Hearts" is a very poppy, uplifting track reminiscent of eighties bands like Erasure in terms of sound. Then there is the best track

on the album, which is also named "Circles." This track has elements of pop and a classic-eighties feel similar to "2 Hearts," but definitely has a more solid feel with catchier vocals and stronger beats.

The band is slated for an Austin performance on Friday, Dec. 9 at The Parish. If you are interested in progressive electronic music and solid drum beats these guys are for you. Catch them while they are in town or visit them online at myspace.com/digitalism to hear selected tracks from previous albums or see the tour schedule.