Words: Otis Hayes | Photo: Alex Matraxia

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Angular and groove-woven, the sophomore EP ‘Diamond Horsetail’ from London trio Deep Tan further establishes their distinctive style of subversive post-punk. Since their critically acclaimed debut EP ‘Creeping Speedwells’, which saw the group extensively tour the UK – supporting Yard Act en route – Deep Tan have managed to carve out their own niche pool of fans through their unique instrumental and vocal direction.

Opening with ‘Beginners Krav Maga’ we are met with crunching, ear-splitting guitar that puts you on the edge of your seat, bass is hard-strummed and sits towards the forefront of the mix, drums take a more subtle approach working as the perfect backdrop for the complex layers of sound. ‘Diamond Horsetail’ has great flow, leading from one track to the next with a natural urgency.

Deep Tan manage to keep you wondering which strange, weird and hypnotic rabbit hole you might find yourself falling into next – see ‘device devotion’ and ‘gender expansion pack’. Each track on the EP has elements that are discordant and clashing yet still manage to fuse together tightly in a freakishly beautiful concoction, creating a flirtatious wink towards acts such as The Raincoats and The Slits.

Following suit from their first body of work, they arrive with an against the grain, eerie and uncanny collection of songs which hold a light up to the bands strong ability to create music that takes the listener on a journey through the weird and wonderful.

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