Esben And The Witch - Lucia, At The Precipice

“Instantly captivating… Like walking into a hidden attic full of ancient maps, portraits, furniture and

ephemera… Romantic and gothic, a shadow of something intangible and otherworldly.”

The Quietus

 

“They channel literature, nature and sorrow to create hauntingly ethereal tales of dark, foreboding menace.”

The Guardian

 

From Brighton, Esben And The Witch are a band still in their infancy but that's not stopping the world outside their bathroom taking a keen interest in the “nightmare pop” they're brewing up.

 

Recording with equipment old and new, the three-pieceʼs first recordings were collected as 33, a demo-cum- EP, made available in the middle of last year and immediately attracting discerning ears. They have since released a track, ʻSkeleton Swoonʼ, with Dance To The Radio for their 4 x 12” Series and are following that up with their debut release proper, ʻLucia, At The Precipiceʼ b/w ʻThey Use Smiles To Bury Youʼ. Being made available as a 7” only through the Too Pure Singles Club, itʼs limited to just 500 individually numbered copies and, like all releases on the rejuvenated label, once sold out, it wonʼt get a repressing.

 

To coincide with this release, the band will embark on their first UK headline tour. They spent 2009 wisely, playing numerous shows with the likes of The xx, Fiery Furnaces, Sian Alice Group and Deerhunter alongside festival appearances including End of the Road, honing the bandʼs stagecraft and fuelling a further flow of comparisons – such as PJ Harvey, Portishead, Kate Bush, Radiohead circa ʻKid Aʼ, Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie & The Banshees – all of which are flattering, but none are quite correct.

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!