Island Empire Release Debut E.P "Polymath"

From the first 5 seconds of Track 1 entitled “Polymath,” from Alternative-Pop duo Island Empire’s new E.P named after its’ opening song, ROUGH were instantly captivated by Ellie Madeland’s beautiful vocals, that at times delivers phrasing like a female-Neil Tennant, whilst taking on a thicker tone to the British voices of Kate Nash and Lily Allen, and we love Ellie for performing this style of singing above a Dream Synth-sound containing numerous 70’s Electro influence, such as early-Kraftwerk. Chris Howe of the duo is not shying away from keeping things retro, as he uses synths that although throw you way back to when Gary Numan was releasing critically acclaimed bangers like “Are Friends Electric,” also remind us of La Roux’s current yet vintage sound on songs like “As If By Magic.” As well as for its’ overall tribute to 70’s Electro music production, “Polymath” is most definitely the E.P’s signature song because of its’ memorable melody in the chorus that touches you so much it makes you feel teary-eyed, and the Middle 8 instrumental section that takes on keyboard sounds easily comparable to the John Carpenter and Alan Howarth collaborative score for Carpenter’s classic 1982 Horror movie “The Thing.”

However, the real sense of nostalgia occurs when Track 2 “Graphics” kicks in with a sound of electronics reminiscent of throwback video games like Super Mario Kart and Sonic The Hedgehog, and Ellie’s soft, relaxing Suzanne Vega-esque vocals, that along with warm background synths creates an atmosphere to lay your head back and chill to. It is obvious that Howe chose the duos’ keyboard sounds wisely when listening to “Graphics” or even Track 3 “Glitch Aesthetics,” where Ellie’s voice goes in a worshipped Liz Phair direction, with professional control and brightness. Their finale, the instrumental track “Wilderness” could have easily been inspired by modern-day Classical Music composers, such as Anthony Greninger because of its’ beautifully simple, yet effective piano melody played over orchestral sounds and their notable 70’s-style synths. The chords of “Wilderness” cleverly uplift you and then sadden you with their quick shift from major to minor, concluding the duo’s intention to ensure that the listener was taken on an emotional journey from the beginning to the end of their debut effort. One of the most retro acts ROUGH has ever come across, Island Empire have produced and released a well-crafted, accomplished piece of work that we highly recommend you stream and download now, in the form of their debut E.P “Polymath.”