Rubicks has been bubbling under for nearly a decade now. After the band released its first single, 'Midas' in 2002, fans had to wait a further four years until it released its début LP, In Miniature on Universal Records in 2006. The album was met with critical acclaim and Rubicks acquired a loyal fan base who were teased with the 2009 EP, Idiot Time, and a string of singles throughout 2010 before the long-awaited Rise of the Giddy hit shelves this August. The fans' patience and faith has, no doubt, been vindicated.
On 'Jungle of You' the penultimate track on Rise of the Giddy, singer, Vanessa Redd, name checks a plethora of cult alternative bands from My Bloody Valentine to Queens of the Stone Age. 'Jungle of You' itself sounds like the Queens' own 'Burn the Witch' enthused with a heavy yet poppy synth electronica.
And that's essentially what Rubicks is about. Rise of the Giddy is a rock album coated in sludgy synth bass and underscored by a stomping beat that's almost unrelenting throughout the album's 49 minutes. The opener, 'Is This Love?', is a loud-quiet-loud assault that should soon be filling dance floors at indie nights across the country. As the album progresses you'll find it hard to stay sitting still, this is a band to dance to. Recent tours with John Foxx, The Klaxons and Gary Numan and a spot on Modular's Leave Them All Behind compilation will have all but cemented Rubicks' position as one of the top electro-indie acts in the country. Rise of the Giddy's pedigree is only enhanced by the involvement of producer, Robert Harder, a man who has worked with and produced the likes of Soulwax, Whitey and electronic music pioneers, Squarepusher and Brian Eno.
It is, however, Vanessa Redd's vocals that set Rubicks apart from the similar Sleigh Bells and YACHT, comparisons to Debbie Harry and Siouxsie Sioux are generous but not unwarranted. Redd's voice floats angelically above the demonic electro-sludge of Marc Makarov's bass and Vee Vimolmal's synth on tracks like 'Giddy Up' and 'Surrender', but we find the innocence is far from omnipotent as she weaves seductively in and out of the noise on the likes of 'Black and Blue' and 'Jungle of You'. Vanessa Redd is Rubicks' secret weapon and with her in its arsenal, there's little that can stop this band from conquering the mainstream in light of Rise of the Giddy.
In October last year, Rubicks announced on its website: “God is dead... Celebrate”. If that's so, then I can't think of a better soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic celebration than Rise of the Giddy.
Rise of the Giddy was released on 8th August via Sharp Attack Records.
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It is, however, Vanessa Redd's vocals that set Rubicks apart from the similar Sleigh Bells and YACHT, comparisons to Debbie Harry and Siouxsie Sioux are generous but not unwarranted. Redd's voice floats angelically above the demonic electro-sludge of Marc Makarov's bass and Vee Vimolmal's synth on tracks like 'Giddy Up' and 'Surrender', but we find the innocence is far from omnipotent as she weaves seductively in and out of the noise on the likes of 'Black and Blue' and 'Jungle of You'. Vanessa Redd is Rubicks' secret weapon and with her in its arsenal, there's little that can stop this band from conquering the mainstream in light of Rise of the Giddy.
