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The Arrival EP

If I knew little before, I seem to know less now. Between you and me I think they sound like an intergalactic space ship, but apparently ‘Polybius’ is derived from the name of an ancient Greek historian. Proven facts or fiction aside, what I hope has captured your attention in the Polybius sound is this fear of the indefinite and the greed to anticipate it further. Am I losing you here? The conclusion to this is that the mysterious factor they possess actually makes their sound so fresh, indulgent and set back from the other predictable music of our time.

They may be new on the local music radar, but The Arrival is only an appetiser for the main album Be Seeing You, released in the near future. In the meantime this EP gives its audience time to acclimatise. Take ‘Be Seeing You’, for example – a powerful and edgy krautrock track, but above all an expression of their influential pin points through eras of music.

‘The Vibe’ resulted in a little distraction. In fact I listened to the track several times in a row. It has a certain luxurious texture which makes you want to repeat it. The Balearic style suits the sensual riffs in the background, and being playful with the arrangement has enabled the duo to switch between ambient and house elements, making it clever and meticulous.

‘MKU’, on the other hand, bears an entirely different, grittier feel. It’s a track of dramatic endurance, like a well planned long distance run. None of this music signifies a quick sprint to the finish – every beat, sample and hi-hat has been condensed, fragmented and precisely scrutinised before being layered together to create a detailed body of work.

I say hats off to this two-piece from Sheffield and Rotherham. Firstly, for keeping me engrossed through three tracks of instrumentals – a mean feat in itself. Secondly, for pushing the boundaries and confinements of multiple genres.