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Equal parts pop sensation and punk pioneers, Candide, the foremost London Apocalypto band, is mainlining 10,000 watts of rock and roll back into the musical cadaver.
With three critically acclaimed singles under their belt, the Frankenstein juggernaut launches its debut EP, ‘Rage Ballet’, on November 21st.
A launch party at the Troubadour in London completes the ritual.
‘Rage Ballet’ charts the inception of Candide until now: The absurdist, Supergrass-esque thrill of the debut ‘I Don’t Care’, gives way to the autumnal and reflective delicacy of ‘Lonely’, a yearning and sincere reflection on love and isolation, followed by the retro-futurist, neo-classical blues rap battering ram ‘Domestic Statistics’.
Lead single “I Wanna Know” forms the climactic chapter of this debut EP.
Each release was accompanied by a raucous DIY music video, which dragged viewers kicking and screaming into the mind-bending Candide Universe. Centurions and aliens crucify the band, Shakespeare rises from the dead, and a bass player’s ex-girlfriend haunts viewers to an early grave.
Whilst making movies, Candide did a slew of gorilla gigs across the UK. Ranging from house parties, kitchens, sweaty basements, country pubs, and even real music venues! With their distinctive face paint, extravagant clothing, and synchronized immersive visuals lighting up stages from Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes to The Amersham Arms and The Finsbury, Candide are fast becoming one of London’s most exciting live acts.
Eddie Dexter, the band’s supreme leader, explains: “It’s been a mission into the heart of darkness to get this far, but the band’s never sounded, felt, or looked better. We’re a hot pile of funk, this first EP’s a bit rough round the edges, but that’s how it is on the mean streets of Mare Street … We’ve blended influences as disparate as Green Day, Band of Gypsies, and Beak>, into something new and totally unwieldy, I hope we captured some of the Hi-fi, lightning in a tea cup, force of this fierce outfit for you to all enjoy (or despise).”
Bass Tsar and Principal Genius Jasper Pollit recalls, “I suppose it’s all up in the clouds really. I prefer to let the music do most of the talking. My current greatest concern is whether my hairline will follow my older brother’s.”
Milo is also here (With Great Hair).
In short, Candide is one of the capital’s most theatrical and unpredictable new bands, combining danceable rhythms with razor-sharp wit. That attitude has already won admirers: “Fucking great!!!” said Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers, while producer Joshua Woolf called them “top musicians with witty lyrics and volatile songs.”
Recent press & radio spotlights the band’s irreverent persona, including a Fetch London feature (“Down the Pub with Candide”), an Independent Venue Week Q&A with Merryn, a live session and feature on Radio Free Pimlico, and a PRSD profile.
“There is talk of breakdancing, talk of Shetland ponies, talk of dwarves. None of it sounds like a joke, exactly, but you get the sense it wouldn’t matter if it was.” – Fetch London.
‘Rage Ballet’ was produced, mixed, and mastered by Joshua Woolf at SFJ Studios. ‘I Wanna Know’ was mixed by Michael Smith, and mastered by Matt Polly.
The EP will premiere live on November 22nd at the legendary Troubadour, alongside The Havocks and The Kansas City Playboys. Expect frenzied energy, powerful insight, and moments that make you question everything you thought you knew — about music, society, and yourself…
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