British Theatre - EP

The most relevant comparison to the British Theatre EP is to a situation, rather than another band or record. When Chino Moreno launched the Team Sleep project as a spin-off from Deftones, he didn’t fully abandon the rock approach of his day job, more folded that into the aesthetic of an electronic outfit. In that way, British Theatre is much the same; indeed, opener ‘ID Parade On Ice’ even recalls Team Sleep’s ‘Ataraxia’ to a certain extent, in feel if not in structure and melody.

It’s ‘Gold Bruise’ that bears the clearest indication of where the project is headed though; as orchestral and cinematic as anything that Oceansize produced in their many years, it’s comparable to ‘When The Smoke Clears’ from their 2004 ‘Music For Nurses’ EP. As electronic flourishes compete with atmospheric sweeps, Mike Vennart’s unique character as a frontman still seeps through, resulting in a track of unexpected emotional clout. Though ‘Little Death #3’ feels more like a sketch than a fully-fledged composition, it tails off on an expectant note, and reminds us that there’s much more to come from this already exciting new band.

EP by British Theatre