Hercules & Love Affair – Controller (feat. Faris Badwan)

In recent times, The Horrors have stepped far away from their origins as noisy goth-punk upstarts to embracing sweeping, anthemic synths. Frontman Faris Badwan has also further proved his adaptability with two albums of luscious vintage pop alongside opera singer Rachel Zeffira in Cat’s Eyes. Surely a move into house is a bit too much even for Faris to handle though?

Step forward Hercules & Love Affair to help prove us all wrong. The alt-disco collective have recently announced that they’d be returning with the follow-up to 2014’s ‘Feast of the Broken Heart’ sometime this year, and have teased it with the deep house cut ‘Controller’. Over an underbelly of steamy beats and electro melodies (with a choir and key changes at the climax for that added late-80s feel), Faris puts in a performance that’s not a million miles away from Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17. With the help of Hercules’ Andrew Butler, Faris continues to show he can turn his hand to just about anything.