MANIA LUISTERTRIP AUGUSTUS 2026
Overmono is een van dé elektronische acts die je in de gaten moet houden. De broers Tom en Ed Russell werden in 2021 door DJ Mag uitgeroepen tot beste live act en brachten in 2023 het alom geprezen debuutalbum Good Lies uit. Met opvolger Pure Devotion combineren ze wederom typisch Britse muziekstromingen, de future garage en UK Bass in het bijzonder. Met atmosferische synthesizers en geloopte R&B-vocalen maken ze ruimte voor emotie, terwijl ze met diepe (sub)bassen en stevige ritmes ook geregeld hun tanden tonen - er staan niet voor niets dobermanns op hun albumhoezen. De single Knight in Shining Prada krijgt door de gesproken voordracht van John Joseph Holt een koortsige spanning die doet denken aan The Streets. Voor andere inspiratie keken de broers verder over de grens, naar de Franse house scene om precies te zijn. Zo horen we meermaals de synthesizer-arpeggio's waar Daft Punk patent op heeft. En is dat een subtiele sample van Mr Oizo’s Flat Beat in Lockup? Het is bijzonder hoe ook bij deze plaat alle old school invloeden en vintage synthesizers in een eigentijdse productie verpakt zijn. Het gevoel van urgentie dat hieruit ontstaat, ervaar je meestal alleen op de dansvloer. (Laurence Tanamal)
Sharing a name with the beloved series of live events they launched in 2024, Pure Devotion is Overmono’s most ambitious project to date.It’s the sound of beautiful imperfections, machine malfunctions and happy accidents, harnessed by the unflinching confidence that Overmono - aka brothers Tom and Ed Russell - have gained through years at the vanguard of underground electronic music, and subsequent breakthrough as one of the defining dance music acts of the decade.Across the 11 tracks, Overmono have pushed their recording process into bold new territories, adopting experimental production techniques that involve synthesisers from the 70s and 80s, an antiquated train announcement speaker, and literally baking a crash cymbal in the oven.There’s a powerful sense of intention and physicality embedded in every choice, which extends to the emotive vocal features from revered British poet John Joseph Holt, close collaborator Kindora, and Paul Institute’s Ruthven.It’s an album that chooses emotion over desensitisation. Craft over efficiency. It's a labour of love. Pure Devotion.What started as a radical reimagining of Overmono’s live show in 2024 evolved into a phenomenon - from headlining Glastonbury’s West Holts to selling out London’s Alexandra Palace and curating Manchester’s Warehouse Project.As Pure Devotion grew onstage in front of tens of thousands of people, its core ideas deepened and crystallised via isolated writing and recordings retreats to Spain and Iceland with nothing but two synths and an FX unit, channeling the momentum into the most life-affirming and groundbreaking music of their career.Exemplifying this is the album’s lead single, “Lockup”. Released today and premiered as Radio 1’s Hottest Record, it’s an unflinching, immediate track that came about after reading Simon Reynolds’ book Rip it Up and Start Again.Excited by the impulsive rule-breaking of the Post-punk era, Overmono descended a rabbit hole which led to them sampling cult Birmingham band Fast Relief’s “What A Waste”.The pummelling beats and chest-rattling basslines provide the hard exterior for beautifully tender chords – a juxtaposition visually represented by Doberman in the accompanying cinematic visual, shot and directed by long-time collaborator Rollo Jackson.
