Spektrum

This London, England-based quartet was formed in 2000 after Lola Olafisoye (vocals) met classically trained musician and producer Gabriel Olegavich (keyboards, programming, vocals) and recorded a track on the same day, prior to the recruitment of Isaac Tucker (drums, additional programming, vocals) and Teia Williams (bass, vocals). Echoing the modus operandi of bands such as Franz Ferdinand and the Rapture, Spektrum was conceived as having a live sound but, simultaneously, being something that could be danced to (although they seem more self-consciously arty and experimental than such comparison points). As their name would suggest, the band covers the whole spectrum of music. Olafisoye has cited a love of Patti LaBelle, Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin but Gang Of Four, A Certain Ratio, Nina Hagen and Moloko are more obvious signifiers of how their supple ‘spunk funk’ actually sounds. Wrapped around Spektrum’s experimental punk funk, Olafisoye’s aberrant vocal mannerisms are particularly striking and effective. Olafisoye has described performance as ‘a kind of therapy’ and re-iterating this conception of the band’s technoid avant disco as some kind of mental healthcare regime, the Tiefschwarz remixes of the single ‘Kinda New’ were notably summarized as akin to electronic electric shock therapy.


Band member Olegavich also creates electrified future garage as Medasyn, has remixed Christina Aguilera and played French horn for Dani Siciliano, runs the Nonstop label, and works on experimental classical compositions. Tucker, meanwhile, has collaborated with former Thompson Twins member Tom Bailey.