As the final curtain falls on 2017, The Amazons are undoubtedly one of the year’s biggest success stories in the world of breaking British rock bands. Their self-titled debut album smashed into the album charts at #8 when it was released in the summer, and it also landed two places higher on the vinyl album chart. They made a triumphant return to her hometown festival Reading when they played to a packed BBC Introducing Stage, while their autumn headline tour was entirely sold-out in advance.

Now the quartet put the finishing touches to a triumphant year by sharing a new video for their debut album’s closing track ‘Palace’. The video juxtaposes live footage from their sold-out show at the O2 Kentish Town Forum with clips of frontman Matt Thomson performing the song in his garage. It encapsulates the band’s meteoric rise: songs which were written long before The Amazons made a name for themselves are now hollered back at them by a growing devoted fanbase.

The foundations for their success were set long before the year started. A Music Week survey demonstrated they were were the most hotly-tipped guitar band of 2017, notably by being listed in the BBC Music Sound of 2017 poll. They ticked off a rush of accomplishments - extensive Radio 1 support and a set at the Big Weekend, debut performances on ‘Later.. With Jools Holland’ and ‘Sunday Brunch’, and a Live Lounge performance that included a reinvention of Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’ - in a year that their debut album cracked the charts.

The Amazons also made inroads towards making a name for themselves internationally too. Over the course of the year they toured Europe extensively, played their debut Stateside shows in New York and Los Angeles and even hit Japan for the Fuji Rock festival.

February

1st - Birmingham, O2 Institute

2nd - Glasgow, Garage

3rd - Manchester, Albert Hall  - SOLD OUT

8th - Cambridge, Junction 1

9th - Portsmouth, Pyramids

10th - Reading, The Hexagon

Keinemusik announced the release of You Are Safe last month. Going for such an album title seems odd in these unsettling times, but it illustrates the safe-haven they have built itself over the last eight years.  In their self-determined action space, producers Rampa, &ME and Adam Port; DJ Reznik and painter/visual artist Monja Gentschow make an offer to every listener: put your headphones on, dance around your living room, forget everything and let go. When the music plays – you are safe.

Keinemusik’s back catalogue has traditionally been in EP formats, so when &ME, Rampa or Adam Port starting discussing a joint venture, a full-length album seemed like a logical continuation of the label's annual Workparty releases, just bigger and with more breathing room to zoom out of the dance floor-normative.

The tonal nucleus of this record can be conceived as tracks elaborating what Keinemusik stands for and tracks that will no doubt set the tone for what’s happening on dancefloors worldwide in the coming months. Despite it's trippy tribal-beat, MBH’s monk-like chants and eccentric use of distorted guitar sounds could easily implement any peaktime-set. Elsewhere you’ll find plenty of unexpected exercises in style - state of the art R’n’B-reverie 'Up And Down' features born and London based Chiara Noriki, while Jennifer Touch lends her lush vocals to the wave-induced retro-sound of ‘Lover.'

Geeky meditative jam ‘Operator’ and an irresistible Stevie B. homage “Bumper” featuring former Hercules & Love Affair and Jessica 6 member Nomi Ruiz, who has also been the voice for Keinemusik’s own NR& project. Between tribal percussion, atmospheric synthetics and haunting vocals, first single ‘Guilt Trip’ perfectly reflects what the album has to offer musically. Here, the groove ridden ‘Civilist' combines layered atmospherics, broken up with extensive drum solos. Raising the sound signature and stylistic expression of the collective to the next level, You Are Safe combines club pragmatics with home listening pleasures like no other Keinemusik has done before.

Listen on Bandcamp here