Newly signed to Domino, Toronto-based Katie Stelmanis leads the charge in Austra. Along with fellow Canadian musicians Dorian Wolf (bass), and Maya Postepski (beats/programming/production), Austra are making the kind of dark electronica that I’m into. Think The Knife, Zola Jesus, The Golden Filter and iamamiwhoami. Italian operatic composer Puccini, riot-girl, and Nine Inch Nails are said to be Stelmanis’ main inspirations.
Gothic-leaning, pulsing with dancefloor beats and with siren-call vocals, their debut release ‘Beat and The Pulse’ is released on February 21st in the UK and Europe on 12″ and digitally, with an album in the spring or summer. Tour dates after the jump.
Austra – Beat & The Pulse by DominoRecordCo
Tour dates
Wednesday 05-Jan-11, AUSTRIA, Candy Club, Vienna
Saturday 08-Jan-11, GERMANY, Muffatwerk, Queer Beats Fest, Munich
Wednesday 12-Jan-11, HOLLAND, Studio 80, Amsterdam
Saturday 15-Jan-11, UK, Windmill, Brixton, London
Tuesday 18-Jan-11, UK, Old Blue Last, London
Thursday 20-Jan-11, FRANCE, Le Divan Du Monde, Paris
Friday 21-Jan-11, FRANCE, Le Sonic, Lyon
Saturday 22-Jan-11, SWITZERLAND, Reitschule, Bern
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
