British trio Reformat create experimental music that combines their shared love for electronica, heavy metal, science fiction and vintage pop. The result is a fascinating sound that pairs heavy guitars and engaging electronic elements with vocals inspired by Cher and Dane Bowers (two names we never thought we’d utter on this site).
The trio started out when synth player Luke Pajak met producer Russ Russell, who’s worked with the likes of Napalm Death and At the Gates. Russ produced all of Luke’s music going forward but got more involved as the Reformat project came to life then brought in his son, drummer Jay Russell, who’s in rock band Yard Act. Reformat released their debut album The Singularity in 2018, before taking their time to craft their second album.
On the sound they’ve honed, Luke says: “For me, Reformat is a mix of all the musical and cultural references which are important to me, collected from all sorts of places. Despite the age gap between us, mentally we’re all about the same age. I’m not entirely sure what that says about each of us.
“Among other things, I grew up on electronica, grunge, ambient, soundtracks, metal and pop. I also love The Terminator, Blade Runner, X Files, cartoons and computer games… the music is how my feelings sound once you’ve filtered them through all of those reference points. I used to say it was the sound of a 56k modem dialling directly into your psyche but that doesn’t really mean anything to anyone under the age of 25.”
Our latest taste of this is the band’s second album Precursed, which was released earlier this month. With this album, Luke wanted to create something more raw and direct, including an “at least partly human” voice. The synths on the album were created using a Sequential Prophet 6, which offers a sense of warmth and gravitas to the Reformat sound, and it also utilises processed human voices and vintage speech synthesis.
As Luke explains: “I’d wanted a change in my process and that’s the main difference between the first and second album. I moved away from the Juno 106, which I’d always defaulted to, and got out of my comfort zone with a new setup. Saying that, me and Russ were both surprised about how the existing Reformat sound just seemed to transfer onto that synth; it still sounds like the same band, which is good. I was expecting it to be a more noticeable difference but I think it just takes the edge off the sci-fi soundtrack influence which the Juno had enhanced.
“I like the fact that I can no longer remember where my voice ends and the speech emulator, built by my brother and utilising the BBC Micro Speech software, begins. I’d also like to claim this love of vocal processing is influenced by someone cool like Cynic but, if I’m honest, it’s more Cher and Dane Bowers who have taken up residence in my psyche since the late nineties.”
It opens up with the slightly sinister title track, which flows into the vicious Obsolethal that begins with a heavy blast of guitars and synth. Electronic voices come in alongside flitting synths and the heavy guitars kick in again. That’s followed by their latest single release Tsygan, which begins with a cool synth sound and atmospheric background instrumentals that continue under electronic vocals. Drums kick in as we flow into an engaging opening verse led by drawn-out vocals, which drop into a funky bouncy synth riff. It develops into a strangely calming combination of laid-back vocals and driving guitars with distant string synths. Check it out in the lyric video here:
Haruspex has a bit more of an industrial and gothic feel to it before Paroxysms tips the scales heavily over to the more electronic side of the Reformat sound with fun driving synth riffs. That’s followed by Dētrūsā, the first single released from this album, which kicks into life with big driving guitar chords supported by edgy synths. Check it out in the video here:
A personal favourite track from the album is Dead Place, which starts out with a delicious flickering synth lick over chunky guitar chords. That develops into a piercing synth sound joining in, then giving way to light synth droplets and electronic vocals, before the heavy guitars and flickering synth return with a piercing synth in support for a dramatic conclusion.
The album concludes with plenty more electronic rock goodness to enjoy, including the dramatic Astromanx and Sierra Oscar and the atmospheric Prince Valium and final track Postbreath.
Ahead of the album’s release, Luke told us: “It’s been such a long time coming and I’m really looking forward to it finally being out in the world but honestly, I’m probably equally nervous. I’ve tried to reveal a bit more of myself this time round, which is probably why I’m bracing to feel a bit exposed. It’s also been five years since the first album so it’s a bit like starting again… and the world has changed so much in the past few years.
“In terms of their differences, Precursed is perhaps quicker to the point and certainly more abrasive and angry than The Singularity. But there’s similarities too… we still focus on melody above all else and it’s ultimately uplifting I think, even though it originated from a darker place. The main expectation – or at least hope I have – is that people will find it easier to connect with on an emotional level.”
The Reformat sound is influenced by a wide range of music, starting with classic influences including a-Ha, Faith No More, Pink Floyd, Type O Negative, Squarepusher, Massive Attack, Red Snapper, Tears for Fears, Rocket From The Crypt, The Cure, Brian Eno, Kate Bush, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Cardiacs, Cult of Luna and Deftones. More recent influences include 65daysofstatic, pg.lost, Three Trapped Tigers, Everything Everything, Oneohtrix Point Never and Burial, on whom Luke says: “I’d say feel like they share DNA with what we’re doing now specifically.”
And on what inspires them to write music, Luke explains: “Writing music is a compulsion by this point and I’m sure it’s the same for Russ and Jay. Recording songs is a release for me personally so it’s generally influenced by something that makes me sad… sadness is the emotion I find most difficult to connect with in a wholesome way and recording songs helps me get those feelings out.
“Loss, anger and nostalgia are the major themes on this album but somehow it comes out a lot less depressing than that would make it sound. My hope is that if someone listens to this music feeling down and overwhelmed, it can offer the same sort of cathartic antidote it did for me when creating it.”
Reformat’s second album Precursed is out now and the band are putting all their energy into creating new videos to support it as live shows are unlikely any time soon. Luke’s also hoping to get started on album three to ensure it’s not another five years in waiting.”
And Luke adds: “We mean it and hope that means people can connect with it. Most of all, we appreciate people taking the time to listen, especially in an age when they’re bombarded by so much information and it’s easy to get distracted.”
You can follow Reformat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, YouTube Music and YouTube.
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