With influences including Talking Heads, Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, LCD Soundsystem and Atlantic Records’ great soul era, it’s not surprising that Artificial Pleasure’s sound is completely addictive. Their completely DIY writing and recording process makes for bold and bright sounds that sway into a hypnotic groove and pulse with an electric energy. Made without any tricks or gimmicks, vocalist and guitarist Phil McDonnell and drummer Lee Jordan combine Dom Brennan’s synths and self-taught engineering to create tracks that are full of adrenaline and perfectly fuse funky soul with alternative rock.

Evocative of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”, “I’ll Make It Worth Your While” has an uncontrollable energy and infectious riffs, full of effervescent synths and cries of “Let me out!” Vocalist and guitarist McDonnell says “the song is about the desire to sometimes lose control, to lose yourself, to escape from whatever is going on. It’s about not caring, at least for a short period of time, and letting go. I get the urge to go wild but I’m often too self-conscious.” Do like Artificial Pleasure and let yourself go.