Heartsrevolution

As their name suggests, Ben and Lo love hearts, as well as unicorns and ice cream. In fact, they love ice cream so much that Lo even bought an ice cream truck, after deciding her nine to five was too soulsucking – a thought that first hit her at a rave (their story can be read in a super cool Choose Your Own Adventure-like flip book ). The pair met when Lo asked Ben for some songs to play in her truck, and lo and behold, Heartsrevolution and Heartschallenger – their brand that uses an ice cream truck to "showcase their favourite things” like international ice cream, mix-tapes, candy, stickers, buttons, etc. - was born. Inspired musically by the "boy/girl revolution” envisaged by legendary indie punks Huggy Bear (whose "Her Jazz” they’ve remixed), so far their first two releases have been a glow in the dark split seven-inch with Crystal Castles, and an adorable slab of white vinyl in the shape of a heart for this song’s seven-inch. Whoever said CDs and vinyl were on the outs never met Heartsrevolution. Oddly enough, the profound attention to detail in their style meets the fanciness of their music. Much like pals Crystal Castles, Heartsrevolution intensify the distortion in their electro; but unlike the more abrasive 8-bit CC assault, this duo know to keep their songs sweet like the candy they push driving from city to city. Released by the IHeartComix label, "C.Y.O.A." is emphasised by Lo’s shouty mic control, which is like that of a six-year-old at a karaoke birthday party, working out the best option between "foxes and bunnies, fire and snow” in choosing her own adventure. Ben’s cut’n’paste guitars and jumpy DIY hip-hop beats are pretty rousing, but it's the mesmerising synth riff that falls in and out of the mix that kept me coming back continually throughout the year. I imagine whenever they re-release it to capitalise on their fame, like all great acts seem to do, I'll still love it though.