Out of all the countless attempts by electro-pop artists to tap into the bygone and now mythical energy of 1970s and 80s dance floors, Miami Horror has become a stand out troupe that appears innately stuck in the past. Led by producer Benjamin Plant, the quartet displays an almost ungodly, intimate understanding of decade-old trends and styles. Between dazzling synth melodies, falsetto harmonies, and all the disco-inspired glam POP in between, Miami Horror humbly embodies the essence of what you might’ve heard in the hippest clubs during a time when Prince and ABBA soundtracked the nightlife.
Their first album, the aptly named Illumination, was a blistering affirmation of the group’s ability to exist and transport listeners to an era they never lived in. Songs like “Holiday” bounce between the singed rumble of groovy guitar lines and soulful croons; while tracks like “Summersun” peddle out upbeat, pop-rock compilations that are as dizzying as they are dangerously infectious. While their freshmen attempt remains a highly underrated swing for the fences of nu-disco experimentalism, it was with last year’s All Possible Futures that Miami Horror made the leap from amateur 70s-80s cover band to a tangible representation of the era’s best. From waves of cascading synth-keyboard collisions that ooze a velvet groove on “Real Slow,” to the sublime ecstasy that explodes from the high pitched shrills and shimmering bursts of electro-pop wizardry in “All It Ever Was,” the entire album is a shimmering throwback to the vestiges of pop that eventually inspired today’s electronica.
Miami Horror will be dishing out their special brand of disco-house beats on day one of Coachella, and we can assume the ensuing dance party will be nothing short of funky.
Words: Steven Ward
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