Thanks to the hype and the overload of hipsters in this city, Ms Mr’s show has been sold out for weeks. If you didn’t get a ticket you can still register for their free show at the Apple Store on saturday. Shadowy New York-based chillwave duo MS MR first caught the public’s attention with their infectious single Hurricane, initially a free download, a dark yet sinfully melodic heartbreak anthem that blended the iciness of Phantogram and Bat for Lashes with the commercial grandeur of Adele and Florence and the Machine. Steeped in anonymity (they refer to themselves as Ms [vocals] and Mr [music]), the pair inked a deal with Sony not long after Hurricane hit the blogosphere; their full-length debut, Secondhand Rapture, appeared in May 2013.
Support comes from London based MANORS who’ve only been around of a couple of months during which they’ve written a handful of tracks and played some shows in Germany. Live, the pair form an agile and geometrically satisfying 2-piece that mixes their synth work with an array of live instruments and percussion. MANORS were formerly known under the moniker RCSA (or RightClickSaveAs) under which they released the single Captain about a year ago.
Although we are still waiting for their official debut single, they have a couple of remixes on their soundcloud as well as one few of their own. Drown is a mellow electro-pop song with a tad of melancholy. In all of their songs, Ben’s tender voice matches perfectly with the electronic sounds. I saw them live a couple of days ago and was amazed by their performance for which they only used two synths and two drums.
