Available on: Studio !K7 download / forthcoming EP

It’s always a touchy subject when record labels known primarily for dance music sign, wait for it… bands.

Studio !K7’s aesthetic is more open than most though, and new Danish four-piece When Saints Go Machine fit in at the label far better than say, Maximo Park on Warp. In fact, strip the band of their vocals, and you’re dealing with music at a well-positioned crossroads between Arab Strap’s glum synths ‘n’ strings and the gentle grooves of Bodily Functions era Herbert.

‘Fail Forever’ (which appears to date back to 2009, but will be given a full single release in January) doesn’t come close to matching the personality of those two, nor When Saints’ new label mate Circlesquare, but it certainly hints at a group with potential to become !K7’s secret weapon when they’re ready to take things long-form.

Anna Russell