London based Post-Punk revivalists; Introverts cut an impressive debut performance at The Buffalo Bar in Highbury and Islington this past weekend. After following the bands progress for the past year and watching their repertoire grow with tracks, this was one gig I had been anticipating for quite some time.

Currently a two-piece, comprising Dean Randall on vocals and guitar and Isabel Aguiar on bass, yet behind the scenes the set up is quite different.  It is Aguiar who writes the core of the music in her home studio and Randall who provides the lyrics and vocals, with both taking on production duties. This symbiotic set up has seen the duo produce some potent and promising material, which would either soar in the live setting or come crashing down around them.

My reservations were due to the fact that they still hadn’t secured a drummer after months of auditioning.  When I asked Aguiar why this was, she simply stated: “we haven’t found the right person yet.”  Since the show the band have discussed keeping things as a duo for the time being, as it worked out so well and they have received great feedback.  For now the pair use a pre-programmed track of drums, synths and samples – with the bass and guitar being played live.

The show opened with a sample from cult hit show Twin Peaks and instrumental track; Neu, which set the scene and invited the audience into their dark, seductive and atmospheric world. The band certainly wears their influences on their sleeves and this isn’t a bad thing. This only further cements the honest yet simplistic style and delivery which the Randall-Aguiar partnership employ so well. A touch of The Cure crossed with Joy Division and elements of Shoe-Gaze sees the band on to a winning combination.

Next up was Introverts signature track; Empire.  This was the first track the band ever wrote and took on a new life in the live setting. A pulsing stomp of a track with it’s infectious hook, low rumbling bass and crunching guitar, this is alternative rock done right. Randall’s sincere baritone vocal style, a cross between Kurt Cobain in his more restrained moments with a nod to Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, carried the track and mesmerized much of the large crowd.

Other tracks mid-set included new track; Dark and older favourite; Gein. Dark is an earnest lament showcasing a vital fragile element that I have come to love, this fragility lingers throughout the core of the bands body of work.

Set closer saw the band perform a recent Under Konstruktion remix of the track; Version.  This bold move to perform a remix as opposed to the original showcased the bands versatility and adventurous nature, which has always kept things exciting for the listener. Introverts prove that they aren’t afraid to explore different territory and stray from what they find comfortable.

All in all a stunning debut from one of my underground favourites. There is already talk of further gigs being booked for March with an EP release to coincide. Watch this space!

For more info follow the band on Facebook and check out their tracks on Sound Cloud;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Introverts/174289749256085

http://soundcloud.com/introverts

Written by Michael Blackmore

Photography by Panos Moesis