Mother of the Unicorn

2015

No Torstraßen Festival without new discoveries from the realms of Späti Palace. Both compilations released by the Berlin-based label are treasure troves of good music and on one of them you will find «Holidays,» the first song by Berlin’s Mother of the Unicorn. The four-piece forms around singer Joe Kelly who thereby expanded the solo-project he had begun working on in London. (Also part of this band is trusted TSF stage manager Remi Letournelle, who is about to release his debut on Morr Music under the moniker Slow Steve.) For an overall impression of MOTU, Holidays makes a good blueprint: Atmospheric indie leaning towards shoegaze, now and then folky with Kelly’s voice alternating between a Bon Iver falsetto and comforting mumble. Music for warm summer nights, dreamy, layered, and deeply immersed in sublime sonority. With the help of producer Tad Klimp (Fenster, Jason & Theodor) MOTU are currently working on their debut album. Exciting!