Catching up!

Has it really been fourteen years? Yes! Also, no. ”From The Vaults: 1998-2006” came out in 2013 and ”Best of” in 2009, but the music on those were either previously released, or only new in the sense that it was so far unreleased and not newly composed. But yes! It’s been fourteen years since ”Intercept!” and finally Simon and Neil got back together to record brand new music for us.

Since ”Intercept!”, Simon and Neil have been keeping busy with their own projects. Neil released a whole lot of deep house vinyls as ”Nail”, several sample-heavy albums as ”Goose Fair Island” and uncountable experimental electronics under an ever increasing number of pseudonyms. Simon upped the analogue flavour of Bent with two albums and about a million EPs as ”Napoleon” before changing the all too ubiquitous artist name to his own for the following records, and has been releasing house tunes in projects ”Pincer Movement” and ”Somethin’ Sanctified”.

One fun thing about listening to their separate output is that you kind of get the feeling of who-does-what in Bent. The most Bent-comparable output of Neil would be the Goose Fair Island stuff, which is sample heavy, more out there and more unpredictable. Simon on the other hand, as Napoleon, is more about classic analogue sounds and big chords. Bent then, always worked best with the two mashed together. I think many fans with me love Bent as much for the lush reverbs, great melodies and emotional songs as they do for the odd samples, unique twists and, you know.. being quirky.

The announcement of their new release is imminent, so keep track of their Facebook to know all about it.

Simon Mills / Napoleon on Bandcamp

Neil Tolliday / Goose Fair Island / etc on Bandcamp

Nail vinyls on Juno

Nail digital music on Juno