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"What we do is the 180º opposite of what electroclash was about." So states Christopher Wilson, founding half of electronic duo Deliberate. "It's always dreadful when bands talk about taking music back to some mythical period of 'classic songwriting', but the narrative element is something we're passionate about, and it's been junked in favour of aimlessly repeated phrases." Instead, Deliberate weave intricate tales of urban and suburban life. "Kensington Heights" is the story of a woman who gradually loses her partner to pornography. The slyly unnerving "Gavin has some problems" documents the surveillance of a young man in his own home. Both tracks suggest what might happen next, without confirming it. But where does this come from? "This is the crime of contemporary pop," Christopher growls, "You're not supposed to use your imagination. The whole idea of progressing from one verse to the next lends itself to storytelling. "Kensington Heights" came about because I used to ride my bike past the block of that name on my way to Royal College of Art. I used to wonder what the block was like inside; what might be going on in there ..." With these inclinations, it's no surprise to learn that both members deal with narrative outside of Deliberate - singer Esther Johnson, whose vocals give the duo their cinematic drama, is a filmmaker whose work shares a vital thread with Deliberate's songs: interest in the underdog. Christopher is a graphic designer and writer who even survived working with Factory Records legend Peter Saville. "There is actually a Deliberate song about Peter," he smiles wryly, "His world is a double-album on its own." For now, we'll have to content ourselves with Basic demographics, Deliberate's mission statement debut EP. Esther's vocals switch between disco girl and ice queen over the stark electronics. "The EP is a complete picture in itself. But we want to experiment further with the narrative possibilities of our sound. We've got plenty stories left to tell."
Text: Jason Marsh, 2007
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