LP version. Mental Bend captures the magic of the moment when sundown leads to the adventures of night in their dreamy soundtracks. If you close your eyes, you can see blurry pictures passing in slow motion, accompanied by their atmospheric songs. One Step is the Berlin-based indietronica duo's visually vivid debut album, released on Fenou. Sissip (vocals, synth, bass) and Hendrik Havekost (beats, production) know how to trust their instincts, crafting their hypnotic signature sound, somewhere in between electronica, ambient, and dream pop. Before founding the band in 2013, the two were already shaping their skills in all kinds of different formations and styles of music. As soon as they got together, they had a viral mini hit with their song "Take My Hand". The band's first long-player One Step is all about important experiences and decisions, small as well as big steps, all a part of making progress. In the past year while touring in Tokyo, Sissip and Havekost met Dapayk & Padberg, alias of Eva Padberg and Mo's Ferry co-founder Niklas Worgt, who were immediately impacted by Mental Bend's individual sound. Inspired by artists like Portishead, Tricky, Massive Attack, Radiohead, and The XX, Mental Bend invent their very own soundscapes. Spheric loops, trippy downtempo beats, and indulging chords make for massive walls of sound, interweaved by fragile and melancholic vocals from another world. Sometimes creepy and dark, sometimes ethereal and surreal. It all results into an almost impossible to grasp mix of organic and electronic elements, mirrored by the band's name; Mental Bend aren't shy of making sudden turns in their tracks, bending their ideas into unpredictable creative sculptures and walk on unexpected paths, always challenging their listeners to really listen. One Step is their creation of a world of sound for the imaginary citizens of Metropolis. A sound matured and perfected on two tours through Germany, as well as at shows at the Berlin Berghain-Kantine, the C/O Pop Festival and the renowned Jetztmusik Festival in Mannheim. The influence on One Step doesn't stop in Berlin and Tokyo. The foundation is actually laid in New York City, where the duo wrote the title track in 2015. This inspirational atmosphere of the title track comes up elsewhere, like the restless "Walking", the claustrophobic "Invisible", the hypnotic love song "Madly In Love", or the contemplative pop song "Counting Stars".
