Old Boys

VINYL FORMAT. The Toronto-based duo recorded its 2008 self-titled debut at a homemade studio inside their shared in Groningen, Netherlands, earning international attention from the likes of Parisian tastemaker Collette and helping develop a strong following at home in Canada. That followed six years of Fairly (aka Fairmont) living in Berlin turning out techno hits on labels like Border Community and Kompakt and Sayce playing in bands like Tangiers and the Deadly Snakes.

Two years later, Bishop Morocco arrives on Arts & Crafts with Old Boys, a six-track EP on which the band strays from its original new wave influences towards a thicker, more contemplative sound, aided by the addition of Ian Worang on guitar and Jon McCann on drums. A savvy delivery loaded with smart electronic instrumentation and richly textured melodies, Old Boys was recorded at another homemade studio, this time inside Fairly’s mom’s guest bedroom in west Toronto. It’s at once proof of Bishop Morocco’s collective progression as it is an expression of constant shifts in hometown imagery and the ongoing personal evolution of its principal members. This album marks Bishop Morocco’s arrival as a fully realized project, relying less on paths forged by members’ favorite bands, and instead endeavoring to blaze a stark trail all its own.