Astronomique is the band you thought you’d be seeing in the future back in 1987. They’re a synth pop band with 60s aesthetics and 80s musical influence. They played Thursday night at the Icehouse to introduce their new single, Mimic Forms.
There are four members: Logan Andra Fongemie on vocals and keyboards, Sean Hogan on vocals and guitar, Mitch Billings on vocals and drums and Jordan Morantez on bass guitar. The band is solid; the keyboards really set the tone of the music, bringing the space age feel. There’s a nice contrast between the harder rocking band and the pop appeal of the keyboards. The vocals – especially on tracks where Fongenie and Hogan both sing – bridge the difference. There’s a sweet and salty, high and low, mix that sounds really good together.
Adding to the space age feel was a Sci-fi video on in the background, the video for their new release Mimic Forms (shared below); I presume. The folds in the majestic curtain behind the stage of the Icehouse make it difficult to confirm. It was fun to guess the movies that influenced the obscured video (Barbarella, Tron?) in the same way it’s fun to guess the influence on the music. Mimic Forms is less synth, more vocals than some of their earlier songs. There’s something soothing and almost wavy to the music.
They also played the B-side to the new single, 23rd Century. I enjoyed the Spanish feel in the castanet-sounding drums.
Mostly Minnesota 