Profile: Beta Waves
The most electrifying new artists are always the ones who have a sound that cannot be defined, labelled or boxed in a particular genre. Beta Waves are exciting for exactly that reason, as the Scottish duo have combined a wide-range of influences to create a wholly unique sound.
“We are influenced by a huge range of genres and styles - dance, hip hop, 80s pop, it all seems to mix together to form our sound”, Beta Waves told OANO, “we let the feel of the track dictate the style”.
This philosophy is evident on new single ‘Ad Lib’, which shifts between sounds, constantly keeping us guessing where they’ll be going next. Whether it be the hip-hop drums that start the track, the glorious riff that runs throughout or the intoxicating instrumental that closes the song – Beta Waves are a band that take you on a sonic journey through an ever-changing soundscape.
Dale Easson and Harry Crossan started the group last year, although they say their formation was “a happy accident”. What was just meant to be a jam session in a larger group eventually became Beta Waves when “the two of us ended up just getting together after the others couldn’t make it”. The duo told us how “we started experimenting with electronic drums and synths which totally changed the dynamic and was far more exciting”.
Despite only releasing their debut single in 2018, their musical progression since then is impressive. “We were quite naive, especially regarding the style of music we intended to make”, they told us when discussing their development as a band, “we came to realise that it was the combination of guitars and electronic music that made our sound a bit different, so we just carried on with it to create this middle ground between guitar music and electronic music”.
Some of the most progressive bands in this decade have been those who combine diverse influences, artists who have clearly had an impact on Beta Waves – “The main three for us were probably LCD Soundsystem, Jagwar Ma and Joe Goddard, because we actually went to see those artists live together just around the time the band formed, and it really helped us decide what direction we’d like to take the band”.
If Beta Waves follow this direction and develop as quickly as they have in the past 12 months, then they are in for a massive 2020. If you haven’t already, make sure you watch the video for ‘Ad-Lib’ below.