The members of electronic duo The Familiar share a Norwegian heritage, and are based one in Brooklyn and the other one in a place called Tromsø, which appears to be a Norwegian city that’s closer to the North Pole than Iceland. No wonder they sing about "Patience" (the title of their single streaming below) in ways that are not exactly heart warming! Of course this is very stereotypical of us, but it’s undeniable that the amount of sunlight a country gets has a direct influence on the kind of art it produces – it’s no coincidence that northern cultures are the primary creators of anything "Goth." The Familiar isn’t exactly goth, but they are dark and sober in ways reminiscent of electronic bands of the ’80s, and they acknowledge all we said by defining their music as "Dark Arctic ElectroPop." Fortunately though, Ruth Mirsky’s voice breaks the "aural ice" with her simple melodies and thoughtful lyrics full of melancholy. The band just released their sophomore EP "Seconds," which can be streamed in its entirety here.
