Secret Oktober are a UK (Birmingham) based band who compose and perform original songs inspired by the New Romantic / electronic New Wave era of the early 1980s.
New wave for the new age! Post after post-punk. An erratic, low-end synth sets the tone for echoing drumbeats and an airy guitar riff with a metallic sheen, reminiscent of the synthpop and post-punk of the 80s. Birmingham-based Secret Oktober takes us on a time-warp to the eras of when the charts were dominated by the likes of Gary Numan, New Order, and Ultravox. In the track “Decades,” the fat, thumping bass underlines the alternative Euro-dance sensibilities, which are overlapped by a voice subdued in groggy croons. Peter Murphy’s venomous snarl is heard at the edges of the vocals, but with a bit of restraint that quietly backs it into a contemplative corner. Synth leads shine with the best of Numan’s most recognizable numbers like “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?,” and the virtuosity of the groovy guitar solo is singed with that Aqua Net burn.
The dark rhythmic chugs “Decades” take a nod from the pitch-black beginnings of The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but they are polished with a foot-tapping itch that elevates them to the dance floor confessions of Numan and other new wave pioneers. Secret Oktober’s concoction of platinum guitar wizardry and synthpop fuzz does at times result in retro for retro’s sake to a fault, almost to an overdose, but the updated sounds of the underground make for an exciting resurrection. Their full-length album Invitation is chock-full of goodies that recall the nocturnal hours of the 80s.
Bebut album ‘Invitation to the Dance’, that dropped earlier this year is available via all major online digital retailers
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/invitation-to-the-dance/id602906857
Twitter: https://twitter.com/secretoktober1
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/secret-oktober
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