Video Premiere: Ursa Minor (Little Bear) – Shell

Cosmically seductive and softly-beaty, Ursa Minor (Little Bear) don’t really sound like anything else out there at the moment. They blend the best parts of early ’90s acid house with Bristol triphop vibes, but still make it seem fresh and modern without worrying about slotting in a dubstep wobble here or a trendy try-hard ’80s tic there. There’s a serenity to the vocals that totally evokes a Cafe del Mar thing (probably down to frontwoman Gabby Cooke’s soft, dreamy delivery), but don’t be misled: Ursa Minor know how to kick a big club tune out of their keyboards too. Anyway, this video for Shell is a perfect record for a Monday morning after a weekend out on the town. It’s soothing without being soporific, and seems to have more or less instantly erased this particular journalist’s weekend hangover.

With a magical live set, Ursa Minor (Little Bear) have also just announced they will be main support on Mikill Pane’s The Campaign Tour in September. Dates include London’s XOYO on 26^th September; HMV Institute in Birmingham on 27^th September’ The Deaf Institute, Manchester on 29^th September and Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on 30^th September.

You can (and probably should, if you enjoyed that) pre-order the Shell EP here. It’s out through Invader Music on October 1st.

- Seb Law