Port of Est impressed a few months back with their Valentines Day single, a consuming dark electro-pop track with hints of The Knife and Massive Attack. Hannah Tarkinson’s melodically precise vocals floateded in ethereal form over Todd Kitchens’ darkly infectious synth-pop movements, and the duo’s new effort – a single called “Clash” – proves to be an even more involved success, with similar strengths. With hectic percussion reminiscent of Radiohead’s King of Limbs, Tarkinson’s vocals here and anthemic and almost tribal-like — conjuring The Knife comparison yet again. Accompanied by a whirring synth pad reminiscent of The Chameleons’ “Monkeyland“, the various vocal effects and percussive turns that follow keep things very engaging, resulting in something with the anthemic scope of Arcade Fire and the electro-pop mystique and hypnotic appeal of The Knife.
