We never saw the connection, but now that it's arrived it makes sense that there's a thread between The Weeknd and Junior Boys. We have Motion Studies to thank for the enlightening line drawing work.
Motion Studies is fronted by former Tempo No Tempo inertia-man Tyler McCauley, who spent the time since TNT ended playing with Grooms and Teen Witch. He's left Grooms and is joined by ex-members of Grooms, Night Manager, and Magic Bullets for his Motion Studies project. Motion Studies say hello with a moody computer blues on “Hearts Will Beat”, which sounds like auto-tune era Kanye getting “Love Lockdown” remixed by The Loyal Divide. The track starts in a claustrophobic space of opulent robo-balladry and slowly mutates into a pulsating anthem as the bass gains swing and intensity. “Kalimba” and “In White” illuminate brightness, that's aligned closer to the Junior Boys' territory (particularly that saxophone skronking on “Kalimba), but their shimmer rests in the brooding shadow of “Hearts Will Beat”.
The debut EP was mixed by Leo Maymind of Spanish Prisoners.
