Shmoo – ‘Plaything/ She Machine' (Fat Northerner) Released 27/03/06

Straight out of Manchester, Shmoo’s debut double A-side single just manages to rise above the roll call of electropop influences like Goldfrapp, Air, Daft Punk and Ladytron with enough quirks to warrant repeated attention. ‘Plaything’ marries machine sensuality “You don’t have to pleasure me” with a soulful vibe, recalling Electribe 101 from 765 years ago. Singer Rowena’s slightly smoky vocal gives it a distinctive edge, bypassing the more pomo drives of la Goldfrapp. ‘She Machine’ however is something else. Sitting in a world firmly of its own making with “digital dreams from analogue hearts”, the dual-vocodered emissions, b-movie melodies and cooings from Rowena (sometimes Blondie, sometimes Nicolette) reconfigure Abba and Kraftwerk with Dr. Who. Well, you can’t go wrong with a combination like that. Definitely ones to watch.