When Benjamin Curtis left Secret Machines last year, he told Pitchfork that it caused a shit storm with the most devoted of his previous band's fans. "I've already gotten my share of hate mail" he said.
Not leaving out of any bitterness or anything, Curtis simply wanted to go in a different direction and focus more on his newer band, School of Seven Bells. It's a Brooklyn-based project with twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, formerly of the group On! Air! Library!
They have an interesting sound that is sometimes atmospheric and psychedelic and recalls artists like Ladytron and Blonde Redhead (whose Simone Pace makes a cameo on their forthcoming album and a band they SVIIB toured with last year). It's a really compelling electronic band. Their forthcoming debut album, Alpinisms, is scheduled for release on October 28 and a single ("Half Asleep" will preceed it, being released September 16). One song that will be on Alpinisms is "Connjur" and you can download it from their label, Ghostly International, here.
If Wikipedia is to be believed, the band took its name from The School of the Seven Bells, which is long-rumored to be a training academy for aspiring pickpockets in Bogata, Columbia.
SVIIB will also begin a tour in November with M83, including a stop at Neumo's on November 25.