NYC’s own Ambient-Electronic-Pop band House of Blondes drops debut album Clean Cuts.

The album, co-produced by John Blonde and Chris Pace, was initially inspired by GAS, the ambient-techno project of Wolfgang Voigt. When the duo met in Spring 2008 they recorded the twenty minutes of sound that would eventually become Anhedoniaand act as a foundation for the album. “The whole album, the whole band, was built around the pulse of that song and it’s how we approach almost all our material now.” Most of the tracks on Clean Cuts were recorded in the first or second take and the band continues that improvisatory approach live with the addition of new member Brian McNamara. “The performance is improvised, but there’s an enormous amount of preparation leading to that free moment,” says John, who lists New Order, Steven Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, Lou Reed, Prince and Miles Davis as influences. First single Do It Yourself (Landscape) summons the spirit of Amon Tobin, Four Tet, Daedelus, Holy Fuck, and Hot Chip and takes inspiration from the thriving UK electronic scene. Looped and droning synths, a steady beat, and an airy, uplifting vocal (“you can do this yourself”) by John Blonde create a euphoric hands-in-the-air kind of bliss.