3 Feet High & Rising: Australian Indie-Poppers Strange Talk's Gerard Sindu & Stephen Docker Form French Electro/House-inspired KNIGHTFALL & Unleash "Watching Me" (VOLUME 1 EP)

Strange Talk is a Melbourne-based Australian Synth-Pop duo consisting of Stephen Docker and Gerard Sindu. Their music has been likened to contemporary Indie-Pop acts such as Passion Pit, MGMT, Phoenix, Cut Copy, and Yeasayer. Strange Talk released one full-length album, Cast Away (2014) on Wind-up Records and two EP's for both Wind-up and Neon Gold Records, as well as a number of singles and commissioned remixes. However, "after working on nothing but Strange Talk for the last seven years, the duo decided to take a break from the Indie-Pop world to pursue their other love... French Electro/House," reads a recent press statement. Now, Gerard Sindu & Stephen Docker are actively readying their Electro/House-inspired EP-length re-birth as KNIGHTFALL, VOLUME 1. Following this year's previous two singles, "Speed Machine" and "Exodus," as well as "Motostop" (KNIGHTFALL vs. Q-Tip) KNIGHTFALL have unleashed the latest track from their VOLUME 1 EP, "Watching Me."


Upon my first listen, my initial reaction was not only did "Watching Me" sound like French Electro/House figureheads Daft Punk, Justice, SebastiAn, and Kavinsky, but also a unique stylistic mix between The Weekend and Daft Punk... almost even something to the effect of a Pharrell-less "Get Lucky (Reprise.)" "Watching Me" was co-written with Stephen Docker & Gerard Sindu's long-time friend Dennis Dowlut of Electric Empire. "Watching Me," as well as the entirety of VOLUME 1 EP, was mixed by Sindu and mastered by Mike Marsh, who has previously worked with The Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Oasis, CASSIUS, and The Darkness. In addition to "Speed Machine," "Exodus," and newly-released "Watching Me," I've heard a coveted pre-release press advance of KNIGHTFALL's 6-track VOLUME 1 EP and I can assure you, it evokes sonic fingerprints of the aforementioned Electro/House staples, as well as genre-spanning inspirations such as Nile Rodgers & Chic, Bruno Mars, Miguel, Passion Pit, The Neptunes, and even Silversun Pickups. It's the perfect soundtrack for these late Summer nights—slowly, but surely transitioning into Fall—sitting by the fire cooking smores with loved ones. KNIGHTFALL will self-release their debut EP, VOLUME 1, across digital streaming services this upcoming Friday, September 29th.