Friday night's album launch at 7 was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who came. We filled the venue, FINALLy got the sound right and even pulled off Bankrobbers (significantly underrehearsed) for the encore. Extra mad props to wragg for leading the dancing, Collin for not attacking any members of the audience, even though they were close enough to touch, ben for using the term 'totally mexico' and eleanorthecellist for coming in so late on in rehearsals and still making all the difference in the set. Tarentum Live is now officially open for business.

Andy Lane of No Title Magazine had this to say of I dreamt we were bank robbers (available very soon on iTunes):

It's a brave band that hails its major influences as Shastakovich and Beethoven. Some will applaud the righteous intentions of classically trained musicians grappling with electric sounds. Others will sigh at the weary pretension of an act that takes its name from an ancient Neapolitan city where 'the tarantula's deadly sting is curable by diverse forms of music.' Others still might question why it is that anyone should care.

So consider this your reason: Tarentum are fucking ace. With airplay on Kiss FM, Chill Radio and the Coca-Cola new music podcast, the real world is slowly tuning in to the BREATHTAKING (our caps - obviously) poise and beauty of 'I Dreamt We Were Bank Robbers': An album conceived and written for the most part by Tom Sidebottom and Jesse O'Mahoney and recorded with the aid of a phalanx of collaborators.

Their depth is often ASTOUNDING (yeah, us again), as Rob McVey's Spanish guitar bathes tracks like 'Cold' in a melancholic glow while vocalists Emma Sargison and Becka Ward are sultry, cool and hauntingly fragile. From one track to the next, flirtatious beats melt away into wispy, intrusive numbers that drift effortlessly above creeping backing tracks. 'Did you notice?' Sargison chimes on the track of the same name, but with such careful craftsmanship committed to record, it's all but impossible to turn away. Originally an acoustic piece, 'Tides' sashays slowly and sensuously like Morcheeba caught in the dizzying peak of a blissful ecstasy rush. While 'The Levels' is all about attitude - broody, tense and sullen - the title track sees Tarentum break out into full-grown classical melodies with yearning lyrics propelled skywards by chiming pianos and sweeping strings. A love song almost too delicate to touch, 'Babydoll Loose' achieves emotional resonance with ease.

Elsewhere, the experimentation takes hold amidst a collision of violins, guitars, xylophones, synths and vocoders. 'Bitten Dirt' desperately wants to grow up to become a flat out club track until it remembers the company it's in and tries to affect an air of intelligent restraint (it fails, but gloriously so). 'Peace' is refreshingly lo-fi and almost, almost strays into what you might call hip hop territory with staccato violins inciting an itch-inducing hook. Buoyed by the strength of the work they've created, the writers themselves take vocal duties on 'Philharmonic Bubbles': the kind of gorgeously fuzzy electronic ballad that's destined to crop up somewhere on an independent film soundtrack and send the masses scurrying to the nearest online store. Their majestic, ethereal sound is the antithesis of commercial, but with the album available soon through the multi-media meat market commonly known as iTunes, there are worse ways you could pledge your allegiance.

We were reviewed! We were reviewed! Ahem. Sorry, lost all sense of cool then. I mean, yeah, like, cool. Whatever man. And stuff.

Sandman, the greatest magazine since the dawn of history and probably quite a bit before it, published the following review of our two track demo (Complacency bids me to point out however, that those ain't string samples... those are Tom's very own magical notes, written and played by his very own fingers):

What we have here are, quite simply, two examples of meticulously conceived, intricately realised and superbly executed trance/trip hop that are easily comparable to the best in their field. And I'm talking about the likes of Massive Attack, Portishead and 4 Hero here. Opening song 'Tides' is built around an endlessly descending piano motif and a breathy female voice that, rather disconcertingly, begins by singing the verse backwards. Expertly deployed string samples complement the rumbling sub bass and the dreamy pulse of the song is based on subconscious tides as the song dissolves at its end into a recording of someone breathing in sleep. Second track, 'I dreamt we were bank robbers' is a much more sinister, stuttering, nervy affair that nonetheless sports a beautiful, yearning melody in the choruses and subtly epic coda. Local lads Jesse O'Mahoney and Tom Sidebottom seem to be Tarentum's main men, the ranks also include LIMA's ace guitarist Chris Sharkey in some capacity and keyboard wizard Matthew Bourne. Astonishing.

We've put together an album of stuff. (and yes, the word 'stuff' has been employed here to convey indifference to something that actually constitutes all of our hopes and dreams. But like, whatever, you know?)

Had to rush it a bit to get it done before tom jumped ship and ran off to india for three months. The artwork is courtesy of Angus Patterson of Synthia fame. If you don't know who they are, check them out. They're dead good. It's called I dreamt we were bank robbers and it will not be hitting the shops any time soon. Due to us not having a record deal. However, we'll put new tracks from it on the site every couple of weeks so if you like these it's worth coming back for more.

Justin Wilkes, the world's greatest DJ as voted by members of Tarentum and their immediate family, played Tides on his Rehab show on Kiss last Sunday. Ooh it were great!

Adam and Joe, the world's funniest comedians, as voted by members of Tarentum, their immediate family, and any partners wanting an easy life, played Cold on their Coca-Cola new music podcast. Episode 6 downloadable on itunes.

We would like to point out this has in no way influenced our view that Coca-Cola, far from being an evil empire brutalising the world through its gluttonous pursuit of wealth, is in fact a fine, generous institution that provides a vital funciton in the improvement of life for millions across the globe as well as being a damn tasty drink.

We in no way prefer Dr Peppers.