An insect’s life is not a happy one, especially for the male praying mantis, which cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body.
Talking about wankery, allow us to introduce you to The Insektlife Cycle, a Filipino outfit with self‑pleasuring musical chops aplenty. They have their roots in the Manila underground metal scene and this all-instrumental venture overlays intricate math rock with subtle shoegaze tones. The band’s mission is to “elevate all those within earshot to a state of sonic euphoria”. But at first, they try too hard. Tracks such as Unicycle Monologue and Schizodelia might be musically impressive (special mention for bass ace Joy Legason and his slinky Geddy Lee style), but they’re more convoluted than a brace of X-Files and Lost box sets. However, just as your brain turns to cottage cheese, the band step off the gas and start to make sense. Tristful Empathy is as cohesive as it is anthemic and in a parallel universe would be the foot-tapping theme tune to a 70s TV detective series. That’s followed by standouts Sleep Crawler – imagine a hazy Californian surf party hosted by Hank Marvin – and Sun Gaze, which brilliantly evokes visions of swaying meadows and dreamily wistful summer days.
