CHKBNS (formerly known as Cheekbones) are purveyors of a wonderful mixture of dream pop, shoegaze, gothic rock and outsider pop. The band hail from the home of the terrific Pinkshinyultrablast, namely Saint Petersburg in Russia, where there are a fair number of live venues, but sadly according to the trio, the acoustics aren’t that great in their local venues. This is something that cannot be said of Brighton’s Latest Music Bar as this is where CHKBNS will be appearing in September.
CHKBNS are Aneliya Avtandilova, her sister Emilia Avtandilova and their friend Vyacheslav Gabrielian. The band formed in 2011, but the girls have been recording as sisters since 2008. They met Slava when they were in a previous band.
They have certainly not been confined to their homeland as they have ventured on tour as far as Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Canada, Vietnam and here in the UK. In fact they performed in Horatios at the end of Brighton Pier during this year’s Great Escape new music festival.
The CHKBNS sound is wholly accessible and requires no translation, no matter where it is performed. Their songs speak the universal language of indomitable idealism and utopian love. They harmonically combine haunting female vocals, romantic synthesizer, resonant guitar and explosive drums.
They released a 4-track EP entitled ‘This Time’ in 2017, which was followed by their debut full length album, which they recorded in Seattle last year. It was mixed and engineered by drummer Christopher Newton, whom they met on the internet in 2016. It was unleashed to an unsuspecting world on 26th April this year and is titled ‘Autwik’. The eleven tracks contained on the release are sewn from sometimes cutting sometimes buttery synths, caressing and somewhat childlike vocals, tight drums and ringing guitar.
You can listen and possibly purchase their music on their Bandcamp page which you can visit HERE.
If you like what you hear, then surely a trip to the Latest Music Bar on Wednesday 25th September is in order. Grab your tickets HERE.
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