The Strange Hours, in their current incarnation, came together in mid-2008. The band consists of Phaedrus (composition, programming, guitars), James Mandible (vocals and lyrics), and Alan Roberge (synthesizers and loops). The band play a subversive, resonant form of experimental pop, informed by classic post-punk, industrial, goth pop, ambience, and noise.
Phaedrus is the musical core of the group. Efficiently contrasting dark experimental musical ideas with taut, melodic song structures, Phaedrus provides the perfect backdrop for the Strange Hours' searching imagery.
James Mandible contributes willfully eclectic lyrics and a desolate cabaret baritone. His words invoke everything from theater-drama (the shadowy forms of "Kabuki") to spiritual longing (The gorgeous late-Summer evoking-"Sunsplashes") to playful Japanese pop (The exuberant tribal-punk of "Strawberry Machine").
Alan Roberge, as the pensive, elusive synth player, contributes the noisy backgrounds and evocative soundscapes. His electronic/industrial influences help tip the melodies over into the mysterious, shifting worlds that populate the Strange Hours songs. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.