Premiere / RADIDAS / Dream Button

Several years ago, my younger brother and I sat at a bar in an Italian restaurant, talking about everything under the sun. Eventually, the conversation turned to branding and marketing, and at some point, my brother brought up No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, by Naomi Klein. It was clear that, while we agreed with the book’s overall message, we also remained fiercely loyal to one specific brand: Adidas. The reasons for our devotion were sundry but included the fact that certain Britpop personalities preferred the German sportswear.

Shameful stuff. Nevertheless, this anecdote brings us to RADIDAS, the new British duo dabbling in loopy psychedelia (Apparently, their first show was April 14). Perhaps the two members, Joe Wilson and Conor Rowlan, also dig Adidas. Perhaps not. Music is mystery. What we do know, though, is that RADIDAS plans to release their first EP, Dream Button, today.

The brief shebang begins with “Jorrvaskr”, an audible particle beam solidifying into distorted tropicália. Want to bask on an extraterrestrial beach? Here’s your best chance. Next comes “California”, a galloping guitar rainstorm that begets a mesmerizing, slow-motion landslide (The chorus features the most eccentric pronunciation of California ever recorded. So, kudos). Fittingly, this sturm und drang leads to “Annihilated”, a chilly afterlife containing Washed Out synths and Ride-like vocals, and “Nebula”, a gradual materialization back into the cosmos. RADIDAS: trippy band, trippy brand.