Bright Music is an electronic duo from Wellington made up of Nik Brinkman (Over The Atlantic) and Bevan Smith (Introverted Dancefloor) and they have just dropped their self-titled debut album.

It is a sunny, tropical cocktail of 80’s inspired electronica accompanied by calypso music and randomly injected with sound effects one might expect to hear on a tropical island. Fresh, cheerful and summery tunes released in time for winter. 

This album is fun and playful yet a touch eccentric.  Described as a “collection beamed in from an imaginary tropical paradise” the 13-track album is based around a tale which the duo concocted about becoming stranded on a tropical island and wandering around with laptops and a microphone, recording sounds of life on this remote paradise. 

The band picked unique and alternative sounding song titles such as Shimmer, Splash, Star Signs, Rose Water and Ylang Ylang for added effect, and the bright tropical themed art is lush and colourful; there is no mistaking its happy intention.  

Influenced by The Cure’s ‘Mixed Up’ album and UB40 tracks, Bright Music was made using only one Roland drum machine from the mid 80s.

Creative and unconventional, this is an album full of upbeat music, which would be a perfect accompaniment to sipping Pina Coladas under a palm tree watching the sunset on a balmy summer’s day or adding some warmth to a dreary winters evening.