ELLiS·D

Somewhere between the raw energy of an undiscovered early-’80s post-punk band and the neurotic art rock of David Bowie or David Byrne, Ellis Dickson bridges the narrowest of gaps. And he does so successfully. Once active as a drummer for Fat Dog, he has recently realised his entirely unique, formidable sound on EPs such as ‘Hullo, Reality!’ (2023) or ‘Spill’ (2025), which comes across as equally experimental and ecstatic. Memories of an intensity long thought extinct in bands like The Cramps or Sparks are rekindled, giving you goosebumps song after song. And yet it all sounds incredibly modern, unconditionally contemporary. Crashing percussion underpins demonic murmurs here, whipping riffs blend with the tortured intonation of a 1986 Robert Smith – as Ellis-D, the singer-songwriter from Brighton succeeds in conjuring up raw, overwhelming music for our utterly deranged era. Not to be missed under any circumstances.