YAOAY announce New Year’s Eve party and new EP

You and Others Around You: Edward Ross, Layla Mk Kim and Dan Robinski

A Hackney band are kick-starting 2012 in style by hosting a New Year’s Eve warehouse party before releasing their debut EP later in January.

Indie electro act You And Others Around You (YAOAY) recorded The Secret Of My Happiness with dubstep producer and DJ Hungry Man (aka Hagop Matossian).

Their New Year’s Eve extravaganza will take place at a secret location in the borough with a line-up including three other bands, followed by electro acts and DJs.

Lead singer Dan Robinski said: “It’s always a great atmosphere playing warehouse gigs. It should be a really good night.”

Among the acts are East London dance band The Coolness, who Robinski says “have to be seen to be believed.”

He added: “They’re pretty awesome. They have strippers and stuff on stage and they dress pretty crazy.”

Another act, Burning Condours, he describes as fifties rock ‘n’ roll with a subtle punk edge, mixing their own songs with cover versions.

“They make their covers faster and a bit quirky and a bit more aggressive.” Robinski explained.

This is the second event YAOAY are hosting in partnership with arts publication Patchwork Papers, following KRAFTY on 30 November – the first time producer Matossian had heard the band play.

“Electro pop isn’t usually my thing but I really liked their songs, they really spoke to me,” he said. “Dan’s lyrics always seem to me like the voice of someone who is bewildered by the protean city around him but ultimately engages in it.”

YAOAY are Robinski on vocals and rhythm guitar, Layla Mk Kim on synth and Ed Ross on guitar.

Robinski describes their sound as “indie / post-punk / electro funk”.

The influence of post-punk bands like Joy Division is particularly prevalent, with catchy, uptempo melodies jarring into suppressed discord and unease.

Robinski’s deadpan stage persona and signature wide eyes (a self-conscious homage to David Byrne) only add to this.

The band’s current line up formed a few weeks before a gig on 30 September at XOYO in Shoreditch.

Following their set, ID music editor Julia Fodor approached them to say she was impressed and has since written about them in QX Magazine.

Though it’s early days, YAOAY say things are going well, and Robinski feels Matossian’s production has given their music a more multi-layered sound.

He added: “I’d always wanted to work with someone involved in dance music. They have a different take on it, they have different ideas.”

He has remixed indie songs in the past but his influence is undoubtedly a new direction for the band.

“I mean, it still has verses and choruses,” Robinski added, “but it’s got that dance element which hopefully he’s going to bring out.”

For details of the NYE event go to You And Others Around You on facebook.