Freak Heat Waves

A Canadian duo splicing post-punk, dub, and hypnotic electronica into a decade-plus of genre-defying records.

APPLE MUSIC

Freak Heat Waves

NOT ON APPLE MUSIC

About

MOODS · hypnotic · genre-shifting · cult · subversive · atmospheric · dub-inflected · danceable · psychedelic · restless · underground

BIOGRAPHY

Freak Heat Waves is the duo of Steven Lind and Thomas Di Ninno, who originally came together in Medicine Hat, Alberta before relocating through Montreal and settling in Victoria, BC. Since their self-titled 2012 debut, they've built a catalog that moves fluidly between post-punk, krautrock, dub, ambient, house, and techno. Their sound has shifted considerably across five albums: 2018's Beyond XXXL pushed into maximalist territory beyond their early post-punk and krautrock roots, while Zap The Planet leaned into intricate, hypnotic electronica exploring climate change and relationships. Their fifth LP, Mondo Tempo, was released on Vancouver's Mood Hut label and recorded across their Montreal and Victoria home studios.

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Freak Heat Waves have spent over a decade refusing to settle into one genre, threading post-punk, dub, ambient, and dance music into a body of work that critics have described as syncretic and genre-affronting. Reviewers of Mondo Tempo called the record a mix of ambient electronica, arty avant-garde, and sleazy post-disco, framing the duo as figures pointing toward both dance floors and pop territory. That restless evolution, from the krautrock-inflected debut through the maximalism of Beyond XXXL to the atmospheric electronica of their later work, has earned them a devoted cult following among DIY and underground music communities.