Formed in the western suburbs of Naarm in late 2017 by Llewelyn Price (Bass/Vocals) and Nikola Renic (Drums/Vocals) out of the ashes of an experimental Post Punk collective THRILLHO, the duo began to experiment heavily with bass distortion and modulation effects to create the potent drum and bass foundation of Ambur. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Noise Rock, Post Punk and Heavy Shoegaze styles, the band’s initial hard bass focus was turned on it’s head when violinist Jeremy Xuereb was seen by the duo at a Party On My Darling gig. Xuereb utilised a range of distortions and effects through the electric violin creating cavernously huge and hauntingly beautiful melodies and solos, once Xuereb was added to the mix, the central question and inspiration for the band was formed - could such instrumentation create sonically dense soundscapes without the use of the ubiquitous electric guitar present and what new songwriting and performative approaches would develop?

 

Drawing inspiration from the industrial west and their unusual instrumentation of electric violin, modulated bass, live sonic looping and drums, Ambur wryly explore the state of being in modern life through their explosively emotive live performances laden with dreamy, swirling violin melodies and driven by forcefully taut bass and rhythm sections.

 

Ambur’s debut EP Slow Fly Paralyze was released in May 2018 at Melbourne's popular Evelyn Hotel. The EP is a testament to the band's unique sound evolving and solidifying. Together brooding, ethereal and crushing genre defying noise, SFP explores themes of neurodiversity within the contexts of an ever-accelerating society demanding infinite growth.

 

After a year of festival appearances, shows and building stronger ties with the local music community, the band withdrew to Black Lodge Studios to record their second EP Golden Years, the first EP to include Synthesizer, released in May 2019. The EP extends on the previous record, thematically challenging the goodness of the self and naivety of youth, further warping the sonic boundaries between raw, distorted punk noise and electronic, synthesised sounds and marking the band’s darkest and most introspective release to date.

 

After a 2 year hiatus due to the Pandemic, Ambur  returned to the scene in late 2022 with their single release of YANS off their third EP West, a bitter love letter to the beauty and violence of the western suburbs released June 2023. During this break, the band had evolved beyond their trademark bombastic sonic density to include sparsity and restraint, resulting in an surprising and indescribably dynamic sound that is equal parts sharp, cunningly introspective yet brimming with chaotic and absurdist extroversion.

 

The band so far has had the pleasure of appearing at PBS's Heavy and Hammered festival, a mini residency at the Bendigo Hotel with the support of Through the Collapse on PBS 106.7fm, the independently run Foreverever fest in Beechwood, U/MAC's Midweek Mass residency at The Tote Hotel and the Access for All Fundraiser for Mamma Chen’s. They have supported CAKES (Aus, Brisbane) on their East Coast Tour and Yukon Era (NZ) in Melbourne with Earth Tongue (NZ) as part of their European Tour and have played with countless local acts and gigs that range from visceral hardcore punk house parties to chill psychedelic shoegaze shows.

 

Ambur continues to defy expectations and restlessly push the boundaries into new, unexplored sonic territories.