The gig felt like several gigs in one. You were never quite sure if you were watching an indie or a dance band. It was different measures of both at different times. You were either dancing to overwhelming, ethereal bleeps in a techno-like bop or gazing at your shoes in an indie-type swagger.

The endless comparisons to other bands, such as Klaxons, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Orbital, M83 goes on and on but for some reason never quite hit the mark. Delphic are tipped as the next big band and are currently described as the new sound of Manchester. “Like New Order but better” is the tone from many music reviews. The band draw on a rich range of influences; equipped with strong concepts and great attention to detail in production, Delphic have indie songs combined with sonic electronic dance sounds.

Their debut album Acolyte reflects this, and you get a lot of music for your money on one album. Whether it’s a powerful eight-minute electronic instrumental or a moody new romantic indie number, Delphic are living up to the hype.

—Johann Chan, 06 February 2010