The Avalanches

The Sex Pistols are probably the best-known example of a band who made a near-perfect record, thought about trying to top it, and then decided not to bother taking the risk on; by the looks of it, though, Australian electronic duo The Avalanches are heading down that particular path themselves. Their only LP to date, Since I Left You, met with enormous critical acclaim - being called the tenth best record of the decade by Pitchfork, as well as the greatest Australian album of all time by an industry poll organised by the Triple J radio station. Since I Left You is now over ten years old, though, and there’s no sign of the follow-up as yet, even though rumours have swirled particularly aggressively about how close to completion it might be in recent weeks. If and when it does materialise, it might see a return to the live circuit for the pair, who toured with a full band in support of Since I Left You in the early noughties - the instrumentation ranged from keyboard to theremin. They have hit the European festival circuit since, in 2006, but only playing DJ sets; for the real thing, fans should stay tuned, but perhaps not hold their breath just yet.