Handle

Handle is a three-piece group based between Manchester, London and Brussels. The line-up consists of Bethany Hermitt on vocals and keyboards, Giulio Erasmus on bass and vocals, and Nirvana Heire on drums.

The group makes a minimal, unified sound that draws on a wide range of influences, including samba and no wave. Its music combines post-punk with art rock and art punk, and also brings in experimental elements, tribal percussion, and political themes. The vocals are described as urgent and agitated, with a poetic quality that links the songs to performance poetry as much as to post-punk.

Handle’s songs are typically short, around two minutes in length, and each instrument is presented as having its own voice within the overall arrangement. The result is an understated sound built from tension, rhythm and spoken-word inflection.