Magistrates

Magistrates are a British group from Essex, England, active from 2006 to 2009. They make pop music shaped by indie-pop melody and dance-oriented rhythms, with influences drawn from soul, disco, Chicago house and krautrock.

Career

The group begins by self-releasing the demo Make This Work, which attracts attention from Damon Albarn and Zane Lowe. That interest leads to a deal with XL Recordings in 2008. Magistrates then gain early profile through festival appearances and the 2009 NME Radar Tour.

They release the single Make This Work in 2008, followed by Heartbreak in 2009. The band splits later in 2009, reforms in 2011, and releases its only album, When We Are Apart, in 2014 before disbanding again that same year.

Style

Their music combines pop and indie-pop songwriting with club-influenced rhythms and a broad set of reference points, including soul, disco, Chicago house and krautrock. The band’s sound reflects a wish to move beyond their small-town Essex background.