Confession time. When I first thought of writing this post, I thought Elite Gymnastics were just a minor thing, a group that got lucky with one great track, that track being ‘Is This On Me?’ However, after having now listened to the rest of their output (helpfully all available for free download on their Tumblr), I have come to the realisation that they might be geniuses. I am doing my best to avoid mad hyperbole but these guys seem to have distilled many different musical currents into one uplifting whole in exactly the kind of way that gets me excited. Coming out of Minneapolis and apparently formed over a shared love of UGK (or, at least, UGK-referencing homemade t-shirts), they cite Nine Inch Nails, Washed Out and Pictureplane as influences, but don’t really sound like any of them. If I had to define them, I would say they sounded like jj or Air France if they had enough bass to be found on Rinse FM. This is a group that you can believe in.
While its tempting to put up all their tracks for download here, I have to be selective. First up, we have the aforementioned ‘Is This On Me?’, last track on their debut REAL FRIENDS EP. It starts with synth lines and washes, reminiscent of the Avalanches’ classic ‘Since I Left You’, before dropping into a bass heavy verse about questions of guilt, backed with high-pitched vocal loops. ‘Parachute’ sounds way more like a UK Funky track, some kind of Roska karaoke. The last track I picked is ‘We Fly High’, an emotive mission statement-type track full of memories in the mould of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Losing My Edge’, with spoken vocals that sound an awful lot like the lead singer of The Teenagers in ‘Homecoming’ despite their completely different content. Grab them all below.

Elite Gymnastics – Is This On Me?

Elite Gymnastics – Parachute

Elite Gymnastics – We Fly High

The duo are currently working on their next EP, Neu! ’92, available on their website when they complete it. Download Scarface-quoting lead track ‘Montana’, courtesy of Pitchfork, here.

+BONUS
Elite Gymnastics took on ‘Come Back To Mine’ by bound-to-be-huge UK female singer-songwriter (and model and drummer for Xenomania, songwriters to Girls Aloud, Sugababes etc.) Florrie. I haven’t heard the original, but this track shares the same wonderfully uplifting chilled out vibe with Elite Gymnastics’ tracks.

Florrie – Come Back to Me (Elite Gymnastics Remix)

Elite Gymnastics Tumblr
Elite Gymnastics MySpace
Read a pretty interesting interview with Elite Gymnastics’ James here, courtesy of Night Drive Miami