Ben Butler and Mouse Pad is the new project of Joe Howe (previously known as Germlin, or one half of Gay Against You), in which cardboard castles and adult hyperactivity disorders take a backseat to freeform synthesizer solos and extremely geometric pullovers.

Joe’s long-standing synth fascination shines through, but this time there’s much more of an emphasis on playing. It’s still dancefloor-friendly, but more reined-in and richly melodic than before, recalling the warm ooze of the Weather Report or Zappa’s Waka/Jawaka and Grand Wazoo albums, as well as a sense of pushing synth sounds as far as they’ll go that’s akin to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (another stated influence). Or, as one last.fm user neatly describes them, “like Prince and Stevie Wonder on your favourite arcade machine”.

As well as the laudably unfashionable likes of prog and jazz fusion, BB&MP identify with the Scandinavian skweee scene, and have released one side of a 7″ named “Future Tent” on the genre’s spiritual home, Norway’s Dødpop label. As well as that record, there’s a mini-album of “Future Tent” remixes by the likes of oMMM, The Niallist and Tangles, and a 5-track compilation of early stuff named, fittingly, Early.

So far, gigs have been largely conducted in Europe, but North American audiences will soon be able to get their first taste of BB&MP in the flesh, as they play 22 dates across the US in January and February in support of indie stalwarts Deerhoof. Any of our transatlantic readers would be well advised to take a look.

BB&MP new by ben butler & mousepad