Manchester quartet Ist Ist effectively channel the brooding post-punk of seminal bands like Joy Division, bringing the sound of the genre into the 21st century with an electronic twist. Ist Ist was formed in 2014 by vocalist/guitarist Adam Houghton, bassist Andy Keating, and drummer Joel Kay; later they added keyboardist Mat Peters. From the beginning the band had a defiantly D.I.Y. attitude. Doing everything themselves, they built up buzz gradually through word of mouth, maintaining a purely functional social media presence and releasing a series of extremely limited-edition collectible singles with striking cover art. Their debut EP, Spinning Rooms, was released in 2018, and their second, Everything Is Different Now, followed in 2019. With their no-nonsense, humorless approach, they slowly accrued a hardcore fan base, and, without a label or even a manager, were able to sell out large venues in their hometown. They got airplay on national radio, and undertook a well-attended U.K. tour. The influence of Joy Division was unmistakable, but the band transcended lazy comparisons to put their own fresh and modern spin on the well-worn post-punk genre, bringing it decisively into the 21st century with state of the art production and the addition of electronic elements. In 2020, Ist Ist released their debut album, Architecture, which was mastered by the legendary, Grammy Award-winning Greg Calbi. ~ John D. Buchanan