The members of the Beaverton, OR-based duo The Helio Sequence met when Brandon Summers (vocals, guitar, production) and Benjamin Weikel (keyboards,  drums) were both employees at a local record store.  Over the last 15 years, the duo have recorded and released an EP and five albums – Com Plex, Young Effectuals, Love and Distance, Keep Your Eyes Ahead and Negotiations and throughout that output, the duo have spent time building the right studio setup and honing their production skills to craft a sound that sounds as though they are a few more members than just Summers and Weikel. 

The duo’s sixth, self-titled album is reportedly their most pop-orientated effort to date, as the material is (also reportedly) comprised of more straightforward and direct song structures with a greater emphasis on tight hooks. The album’s latest single “Battle Lines” pairs angular, shimmering guitar chords, atmospheric and ethereal synths, four-on-the-floor drums and ethereal vocals all fed through a subtle wash of reverb that makes the song sound like a cavernous yet breezy rendition of New Order. 

The recently released official video directed by Robin Washburn and featuring animation from Emanuelle Kabu has the duo performing the song and giving the footage a neon-bright treatment and at times super-imposes the footage on to moving lines and grids. it’s trippy while evoking a physical battle line being drawn.