They are not afraid to be beautiful. Machines and beats are caressed into soft humanity by delicate vocals, the boisterous cuddle of eccentrically played instruments and ingenious guitar patterns. Here are wistful love songs which also sound like the greatest James Bond theme ever (if those films had ever been made by a 60's new wave Czech director). Cartoon oneirics slapstick their way across lush countryside and toddle through town, favourite-uncle drunk and beaming expansively. Trying to pin them down is like drinking beer with a fork. They coin new genres like other bands do sound checks ? too much funky not enough, crofter dub, genial noise, surf and turf guitar, carousel gothic, collagetronica. If Harry Partch had made music for ice-cream vans it might have been like some of these affable inventions. Hassle Hound are... Ela Orleans (vocals, violin, guitar, keyboards, toy instruments): Born in Poland. Since 2004 she has lived in Brooklyn (New York). Ela is taking part in several improv/psychedelic/freakout music projects in NYC ("Ozone Swimmers", "3i's", "Franklin's Mint") Tony Swain (guitar, bass, samples, loops, keyboards): Tony is a painter represented by The Modern Institute Glasgow (http://www.themoderninstitute.com/artists/t_swain/index.shtml) who also performs with ambivalent obscurists, "Dreghorn". Mark Vernon (computer, samples, loops, keyboards): Mark is a radio producer based in Glasgow, additionally he records and performs as half of the duo "Vernon & Burns" whose debut album was released on Gagarin Records in 2005 (http://www.gagarinrecords.com/artists/vernonandburns/). discography (selected): 2004 - s/t split 12? with Sun (Textile) 2003 - Scaring the Grass in the Garden 10" (Pickled Egg)