Solar Bears

John Kowalski and Rian Trench make up Solar Bears, an Irish electronic music duo heavily inspired by film scores and science fiction. Using a variety of electronic and acoustic instruments, their eclectic compositions range from pastoral downtempo meditations to guitar-driven neo-disco and indie pop songs. The duo formed in 2009, naming themselves in tribute to Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 sci-fi classic Solaris. Their music soon caught the attention of Mike Paradinas, who signed Solar Bears to Planet Mu and issued their debut EP, Inner Sunshine, and first full-length, She Was Coloured In, in 2010. Both releases received attention from the blogosphere, and the duo followed them with sophomore album Supermigration in 2013. The album showcased the duo's pop influences more than their debut, and included collaborations with Keep Shelly in Athens and Beth Hirsch. Three years later, Solar Bears returned with third album Advancement on new home Sunday Best.