Yorkshire alternative/electronic quartet FLESH PLANET are making serious noise with the release of their debut EP ‘// first flesh’ — out now — and its latest single, Computer Games & Rude Things, a glitchy, dystopian banger that hits harder than it probably should for something named after an arcade habit.
Blending grunge, shoegaze, industrial, and electronics into something that feels genuinely fresh, ‘// first flesh’ was recorded at Chairworks, the band’s residential studio in Castleford — the same room that’s hosted the likes of The Reytons, Kaiser Chiefs, Paul Heaton, and Richard Hawley. Not bad company to keep.
Commodore Amiga Vibes Meet Existential Dread
Inspired by the weird, wonky sci-fi soundscapes of early 90s Commodore Amiga game music, Computer Games & Rude Things was built around an idea to create something mechanical but with a dusky, dystopian undercurrent. It works — and then some.
The lyrics dig into something a lot of people will recognise but rarely hear articulated this clearly. Vocalist Damo Hughes explains:
“This song is talking about one of the dimensions of my own neurodivergent kind of depression that I know lots of other people experience. It’s this battle between these two contradicting fears. On one hand there’s the fear of the outside world that feels like it’s just full of doom and like it’s gonna chew you up and force you into this meaningless existence if you participate. And on the other hand, you’re scared that you’re not gonna realise your potential if you don’t do something. It’s basically a reality check to stop romanticising your own suffering and do something positive.“
Williams Amusements: The Accidental Video Location
The video for Computer Games & Rude Things was filmed at Williams Amusements in Castleford — a massive retro arcade warehouse that just so happens to be two minutes around the corner from the band’s studio. Guitarist Drey Pavlovic tells the story:
“We originally went out looking to buy a flightcase from an electrical warehouse that was in the same industrial area. Turns out the flightcase was really shit and not what we were after at all, but this huge arcade warehouse was just sitting looking at us from next door.”
One tour of the premises and a fair bit of pestering later, they had their location. Filmmaker Josh from Okkida Media pulled together the crew, and the result is a video that fits the track’s retro-futurist energy like a cartridge in a slot.
“It’s full of cool retro arcade games from our youth and it fits the song vibe perfectly… He got an awesome crew together and we had a blast making the video.” — Drey Pavlovic
From Allusondrugs to FLESH PLANET
The band is comprised of former Allusinlove/Allusondrugs members — Damian Hughes (vocals, guitar, keys), Drey Pavlovic (guitar), Jemal Beau Malki (bass), and Connor Fisher-Atack (drums) — who, after their previous project dissolved in 2019, spent years pursuing solo paths before the pull of a jam session brought them back together.
Damo launched Ackworth Guitar Setups and explored electronic music; Drey moved into production and toured as sound engineer for Arthur Brown; Jemal built a successful Twitch stream; Connor played sessions across various projects. When they eventually reconvened for a throwback Allusondrugs jam session — which sold out on limited CD via Bandcamp — the spark for FLESH PLANET was lit.
This time around, the creative compromises are gone. The cyberpunk/hacker aesthetic, the neon-soaked visual universe, the multimedia ambition — it’s all on their own terms.
‘// first flesh’ EP track list
- Computer Games & Rude Things
- Big Machine
- Protoblood
- Evelyn
- Birdcage
- Absorbed
- Colonise and Maximise
- Pull Out The Wire
Exclusive Mailing List Rollout
For the deeper dive, FLESH PLANET are rolling out an exclusive five-day email series starting Monday 30th March, featuring alternative versions, live recorded sessions, song deep dives, and a look at their deluxe merch package — think two CDs, a handmade t-shirt, lyric sheet, polaroid, and a limited edition disc. Sign up to the mailing list here.
Live Dates
The band have already been out with Vukovi and Saint Agnes on their first national tour dates and supported 96 Bitter Beings (CKY frontman Deron Miller’s project) in Milton Keynes. Now a handful of Yorkshire headline dates are locked in:
- Sat 18th July — Ulltrafest @ The Adelphi, Hull
- Sun 11th Oct — Fulford Arms, York
Tickets on sale now at fleshplanet.com
‘// first flesh’ is out now. Stream it here.
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