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SOLID PLEASURE: SYNTH ECSTASY
Review by Yemi Sawyerr for Tenebris - 03 November 2025
It had been a long awaited moment for me, my first Solid Pleasure live show. Having discovered the project only a few months ago, I found myself captivated by their discography that boasts gothic noir colliding with colourful 80s nostalgia.
A collaboration between Neave Merrick and Lucy Milani, the project blends mutant disco, Italo body music and no wave: all genres that soundtracked Neave’s somewhat solitary teenage years on the Isle of Wight. Back then, he honed his production skills using just a synth, a guitar, a battered vocal mic, and a Tascam 4-track tape recorder—a stripped-down, analog process he’s now returned to after years in the digital wilderness.
Having featured a few Solid Pleasure tracks on Tenebris previously, melancholic synth anthem “Death Or Glory” and recent release “Born To Be Mild,” I thought I knew what lay in store for their live set. What took place in the gloomy attic of The Hope & Ruin well and truly blew me away.
The night was presented by Hope & Ruin, entitled ‘Ones To Watch’ - a showcase featuring Brighton’s new or underground bands.
BATMILK
Opening the night was Batmilk, whose online presence is somewhat elusive. I was able to find very little information about them prior to the show and awaited their set in curious anticipation.
The four piece took to the stage at 20:00 and eased us into the night with their dreamy, reflective sound. Singing guitars mixed with sweet vocals, occasionally cut by excerpts from what sounded like David Attenborough style nature documentaries. The samples related to their namesake animal ‘bats’ and provided gentle checkpoints throughout the set.
Check out Batmilk here.
CROWD
The next set came from Crowd who self describe as ‘four geese from Brighton.’ Prior to the show I had checked out their debut single ‘Ceiling II’ that was released on Permalink Records in July of this year. It is a gorgeously ambient and melancholic soundscape, ripe with twinkling guitars and soft vocals. I was very much looking forward to seeing where the live set would take me.
Crowd stepped up to the stage at 20:45, the second four piece of the night. Their music was quintessential Shoegaze; soft and rousing with a gentle force. The band had us floating through their 30 minute set and treated us to a live rendition of ‘Ceiling II.’ Their final song was somewhat different, prefaced by Crowd by saying they had a ‘scary one’ to end the set. It was a unique number; layers of sound boiling together to a fever pitch of both dissonance and harmony.
Check out Crowd here.
SOLID PLEASURE
The duo took to the stage looking like what can only be described as 80s sci-fi rock & roll royalty. Lucy in a high neck mesh bodysuit, complete with matching gloves, oversized shades and leather trousers: a timeless and enticing ensemble. Neave stood at the mic sporting dark trousers and a structured bomber jacket, a striking silhouette.
The pair launched into their first song of the night, a cover of Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’ that seamlessly blended into ‘Radioactivity.’ The room came alive in electronic bliss - a union of grinding synths, pulsing beats and melancholic vocals that blended to produce sweet neon ecstasy.
For the rest of the set, we were treated to nostalgic noir that collided with neon synths and electric beats.
Vocalist Neave Merrick projects with an enduring confidence and swagger, the lyrics confronting a range of human emotion encased in a terrifically Lynchian bizarreness. His incredible range supported the performance well, swinging casually from low baritone to soaring falsetto.
Lucy Milani stood in captivating elegance, poised behind her electronic set up that resembled a spaceship of vintage proportions, twisting knobs, adjusting levels and curating the gorgeous audio medley.
The duo treated us to a mixture of original tunes and covers that resembled a sonic journey, flashing back and forwards through time in their analog spaceship. Towing the line between Post-Punk, Italo Disco, Darkwave and a host of niche electronic genres, they are creating music for the next generation of electro-hedonists.
I was blown away by Solid Pleasure’s versatility and unique mastery of electronic sound.
They have planted themselves firmly on my roster as ‘Ones To Watch.’
Solid Pleasure’s next set is a Tenebris Presents X Slack City headline at Dalton’s on Tuesday 9th of December.
Support from London based duo Death Drive.
£5 early bird tickets are on sale and can be purchased here.
Check out Solid Pleasure here.
Solid Pleasure Set List:
The Model/Radioactivity (Cover)
Analog mod (unreleased)
Lux Interior
New York (unreleased)
Born To Be Mild
A.I.SEX (unreleased)
Insufferable (unreleased)
Bury Your Head (unreleased)
Sweet And Tender Hooligan (Cover)
Solid Pleasure:
Neave Merrick - Vox
Lucy Milani - Synths
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