Leeds group Galaxians are a party band par excellence. Acts from dancefloors past and present are recalled in Galaxians’ rubbery boogie style, from the peerless early output of the TRAX and Sleeping Bag labels to punk-funk standard-bearers Liquid Liquid and more recent NYC acts like Metro Area. Galaxians formed in 2012 when Woodward and Skinner moved to form a group that updated the sounds of the 80s dancefloor for the modern age. The pair soon emerged with EP releases on New York's Dither Down Records and Atlanta label Rotating Souls and three self-organised UK/EU tours between 2013 and 2015. Singer and long-time friend Emma Mason joined Galaxians in 2016 and with her unstoppable voice elevated the group to a fully-formed musical act. The beating pulse of Northern England club life, married with the thriving independence of much of the region’s best venues and spaces, forced its way through on the trio’s debut full-length Let The Rhythm In (2017). The album comes steeped in the Yorkshire city’s less-trumpeted but enduring house heritage – with inspiration drawn from the all-day parties of the late 70s and early 80s, the disco that emerged from the fading Northern Soul movement of the early 80s and the resonant acid house era that boomed across both sides of the Pennines. Seven years on from those early gigs and Galaxians retain sight of the principles that make their output, and dance music as a whole, so vital - commonality of experience, singular moments shared by a crowd, and rhythm as the best medicine. For their second album, Chemical Reaction (June 2020) - written and recorded with long-time collaborator and producer Ross Halden at Hohm Studio in Yorkshire - the band have stripped back the music and pumped up the vocals. This new LP is all about Emma's voice. Partly influenced by the post-disco output of Mel Cheren’s West End records, the congas and cowbell-spiced first single celebrates attraction in all its forms. The shorter Mama Ghetto Vogue edit of “Chemical Reaction'' is brought to life by Darren Pritchard, vogue dancer and mother of Manchester's House of Ghetto, who meets a neon wonderland in the electrifying video. Elsewhere on the album, “Heartbreaker” champions female empowerment and personal freedom. Classic disco themes like liberation, dancing, freedom and matters of the heart light up the album. On the proto-house funk of "Fight For Love", where Emma flexes her vocal chords to jaw-dropping effect, a failing relationship is thrust into the spotlight. On the silky shuffle of after-hours jam "Work It Out", Emma croons about a lover, her voice cast in a softer, more subdued glow. "Heat of the City" sizzles with the essence of an urban summer - and is peppered with heart-stopping hand claps. Galaxians have shared stages with acts such as ESG, Tom Tom Club, Saint Etienne, The Juan Maclean, Golden Teacher, Discodeine, Horse Meat Disco, and Auntie Flo. They have toured the UK and Europe extensively since 2012. Booking: galaxiansmail@gmail.com