The Freed Unit play a soothing type of bizarre pop music, kind of strangely trippy, with an interesting electronic edge and with its heart entirely in the right place. With many bands these days sounding, frankly, uptight and angry, perhaps you think it’s time for something more pleasant? Well, throw away those ambient tree noise compilation CDs and buy some Freed Unit records instead. Because they’re pleasant. And that’s pleasant in the proper sense of the word – a pleasure to listen to – rather than pleasant as in bland or boring. You gotta love ’em, ‘cos they sound like the music you think up in your head but never get around to recording. There’s a ton of stuff available (check out their website), so you’ve got no excuses.

Play true or false with the Freed Unit..

1. The Freed Unit formed in 1996. True or False?

2. The Freed Unit are a pop group. True or False?

3. The Freed Unit are not a space/post/drone rock band. True or False?

4. The Freed Unit’s first single, ‘Getting used to not fitting in’ was single of the month in Record Collector. True or False?

5. Two of the band are twins. True or False?

6. The bass player has ginger hair. True or False?

7. The band are based in Leicester. True or False?

8. Kramer (ex-Galaxie 500 producer) is a fan of the Freeds. True or False?

9. The Freed Unit record acoustic music. True or False?

10. The Freed Unit record electronic music. True or False?

11. Their single ‘Widdershins’ was number 31 in Peel’s 1998 Festive Fifty. True or False?

12. The band have fans in Hong Kong, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the US. True or False?

13. Their most obscure track is ‘J&P Soul’ on the ‘Xmas 97’ Bedazzled US promo CD. True or False?

* * *

The Answers

Click here to find out exactly how knowledgable you are about the band

* * *

There you have it. Wasn’t that a lot of fun? Now go and buy their records. Or at least one of them. But more than one if possible. They even have records which are funny shapes (triangular, for example, and even square). All the details you need are on their website), it’s in your interest to go and look there RIGHT NOW! You won’t regret it. Tell ’em diskant sent you.