Miami Horror are an Australian electronic music group from Melbourne, Victoria. Miami Horror was initially formed by its producer and DJ, Benjamin Plant who began it as a solo project. In addition to Plant, the band features Josh Moriarty, Daniel Whitechurch, and currently Rhythm Luna, though they often feature different vocalists. The band takes influence from dance and rock artists of the 1970s and 1980s such as Prince, New Order, Todd Rundgren, and Pink Floyd, combining it with modern production techniques from styles such as house and pop music. Plant debuted in the music scene with his EP Bravado, released in 2008. His debut album Illumination was released in 2010 and debuted at Number 10 on the Australian Chart, which featured collaborations with the aforementioned Josh Moriarty and Daniel Whitechurch, along with features from Neon Indian and Kimbra, while their second more collaborative album, All Possible Futures, in 2015. A second EP titled The Shapes followed in 2017 as a conceptual effort to explore a new sound. Additionally, they have remixed songs from other artists such as Gorillaz, Pnau, and Phantogram, among others. Currently, they are working on their as-of-yet untitled third studio album, slated for a release in late 2020.
Biography
In 2007, Plant began releasing remixes under the moniker Miami Horror; their instantaneous blog success led him to leave film school and pursue a career in music. A series of both bootleg and official remixes included Stardust's "Music Sounds Better with You" and Tegan and Sara's "Walking with a Ghost", along with contemporary Australian acts such as the Midnight Juggernauts, Faker, and The Presets. According to Plant, the name Miami Horror "was just a visual thing. I thought both words were pretty bold in themselves, but also have quite a strong visual side. Miami representing the colorful and flamboyant side, while horror represents the darker." He has said that he "didn't like it for the first two weeks", but he "learnt to live with it". Plant began his music career early on, producing music at home from a young age, often DJing at house parties and regular weekly Melbourne club nights such as Streetparty and Third Class. In 2008 he remixed Pnau, The Presets, and Bloc Party. Miami Horror has also collaborated with Melbourne electropop group Gameboy/Gamegirl in 2007 and produced the Golden Ghetto Sex EP which featured the single "Sweaty Wet/Dirty Damp", a one-off single that became a left-field hit in the music blogosphere the same year. As Miami Horror, Plant made his commercial debut in 2008 with a five-track EP, Bravado, on Virgin Records. The EP features the song "Don't Be On with Her", for which a promotional video was released online. Miami Horror has since been signed to EMI for distribution in Australia and France. Miami Horror's live show is formed by Benjamin Plant, Josh Moriarty, Daniel Whitechurch, and Rhythm Luna with various other members depending on the tour. The live incarnation of Miami Horror has appeared at Coachella, Corona Capital, Governors Ball, Groovin The Moo, Splendour in the Grass, Electric Forest and many more. The band has also supported Phoenix, and Friendly Fires on their Australian tours. In late 2009 the band released their first major single "Sometimes" to commercial success, receiving frequent airplay on radio stations and club circuits. They later released their debut album Illumination on 20 August 2010 with debuted at number 10 on the ARIA Charts, with further singles including "Moon Theory" and "I Look to You", each single receiving a music video alongside them. The fourth single, "Holidays", received a music video as well. In 2013, "Sometimes", was included as part of the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack. The same year, single "Real Slow" was released, and a follow-up single, "Colours in the Sky", was released that November. In 2014, another single, "Wild Motion " was released. The band's sophomore album All Possible Futures, was released on 21 April 2015. It debuted at number 65 on the ARIA Albums Chart in May 2015, with later singles including "Love Like Mine", and "Celloplane. The band performed at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, , Electric Forest, and many other festivals in support of All Possible Futures. The departure of Aaron Shanahan was announced on 12 December 2016. The next year, the band independently released the EP The Shapes, featuring the single "Leila" which reached commercial success and frequent airplay in Japan, as well as Latin America where a Spanish version of "Leila" was also released and serviced to radio. Miami Horror produced and curated their own highly successful block parties in Sydney, Melbourne, and New York with acts like Touch Sensitive, Running Touch, and Late Nite Tuff Guy. In both the summer and autumn of 2019 the group released two new singles, "Restless" and "Luv Is Not Enough", along with the announcement of work beginning on their third studio album, due out by late-2020. The band toured on the back of these songs with sold out shows in both the US and Canada, with an April 2020 tour in Europe
