Miami Horror

Miami Horror operates as an electro-pop ensemble steeped in disco-house revival sounds, guided by Melbourne producer Benjamin Plant, professionally credited as Benjamin Vanguarde. Drawing inspiration from 1970s and 1980s pop figures such as Prince, Supertramp, and ABBA along with new wave outfits like New Order, the project began issuing bright, neon-lit summer tracks near the end of the 2000s. This approach propelled the 2010 debut album Illumination into the Australian top ten. The group quickly established itself on festival circuits while refining its craft through the 2015 release All Possible Futures and the singles that followed.

Plant first adopted the Miami Horror moniker in 2007. Blog-driven traction for select remixes prompted him to exit film school and commit to music full time. He handled production duties on Gameboy/Gamegirl’s 2008 EP Golden Ghetto Sex, which featured the unexpected blogosphere favorite “Sweaty Wet/Dirty Damp,” and supplied remixes for Grafton Primary and Pnau. Under the Miami Horror name, Plant issued his first commercial outing, the five-track EP Bravado, via Virgin Records in November 2008. He assembled a live configuration featuring Josh Moriarty on guitar and vocals, Aaron Shanahan on guitar and vocals, and Daniel Whitechurch on bass, keyboards, and guitar; the lineup soon performed at festivals and supported Lily Allen, Phoenix, and Friendly Fires across 2009 and 2010. The album Illumination appeared on EMI in 2010, spotlighting Kimbra as guest vocalist on “I Look to You” and Alan Palomo of Neon Indian across multiple tracks. Bolstered by radio and club traction for lead single “Sometimes,” the record entered the ARIA charts at number ten.

As a quartet, Miami Horror tracked its sophomore effort All Possible Futures, which surfaced in 2015 on Remote Control in the U.S. and Haven Sounds/Dine Alone in Europe. Following Shanahan’s departure in 2016, the remaining members independently released the EP The Shapes in 2017. Shifting toward funk and R&B textures, Miami Horror delivered the singles “Restless” and “Luv Is Not Enough” featuring Clear Mortifee in 2019, with remixes of both issued the next year. Later in 2020 the band unveiled its cover of the Church’s “Under the Milky Way.”