The Australian/Iranian dark electronic duo Vowws have lived in Sydney, New York, and Los Angeles, and made a splash earlier this year when they released a single featuring vocals by one of their influences, electronic post-punk pioneer Gary Numan. Numan is famously picky and reclusive, so having him on vocals is a hell of a score for an unknown band. In an interview with post-punk.com, the band members Matt and Rizz (the band is on a first-name only basis, it seems) described how that fortunate happenstance came to pass.

We got in touch with his manager in early 2014, and asked him to do a collaboration. Our manager at the time knew someone who knew his manager so there was a connection there, but it was tenuous. We wrote the entire thing, vocals and all, with the idea that he was going to sing it. When we sent it to him, and told him we were broke and couldn’t pay anything for him to do it, but we heard back that he would do it anyway. We were floored, obviously, and didn’t understand how something like this could happen from nothing. We also spent a decent amount of time after that thinking it wasn’t gonna come about, but around Christmas we all got it done. Best present ever.

 
Since then, the band has finished its full length debut, The Great Sun. There are no additional tracks with Numan, but the album includes collaborations with Thor Harris of Swans (“Holy Youth,” track 3) and Beki Aldridge of synthpop duo the Fascinated (“The Only One,” track 6). It’s being released to physical and digital media today, and you can stream it in its entirety for free right here on Dangerous Minds. Worthy of note as it’s sure to be divisive—track 9, “Crying,” is a cover of the immortal Roy Orbison hit. A dementedly goth as all fuck cover of the immortal Roy Orbison hit.
 

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
New Gary Numan video: ‘I Am Dust’
Gary Numan’s 1981 ‘farewell’ concerts