Written By: Ola’s Kool Kitchen

Canada-to-Germany transplants, Rooftop Runners, is a downtempo, indie electro-pop duo composed of brothers, Benedikit and Tobias MacIsaac, who are no strangers to the performing arts as they are each recognized, respectively, as an internationally acclaimed choreographer and dancer.

Recently, the duo decided to head back into the studio to choreograph and direct an original music video (set to be their third audio/visual production) for a newly recorded version of “Energize“, a track originally appearing on Rooftop Runners‘ 2012 We Are Here EP, which was described as a “mix of menacing mood and moving melody.” What you get by the end of this second take, are dominating electro beats, combined with a dark, droning bass presence which seems focused on exposing some kind of abstract beauty in an ugly world.

The brothers’ dance training is clearly evident in the video as they flip and float past each other in synchronized moves across a dark and empty stage; ultimately, a three-dimensional blank canvas for their poetry of motion. The band personally describes their current sound as “trip hop,” taking on a more atmospheric aesthetic than the general ambiance of the original 2012 recording of “Energize.” The trip-hop flow is carried by soulful, falsetto vocals and minimalist instrumentation comprised of slinky bass beats, brooding electronica, and dissonant guitar work.  Think of a lo-fi, stripped down set in the vein of New Order, where Rooftop Runners also clearly establish themselves as a pair wielding their own musical signature.

2012 saw extensive international touring by the group throughout the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and Canada, including a performance at Club NME and Rifflandia Music Festival.

A forthcoming, full-length album is currently in post-production, hopefully with a date set for release, come summer.