Second release as Holy Strays on Morning Ritual Recordings / Rough Trade, back in 2012 - full press release below:

"Holy Strays is the nom de plume of 22 year-old Paris-based musician and producer, Sebastien Forrester. The single, released on a limited edition 7” on transparent vinyl and digitally, follows on from his first releases via LA-based powerhouse Not Not Fun (Peaking Lights, Maria Minerva, Ducktails).

Christabell A & B, born here as non-identical twins, are formed from stuttery motorik drum patterns, twinkling synth micro-melodies and hypnotic organ loops whilst Forrester’s own manipulated vocals spiral disembodied through the tracks under a haze of delay and reverb acting more as part of the music’s instrumental make up then serving any lyrical function. The resulting soundscapes lie somewhere in between an ADHD take on Villalobos’ percussive led experimental techno combined with the subtlety and playful instrumentation of Pantha du Prince overlaid with the otherworldly ethereal vocal styles of Balam Acab.

In the last year Holy Strays has remixed acts as diverse as Forest Swords, O F F Love and Loney Dear, and also sharing stages with various acts du jour such as Zola Jesus, Nite Jewell, Doldrums, Sun Araw and Laurel Halo..."

Early support from Pitchfork, FACT, the Fader, les Inrocks & more...

"A maze of rhythms beckon the ear on Holy Strays' new single for London's Morning Ritual. The Parisian producer's latest finds him in an ecclesiastical mood, as an organ opens the proceedings before splintering and swelling in ecstatic communion. Bubbling chimes, jungle sketches, a Laurel Halo-like rattle, acid house smoke rings." Pitchfork

"Heavy on the scattershot drum programming, pizzicato strings and the sort of chunky organs that SALEM wouldn’t turn their noses up at. Forrester’s quite the maximalist: about every eight bars or so he dashes another element into the mix, until the tracks sound like they might collapse under the weight of its accretions. ‘Christabell’ is a velvet thicket – Impressive, dense, tangled and plush." FACT

"Anxious percussion and quick harp and organs evoke an uneasy church confession, with nervous thumb-drumming and a penitent’s yelping snare." The Fader

"One of our favorite discoveries in 2010, but since his stellar debut cassette on Not Not Fun, Hyperion, he’s been relatively quiet. However, it seems as if he’s just about to finally return in full bloom, with easily his best and most exciting work to date. The singles B-side is a five-minute killer that compellingly blends intricately constructed, footwork-indebted rhythms with eerie vocal samples and Forrester’s signature style of organ and synth-driven psychedelia. Thoroughly addictive, absolutely marvelous." No Fear Of Pop

"Formed of many sleek layers of mini-melodies that ride across the imposing flitting beat. Holy Strays builds classic pop songs from the bits and pieces of found sound with an intelligence and a naturalism that suggests nothing but fascinating things for the young musician. Hypnotic." Dummy

"Surprisingly lush and undeniably ace electronic trips. He calls to mind Forest Swords jamming with a lo-fi Raime, on some sweet Hoffman's in a cabin in the Alps, after listening to loads of Amon Duul." Boomkat

"A taste of that darkwave pulse and house-y vocal repetition with a dollop of chemical textures staining the composition into unpredictable, granular patterns." Impose Magazine

"Brooding, dark, organ-laden, yet still fundamentally noisy dancefloor tunes." Rose Quartz

"Holy Strays transforms Paris in South London, producing in the cold and the dark a new kind of skeletal electronica, directly linked to urban rhythms, echoing caves and moist dancefloors... That end up being far more spacious and majestic than what this claustrophobic treasure seems to tell." Les Inrocks

"The mind can only expand and contract so much when attempting to describe the sounds gracing this Parisian producer’s work. Sebastien Forrester, hailing from the “suburbs” of his city, has all the credentials worthy of claiming the “up and coming producer” tag that’s been practically stapled to his forehead. Christabell is the sound of Balam Acab banging his head against the walls of sanity, like Tim Hecker trading secrets with Kuedo; swapping intensity for danceability and ending up with something in between. Truly outstanding, truly affecting work of few contemporaries. This is an electronic producer unlike any other." This is fake DIY