Stylistically akin to the woozy electro-noir pop of acts such as Lamb and Portico, as well as the classic hazy sounds of trip-hop pioneers Portishead and Massive Attack, Len Sander are a Swiss electro-pop outfit from Zürich, Switzerland. Formed in 2014, the origins of the band materialized many years prior, with vocalist Blanka Inuanen and her brother Simon learning to write and perform music when they were just ten years old. Fast forward 20 years, and the two siblings had begun to form ideas and channel their songwriting skills into a proposed project. With the addition of their cousin Flavio Schönholzer, Len Sander (described by the band as a "fantasy name" not pertaining to anything in particular) was born. With the eventual addition of three more members, the band began to take shape in terms of style and sound. Inspired by the ever-burgeoning electronic music scene in Zürich, the group decided to channel this into varied acoustic arrangements; achieving a vast, detailed, and ethereal sound not entirely at odds with the rest of the scene, but still something largely eclectic and unique. With icy synth work, pulsating electro beats, and reverb-laden guitars, the project’s sound palette was ultimately completed with Blanka's lyrics and vocals, which transcended themes of forlorn, lost, and tortured loves of the past. Due to the hugely advantageous cultural funding in the Swiss city, the band forged ahead with recording sessions and combined ideas for their debut release without the backing of a major-label. That release was their full-length effort Phantom Garden, released in 2015. Not only was the record a critical success, with many commending it for its crystalline production techniques and plethora of magnetic sounds, but the release began to earn the collective an ever-expanding fan base. They then made the decision to work with the independent Swiss label Mouthwatering Records and followed up with the Places EP the same year, which featured remixes from Pablo Nouvelle and Dave Eleanor. Alongside this, the group embarked on an extensive European tour to promote the releases. Len Sander returned in 2016 with their second EP, Saltlick, a slightly brighter work of music in terms of sound that maintained the meticulous nature of their debut. ~ Rob Wacey