This time last year, Sheffield's Eccentronic Research Council and their frequent collaborating vocalist Maxine Peake gifted us 'Black ChristMass', an electro-ode to Yuletide, containing such mirth-bringing sentiments as, "no to the TV ads' sincere banjo desecrations of alternative hits of the 80s, for the demographic of spoiled, fur-wearing plebeians crying wanking into their mulled wine" (download it here). Now, in a similar instance of festive fortuitousness, we bring you the tidings that the band will be releasing a new album, Magpie Billy & The Egg That Yolked (A Study Of The Northern Ape In Love), out on February 10 via Desolate Spools. What's that title about though? Say the band: "This is a study of the complex behaviour patterns, communication calls, mating rituals, bad habits and eccentricities of two highly individual male apes living in the same house, but at different times. The first ape is an aged motorcycle enthusiast, a shed dweller and creative. Whilst the second male primate, is a young, work hard, grunting progressive music fan, with old fashioned values."

Rest assured, they add, "This is not some tacky Now That's What I Call... A Soppy Bleeder copulation album on K-Tel Records [...] We are the Eccentronic Research Council and we have never known a happy ending", with the band's Adrian Anthony Flanagan, their "resident broken hearted, bitter and spiteful ape" and Dean Honer, "synth Yoda", again uniting with the "genuine Angel of the North West", Maxine Peake, and some additional drum work coming from producer Ross Orton. We've got the first play of the album's opening track, 'M.B. Motorcyycle Enthusiast', which introduces us to Magpie Billy, "a 75-year-old, 12-pint, beer deep, statue on legs, engine between thighs-type of guy", with snaking analogue synth lines working up to a closing, martial fanfare, auguring extremely well for the rest of the record. Have a listen to that below and stay tuned to the band's website for more: