On their debut Associates EP, Finnish duo Shine 2009 combine cool indifference with undeniable sophistication to create four sublime tracks. All infused with their contemporary take on the Scandinavian sound, this is glacial-pop to soothe the darkest corners of your mind. Opener Naturally is a shameless rallying cry.Come, gather all around / Its an invitation but not for all; Higher is tinged with their signature melancholia and lead track New Rules, suggests not so much a Utopian Ideal as a thinly veiled threat. United in a shared vision and with an unrelenting eye for detail, Mikko Pyk„ri and Sami Suova work in tandem to create evocative, timeless and confident pop music. An album is in the pipeline for early 2011. Associates is released in North America on Cascine, US-based brother to Service (Sweden).