The Whip are: Bruce Carter (vocals/guitar), Danny Saville (machines/synthesisers), Nathan Sudders (bass) and Fiona Daniels (drums).

You (should) know their history by now. The Whip's origins can be traced back to ill-fated indie-electro pioneers, Nylon Pylon, a band stymied by major label machinations. When Pylon fell apart, however, Bruce and Danny retreated, undeterred, to a damp, strip-lit and reputedly haunted cellar in a Salford pub to regroup. They spent six months dodging loose plaster and freezing their electrodes off in this self-imposed "boot camp", laying the foundations for The Whip. "It's positive, a little seedy," they say of the name. "It just sounds good."

They took inspiration from the things that they love, from Manchester, from clubland. 'Blackout' - a highlight of their debut, album 'X Marks Destination' - was written in tribute to Fac 51 The Hacienda and the old DJ trick of cutting all the lights at peak moments. “Trash', meanwhile - which, from an initial run of 500 12" singles, has grown into a nationwide indie-electro anthem - was designed specifically to catch the ear of the DJs and the crowd at influential Manc disco-punk night, Club Suicide. "That's what we believed in," nods Bruce. "Going out clubbing we'd just been getting more and more excited by dance music and, naturally, we wanted to be a part of it."

A series of limited singles foillowed, debut 'Frustration' (Kids), 'Trash' (LaVolta) and then 'Muzzle No1' with Southern Fried, now their permanent home, helped spread the word and attract the attentions of Gildas Loaëc, chief tastemaker at the impeccably cool French record and fashion label, Kitsuné.

Bowled over by tracks he had stumbled across online, the sometime Daft Punk manager rushed 'Trash' on to his Maison 3 compilation and subsequently put out The Whip's 'Divebomb' single which was followed by the release of breakthrough debut album 'X Marks Destination' containing tracks like 'Divebomb' (how a lither, funkier Justice might sound), the tough, wiry electro-pop killer 'Fire'; or the huge snaking, six-minute shamanic frenzy 'Blackout', all respondent with the sounds and spiritual echoes of mechanical power, chattering digital data, traffic, tension, long drunken nights, bright lights, the urgent euphoria of sweaty basement club nights.

The Whip are presently finishing their second album with producer Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream / Sabres Of Paradise) which we are reliably informed is sounding immense.