Trust: Darkwave Duo Drop 'TRST' Debut With Prodigy Producer Damian Taylor

Dark synth-pop duo Trust certainly are receiving a lot of love from the music community for a band claiming not to pay attention the brunt of it.

The release of singles 'Candy Walls' and 'Bulbform' on Brooklyn label Sacred Bones last year was followed by a remix by Azari & III, an opening slot for Death From Above 1979 and a "fan" video from a member of F---ed Up -- all of which helped fuel the fire for their debut album 'TRST,' now out on Arts and Crafts, as one the blogosphere's most anticipated albums of 2012.

As it happens with other Toronto-based electronic-based acts (Weeknd, Crystal Castles), Trust prefers to leave the music up for interpretation.

"It seems hokey to try and dissect a song beyond just listening to the vocals and the music," says Robert Alfons, a soft-spoken early-twentysomething whose vocal range spans from a Pet-Shop-Boys whine to a Sisters-of-Mercy baritone. "In terms of explaining the music, I don't have that skill."

And while Alfons writes the hooks and leaves the experimentation to partner Maya Postepski -- also the drummer/beatmaker for Austra -- he's elusive on his pop inspirations. He moved to Toronto from Winnipeg a few years ago, doesn't go to many live shows and was too young to witness the trance, industrial and goth elements incorporated into 'TRST,' which was mixed by Damian Taylor (Bjork, Prodigy, UNKLE).

Aside from a love of Kate Bush and the influence of a teenage older sister who listened to '90s chart-toppers, Alfons is hard pressed to talk of how Trust made their darkwave masterpiece.

"We don't sit around listening to music trying to copy it," he says. "Maya and I are inspired by food more than music."

Alfons will have ample food muses while on tour this spring -- without Postepski, who is busy with Austra -- starting with dates in New York and in Austin for SXSW. A Toronto-based drummer to replace Postepski on tour will be announced shortly.

Though the blank stares in their promo shots and vague "We believe in nothing" lyrics might have the band come off introverted and disaffected, Alfons says he's comfortable as a frontman and seems to embrace the attention surrounding Trust.

"Things are being booked [in Europe], it's exciting... [The attention is] flattering. It's interesting after working on the album for so long, it's been two years, only now is it being born."

Watch Trust's 'Bulbform' Video

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