Artist: Scenius
Title: 13 Billion Light Years
Genre: Electronic / Post Punk / Industrial / Electro Pop / Dark Wave
Release Date: 24th October 2025
Label: Self Released
Album Review
As promised SCENIUS have finally set the date for their Autumnal release of their 3rd Album ‘13 Billion Light Years’ after drip feeding us teasers over the past few months, and I must say that on first listen I rather enjoy it. But before I get down to expressing my views, here’s a quick biography recap of the band for those who can’t be bothered to read my other reviews or for whatever reason have no time.
SCENIUS are a duo consisting of Steve Whitfield from the band KLAMMER and who’s produced the likes of The CURE, THE MISSION and YANN TIERSEN and French vocalist / guitarist Fabrice Nau who’s been in bands like BOUTIQUE DU TAO, KYU and THE DRIFT. SCENIUS have been in existence since 2020 and to date their output is pushing the 20 mark.
Notable tracks include: ‘Glass Rain’ in April 2020, ‘Live In Angers’ in May 2022 followed by a favourite of mine ‘Chinese Room’ a year later which came off the album ‘Life Is A Thing’. 2024 saw the release of their version of Can’s ‘I Want More’ Spring 2025 saw the release of a few tracks as tasters for the current album. As of writing Steve Whitfield is based in Leeds whilst Fabrice keeps the gallic juices lubricating the creative process from Angers in the Loire Valley.
Both Steve and Fabrice have a passion for vintage synth sounds and are inspired by the likes of KRAFTWERK, BRIAN ENO and JOHN FOXX whilst the Post Punk spirit / vibe / ethos comes from JOY DIVISION, NEW ORDER and THE CURE. Wasn’t it BRIAN ENO who coined the term ‘Scenius’?
A collective of artist talents who came together and who knew what was fashionable and hip and out of which came a scene. A scene cultivated and grown by geniuses? Anyway, let’s get to the point of the exercise and put down my thoughts on this album and see if it, over time, cultivates and expands a scene…
To start with we have the title track ‘13 Billion Light Years’ simplistic, stretched and wavy before the drums kick in and the vibe gets a little harder and darker. The synth line is warm like a hit of heroin, so I’m told… whilst another criss-crosses and tickles. My mind’s eye is looking into a petri dish and seeing micro-organisms flicker, move and grow. ‘Swift As Light’ I reviewed earlier this year. And it’s still easily nonchalant with nods to 1970’s computer music pioneers. It has an easy groove that lets you in and yes, I am still dancing like a biological step sequencer.
‘Golden By No Means’ starts with a slapped snare, I find it rather snarled, BILLY IDOL snarled but the whimsey in the synth line kind of tempers it. There’s a RITUAL HOWLS / HUMAN LEAGUE vibe baked in as well which blends 2025 to 1982. ‘Every Time’ sounds promising. I have to get up and do a quick hip gyration with my hand on my belly and stupid look on my face. Ok, that’s done, I can sit again. Very floaty, like snow hitting a cold pavement, and uncluttered. Also it’s very “Depeche”.
‘Funny Sky’ I have again already reviewed. It’s still as good as it was when I reviewed it way back in April. It has a HUMAN LEAGUE flutter morphing into “Come on, Come on!!” in the drum pattern that spews out a feeling of anticipatory dread. It also has a fleeting ‘Black Star’ vibe and a torsion effect at the end that dances with the airy synth line.
‘Guesswork’ is up next. It’s nicely layered with nods to yesteryear here and there whilst ‘All In Good Time’ is, erm, is regimentally groovy. There’s a point where the vocal crosses with the eerie synth effect in the background that gives me the shivers. And next up we have the shortest track on the album ‘Five Arm Crystal’ which at this point is not really doing it for me, I don’t feel inspired.
But ‘Beat The Light’ is back on track. Another track I reviewed earlier this year, it has Gallic nonchalance, ta boom-boom-chack percussion, is watery, nebulous and alien. Stereo panning helps with the wateriness and there’s the observation that Fabrice Nau’s voice feels like a Guiro rasp. And there’s a gloopy seaweed and kelp vibe as these underwater plants sashay in the currents. Is there nothing better than experiencing light or no matter how deep you dive into the shadows the light will find you? I’ll leave that up to you dear reader!
‘Blink’ is the final track and it ends with a glassy eyed skyward introspection. The chorus gives me a glassy shiver, the intersection between vocal line and the dink-dink-dink synth being the causality. I can’t quite make out some of the lyrics though, is it me? I’ve had to replay the opening verbiage about 10 times and all I can make out is “No need to worry”. The next bit sounds like “some heart howling”. It’s gotten to the stage where I’ve given up focussing on the lyrics and moved on to the overall sound of the track, which isn’t bad.
I’m sure the lyrics will reveal themselves eventually with more listens and a modicum of patience. But, a blink, an action of the eyelids that takes a few milliseconds. But in those milliseconds your brain is not receiving photons and thus no input. Many things can happen in that time, not only in your immediate surroundings but all across the universe. Someone is born, someone dies, someone wins the lottery, there’s an earthquake, a star dies, a new one is born and the earth has spun around 200 metres. Maybe my mind’s eye blinked and that’s why I can’t make out the lyrics, ha, ha!
Overall I’m impressed with the album. I’m impressed by the overall easiness on the ear, its flow. I’m impressed with the subtle use of synth nods from a bygone age that never step into the realm of copycat. The sound feels new and fresh and like an easy stroll in the park. I like its utility too. It can be a bike ride soundtrack and it can be the mood setter for a bath. It also inspires the experimental when cooking.
Steve Hughs, the heavy metal comedian from OZ once said: Why would anyone be offended by ENYA? It’s just silence coloured in! SCENIUS are very good at Aural sketching. I’m also gonna designate this as C.U.M. Computer Utility Music.
Tracklist
01. 13 Billion Light Years
02. Swift As Light
03. Golden By No Means
04. Everytime
05. Funny Sky
06. Guesswork
07. All In Good Time
08. Five Arm Crystal
09. Beat The Light
10. Blink
Line-up
Fabrice Nau – Vocals
Steve Whitfield – Keyboards / Programs / Production
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
