Local rock band hauste have finally released their debut album Leavings under the label An ATMOS Initiative.

It’s a nine-track record featuring complex instrumental interplay between members Bennett, Daniel, Ian and Yuru, whose skills and chemistry have been honed by three years of performing together. But showcasing effortless technical prowess isn’t the only thing on their agenda; on Leavings, hauste too challenge the confines of the post- / math-rock sound that has defined their sound thus far.

"As a band we’re avid fans of post rock and instrumental music, but we don't think it restricts us," hauste told Bandwagon. Injecting elements of blues, pop and R&B (and even hip-hop!) into their arrangements, the band spin a refreshing take on the tried-and-tested formulae laid down by Japanese post-rock acts like toe and a picture of her. The result is a delicate balance between lower-case moments of melancholy and rushes of upbeat optimism; listen to second-half highlight ‘Mohn Jayer’ to hear what I mean.

The arrangement of the record manifests their aim to break boundaries particularly with the back-to-back placement of ‘I’ll Never See You Again’ and ‘INCUA’ – the latter essentially a hip-hop / soul cover of the former, with verses from local rapper MEAN included. The other vocalist featured on the record is midst, who appears on 'Letter to a Friend'. "Even though we’re an instrumental band, we do not deny the value of vocals and what a well written melodic line and set of lyrics can do for our sound," the band said.

Leavings’ clean-cut production presents, however, a stark contrast to hauste’s heavier, rockier live performances, last seen during Middle Class Cigar’s party on 6 April. There, they played up the highs and lows, improvising and incorporating riffs and breakdowns that weren’t pressed on Leavings, to cap a performance on par with their previous shows at Baybeats Festival 2017 and 100 Bands Festival.

There’ll be another chance to catch the band live in action again soon enough at their official album launch on 28 April.

In the meantime, however, stream Leavings two days before its official release: