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Sydney trio, PVT (formerly known as Pivot), will return 16th July with their highly anticipated new album, ‘Church With No Magic’. The video for the first single from the album, “Window”, is available to view now at http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/6830-pivot-window-warp. To celebrate, the band will also be touring Australia in August!

The release of ‘Church With No Magic’ also coincides with a change to the band’s name, from Pivot to PVT. The change was a necessary one, the result of an unexpected legal claim from a band in the United States that used the same name.

“It was frustrating and kind of ridiculous,’’ says Richard. “But it became quickly obvious that it was a legal battle in the US we may not even win, and one we just couldn’t afford to lose. So in the end, we weren’t phased by it. Altering the name just seemed to be another step in the process for the record to come out and be heard’’, an attitude that seems to reflect the ongoing evolution and burgeoning momentum within the band.

The first Australian band ever signed to international powerhouse, Warp Records (Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, Grizzly Bear), PVT became an international sensation in 2008, off the back of the seething, post-punk instrumentalism of their second album, ‘O Soundtrack My Heart’.

New album, ‘Church With No Magic’, builds upon the anthemic synth-driven instrumental movements for which PVT is renowned, along with the power of their visceral live shows. The sound has been brilliantly tempered and expanded by the trio into brooding, melancholic experimental pop - an amalgam of rock synthesis, propulsive rhythms and huge melodic strength.

The most notable development on ‘Church With No Magic’ would have to be the vocals of multi-instrumentalist Richard Pike. While the band have often used vocals in the past, particularly live, this album sees them taking on a more central role within the songs. “Rich has always sung, ever since we were kids, but it’s just not something that ever happened in PVT in such a direct way until now,’’ says brother Laurence. “It wasn’t a conscious choice to add vocals on this record. It just happened in the initial sessions for the album. It felt totally natural so we just rolled with it.”

The album’s first single, “Window”, is typical of the dense collisions of PVT’s sound world. It’s a heady combination of vocal experimentation, swirling keyboard arpeggios and pounding drums, with emotive harmony and clear melodic punch.

Directed by Clemens Habicht and edited at the Abbey Road Studios, the video for “Window” uses an innovative camera technique to capture the intensity and vigor of the band's live performance. Inverting the experience of watching a band perform, Clemens had PVT record themselves by wearing a small point of view camera while on tour. Seen from a first person perspective, the band and sound is split visually into its three component parts, then rhythmically layered. The result is an immersive performance video experience. We are given a unique chance to feel what it might possibly be like being in PVT, on tour, on stage. You can watch the video now at: http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/6830-pivot-window-warp