Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Sapien Trace – Perfect Mistakes (2020)

After a jaunt into the pop soundscape, Sapien Trace is heading back to their signature sound with ‘Perfect Mistakes’. Using their hard-edged electronic rock sound, the band draws on HP Lovecraft’s monstrous creations to craft the metaphor of the song. This metaphor states that all those who have been side-lined and downtrodden are rising up.

Since they formed in 2016, Mark Dickinson (vocals), Alex Brand (bass guitar) and Dan Baldwin (drums) have shown their versatility. Using their contemporary funky electronica sound, the instruments and vocals compliment each other while haunting the back of your mind. If you have missed their signature sound, you will enjoy this single.



‘Perfect Mistakes’ has a hard glitchy electronic opening that throws you headfirst into the band’s sound. The melody is packed full of creepy electronic sounds and pulsing swells. The guitar adds this hard darkness to the melody while the drums pound your chest. All the elements of the melody combine to create the hard edge of this song with a flourish of catchy rock. The melody does take a swing where the electronic tones give way for the drums and guitar. However, they are lurking in the background and pounce back to the fore.

Dickinson’s vocals perfectly complement the electronic melody. There is a slight 80s flavour to his performance, but it has a much larger flair of modernity. The imagery of the lyrics come out in his performance and meld with the melody to form a monstrous creation. However, if you listen to the lyrics, you will hear what the song is really about and feel the rising of the downtrodden.

Sapien Trace goes back to their hard-edged electronic rock sound in the imagery heavy ‘Perfect Mistakes’. Using an electronic melody full of dark notes and heavy rock sounds, the band creates an electronic anthem for this rising up of the disenchanted.

Find out more about Sapien Trace on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.