Toronto-based synth 'n' drum duo Woodhands had a tough act to follow when it came time to make its sophomore album.

Its debut, 2008's Heart Attack, was a seriously sweat-slicked slice of primal, punk-infused electronica that wracked up all manner of next-big-thing/one-to-watch accolades for Dan Werb (vocals, keys) and Paul Banwatt (drums) - and it wasn't long before Woodhands was being heralded as a major player in Canada's burgeoning electro scene alongside acts such as Holy Fuck and Shout Out Out Out Out.

Happily, Remorsecapade, the band's barely-a-month-old second album, far exceeds the lofty expectations set by its predecessor.

"We wanted to go deeper, which is a pretty obvious desire for a second album," says Werb, 29, over the phone from his home in Toronto. "We wanted to go crazier, maybe? Sorry, these are really unhelpful answers. I guess we wanted to not be afraid to go dark and try new things. We felt we could trust our audience. I think taking risks in dance music can be really rewarding.

"In retrospect, now that we've gotten a bunch of good reviews, it's like, 'Oh, we could have gone 10 times further,'" he adds. "But I think we continued to build on our reputation for being risky performers."

Werb isn't kidding when he says Woodhands took some risks on this one. Remorsecapade - "which is the most modern of Ice Capades," Werb explains - is an incredibly technical outing, a surprising turn for a two-piece band revered for its blistering, no-holds-barred live shows. A listen on headphones reveals dense, complex soundscapes that are as challenging as they are catchy - but figuring out how to pull them off onstage has been a bit of a challenge. Unlike the material on Heart Attack, none of the songs on the new record were road-tested prior to recording.

Still, at its core, Remorsecapade is a down 'n' dirty dance record - and Werb and Banwatt will get your asses shaking no matter what.

"Now that we've learned how to play the songs, it's exciting to go out on tour," Werb says with a laugh. "But they're a challenge. We had to reinvent what we do live and I've had to change my whole set-up which was already pretty intense to begin with. It's trickier, but I think the audience respects that." (In other words, expect an even more legendarily off-the-rails live show.)

Another difference serious Woodhands fans will notice on this tour is in the equipment. While the band is still committed to using analog synths and live drums, Werb seems to have relaxed on his strict, self-imposed No Digital Synths policy.

"I have mellowed in my tyrannical distaste for digital synths," he confirms with a laugh. "I'm a piano player, so I like things to be tactile. But I play two digital synths on the tour along with my two analog synths, so clearly I'm OK with it. Like I said, I've mellowed."

One thing you'll never see on Woodhands' stage, however, is a computer.

"We'll never have laptops because we don't know how to use them," Werb says. "I personally think having six million things to do on stage is easier than learning how to use a fucking computer to make music."

WOODHANDS
Feb. 27, 9 p.m., Lo Pub
w/ Brasstronaut