Electronica-heads were a-buzz a few months ago when “Audacity of Huge,” the first single from Simian Mobile Disco‘s forthcoming album Temporary Pleasure
The track is standard SMD: a heavy, hypnotic rhythm running under catchy synths and a strong melodies. But there was something different: fully-fleshed lyrics and vocals, compliments of Yeasayer‘s Chris Keating.
| “I think on the last record (2007’s Attack Decay Sustain Release), we were into the idea of throw-away, mundane lyrics and hopping up the voice, using it as an instrument,” James Ford says (the producer-musician comprises SMD with fellow Brit Jas Shaw). “Whereas on this one, we chose singers that formed songs with bridges and choruses and lyrics. It’s more of a song-based record.” |
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Ever since 2005 — when Ford and Shaw splintered from Simian, their original electro-rock group (whose track “Never Be Alone” propelled French duo Justice to fame when they sampled it for “We Are Your Friends“) — they’ve found themselves in the company of electronica’s biggest and brightest. In addition to their own material, Ford produced albums for The Arctic Monkeys, The Klaxons and Peaches while the duo found themselves remixing for everyone from CSS to Muse to The Go! Team to Kid Sister.
Thus, it’s no surprise that Temporary Pleasures features guest vocals from an array of heavy hitters: in addition to Keating of Yeasayer, The Gossip‘s Beth Ditto and Hot Chip‘s Alexis Taylor — among others — contributed tracks to the album.
“The general rule is we sort of write all the instrumentals, the chords and the melodies,” Ford says. “Then we send those instrumentals out to people we’ve had contact with or that we’d met at festivals. It was really up to them to do what they wanted with it. They write all the lyrics and a demo, ideas that they’d send back to us. Then we’d all go back to the studio and record it.”
“That’s what happened with Alexis’s track,” he continues. “It was maybe sort of a 7-minute instrumental when it first started and we edited it down. He wrote his part over the top and came back into the studio one day, and just laid it down. He had a bit of a cold at the time, he’d been pretty ill.”
Indeed, these collaboration color the album with a diversity that prevents it from veering into monotonous, mind-numbing territory — territory on which electronica music sometimes dangerously treads. Each artist injects their respective track with their own flavor. Taylor’s song, for instance, is thoughtful, moody and could easily be found on a Hot Chip record.
And as for Yeasayer’s tune … asked if the title of “Audacity of Huge” was a take on Obama’s “audacity of hope” mantra, Ford laughs. “Chris came up with the lyrics, so you’d have to ask him,” he says. “I didn’t even think of it that much. The lyrics are pretty surreal, and we quite enjoyed how daft the song was. It’s got a creepy N’Sync vibe.”
One of the most interesting things about dance music these days are the collaborations: the unlikely fusions of different sounds and even sub-genres that have been springing from them (i.e. Kanye‘s love for Daft Punk; the Black Eyed Peas‘ new album blatantly taking from Justice and Freeland).
The collaborations on Temporary Pleasures aren’t as far-reaching, but by experimenting with different artists and sounds, Simian Mobile Disco is keeping their sound fresh and evolving — something referenced in the title of the record.
“It came from the idea of our live show (CLICK HERE to watch SMD LIVE at New York City’s Museum of Natural History!), the heaviness and being attached to a moment of time,” Ford says. “It’s quite sort of free fall and different every time you see it. But then we also wanted to note the recycling of culture and dance music, how quickly it moves and changes. The temporariness should be seen as a positive thing because it means forward progression. It’s a moment into the future, which is something we really like. The nature of pleasure itself — how all pleasure is temporary and it has to be experienced.”