Disco Fever
UK DJ Duo Simian Mobile Disco Bring the Party Stateside
By Nicole Rallis
Above, L-R: James Ford and Jas Shaw
As the two men behind the dance-pop/techno hybrid Simian Mobile Disco, UK-based DJs, James Ford and Jas Shaw have traveled around the world, collaborated with Beth Ditto and Jamie Lidell and built a cult following along the way. Now, the duo have set their sights on New York City nightlife, establishing a quarterly, year-long residency with the dance party FIXED.
For those SMD fans unable to hop a flight to Manhattan, Ford and Shaw are also releasing Simian Mobile Disco Is Fixed, a colorful,16-track mix similar to what you might hear them throw on at the party. Collaborating with FIXED masterminds and good friends Josh Houtkin and Dave Pianka, whom the two met when they first arrived State-side, was a "natural decision," Shaw says. "You normally don't get asked to do mixes, and there's usually a pressure for it to be a bit more mainstream," he explains. "And Josh and Dave were like 'why don't you just make a mix that reflects the kind of stuff that you guys play when you come over,' which was fantastic."
A few poppy choices show up on the album (like "One Life Stand," a dark synth-laden Carl Craig remix of a Hot Chip song, which Shaw describes as a "double win"), but Shaw and Ford mostly stuck to left-field, vocal-less techno tracks for the mix. Wrangling the musicians responsible for that music, however, was tough. "It's always the case of chasing people to see if you could get their track on the mix," Shaw quips.
One of SMD's own tracks also shows up on Fixed -- the clunky, futuristic "Nerve Salad." Released on their new Delicacies label, it's one of several singles the pair is putting out to tide fans over in lieu of an eventual studio album. In keeping with their label's name, each single was dubbed after some of the more unusual dishes the guys have encountered while touring in foreign countries. "It occurred to us that there was this strange parallel between the slightly disgusting, usually rotten meat that people considered to be delicacies, and the kind of more left-field techno that we were enjoying," Shaw explains. "They're both things that are loved by a very small group of people, but loved a lot."
Although the date of said upcoming Simian Mobile Disco album is unclear -- Shaw says the two are still merely "dicking around in the studio" -- the duo will continue to release singles on Delicacies, which they're surprised has already gained such a strong following with fans. "We deliberately haven't made noise about Delicacies -- haven't advertised it or anything like that -- and it feels like people have picked up on it on their own, which is really great," Shaw says.
But for now, Simian Mobile Disco's stepping out of the studio for its next FIXED gig, Thursday, September 23, at New York City's Santos House Party -- a venue whose "dank, dark vibe," Shaw believes, will groove well with their beats.
Click here for more information on FIXED at Santos Party House.
As the two men behind the dance-pop/techno hybrid Simian Mobile Disco, UK-based DJs, James Ford and Jas Shaw have traveled around the world, collaborated with Beth Ditto and Jamie Lidell and built a cult following along the way. Now, the duo have set their sights on New York City nightlife, establishing a quarterly, year-long residency with the dance party FIXED.
For those SMD fans unable to hop a flight to Manhattan, Ford and Shaw are also releasing Simian Mobile Disco Is Fixed, a colorful,16-track mix similar to what you might hear them throw on at the party. Collaborating with FIXED masterminds and good friends Josh Houtkin and Dave Pianka, whom the two met when they first arrived State-side, was a "natural decision," Shaw says. "You normally don't get asked to do mixes, and there's usually a pressure for it to be a bit more mainstream," he explains. "And Josh and Dave were like 'why don't you just make a mix that reflects the kind of stuff that you guys play when you come over,' which was fantastic."
A few poppy choices show up on the album (like "One Life Stand," a dark synth-laden Carl Craig remix of a Hot Chip song, which Shaw describes as a "double win"), but Shaw and Ford mostly stuck to left-field, vocal-less techno tracks for the mix. Wrangling the musicians responsible for that music, however, was tough. "It's always the case of chasing people to see if you could get their track on the mix," Shaw quips.
One of SMD's own tracks also shows up on Fixed -- the clunky, futuristic "Nerve Salad." Released on their new Delicacies label, it's one of several singles the pair is putting out to tide fans over in lieu of an eventual studio album. In keeping with their label's name, each single was dubbed after some of the more unusual dishes the guys have encountered while touring in foreign countries. "It occurred to us that there was this strange parallel between the slightly disgusting, usually rotten meat that people considered to be delicacies, and the kind of more left-field techno that we were enjoying," Shaw explains. "They're both things that are loved by a very small group of people, but loved a lot."
Although the date of said upcoming Simian Mobile Disco album is unclear -- Shaw says the two are still merely "dicking around in the studio" -- the duo will continue to release singles on Delicacies, which they're surprised has already gained such a strong following with fans. "We deliberately haven't made noise about Delicacies -- haven't advertised it or anything like that -- and it feels like people have picked up on it on their own, which is really great," Shaw says.
But for now, Simian Mobile Disco's stepping out of the studio for its next FIXED gig, Thursday, September 23, at New York City's Santos House Party -- a venue whose "dank, dark vibe," Shaw believes, will groove well with their beats.
Click here for more information on FIXED at Santos Party House.
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