Simian Mobile Disco

Essentially a live act, Simian Mobile Disco are junkies for extended club wig-out sessions. Their faithfulness to their unique sound stems from a start creating strange electronic music in a spare room. With a mutual passion for music, Manchester University students, James Ford and James Anthony Shaw (Jas Shaw, to avoid confusion), brought the first incarnation of Simian Mobile Disco to life in the late 90s - then simply called Simian.

After a string of problems that followed their attachment to a major record label, James and Jas jumped off the commercial bandwagon in the middle of a US tour. Despite this slight hitch, James and Jas had booked themselves DJ dates while touring with Simian as a conventional rhythm section. They'd finish a gig and then run off to play electro records to small, sweaty rooms full of people who often seemed to be having more fun than the audiences at their gigs. As a piss-take, they called themselves Simian Mobile Disco. No one’s taking the piss now, as SMD’s musical integrity, their dedication to creating clean, danceable beats and their special brand of ghetto-tech, has commanded respect across the board. A dance party staple, the duo’s bangin’ club track “Hustler” was the result of a trip to New York to record the vocals of an aspiring singer/rapper called Char Johnson. Her sassy street vocals match the sleazy underground nature of “Hustler“, which owned the dance floors in 2006.

SMD have also produced critically acclaimed albums for The Arctic Monkeys and The Klaxons but they are careful to keep their approach less serious to maintain the instant appeal of their music. Ravers might remember that one-half of SMD – Shaw – was in the country last October for Recharge Revelation 5: Global Gathering. Though, honestly, he played a rather lackluster set, we’ve still got hope that with two James’s on stage, it would make a world of a difference. Come on - prove us wrong!