Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard recently released his most assured solo album to date, Electric Lines. It’s a well-rounded electronic record and the first in his back-catalogue that's truly works as an album experience in the way that seminal electronic records such as Leftfield’s Leftism and Underworld’s dubnobasswithmyheadman do. His first album released in 2009 was more of a collection of tracks made over a fractured time frame.
Helping it come across in such a way is the diversity of guests who delivered vocals. Some with existing ties to the Hot Chip man such as Alexis Taylor, and Valentina, who sang on his hit ‘Garbriel’ in 2011. Others are new to the fold like the irresistible pop of Jess Mills. But the impressiveness of the collaborations shouldn’t overshadow how brilliant the tracks with only Goddard on are - he's a superb singer. In addition to it being interesting album vocally, it’s a record that pushes sonic boundaries - especially on the song ‘Children’, which is a brilliant slab of shamanic techno.
Such is our love of this record we caught up with Goddard ahead of his Glastonbury set on the Park Stage this Saturday (24 June). We got a lowdown on what happened in the making of this album, his approach to DJing, the beauty of having such diverse music culture in London, growing up with Kieran Hebden of Four Tet, and the evolution of UK garage music into Grime among other things as you'll discover below.
How would you describe your mood making the record?
When I'm in the studio making tracks I try to work in a very intuitive, natural way so there are naturally moments that are more melancholy and some more happy. I started making the music before Trump and Brexit happened but the world was still in a massive tumultuous period, so I think that feeds into the music to a certain extent. I wanted to make some kind of positive statement about that contrasts to the divisive politics of Trump and Farage. I write the music that creates moments of real positivity which promotes sociability to make me feel good as well as others at this dark time.
What’s your creative process?
There’s not much of a plan I sit down at all my different old beautiful synths that I’m really in love with and have a massive passion for and start writing and tweaking. I was passionate about being in this new studio that I just stared renting and use this gear to its fullest of my ability without too much of a concept or a plan.
I gather you made the core of the album before inviting vocalists down. Was it a long period to get to that point where you could record?
I guess it was probably about six months off and on of just making tons and tons of instrumental and demos. Then it was a process of modern day collaboration with people of digitally sending tracks around the world and seeing what comes back from people. There were certain collaborations that didn’t come off and others that immediately did.
How many were in person?
Most of them.
Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip singer) surely was in person, he only lives up the road?
It’s funny actually. I emailed him the instrumental one night and he was at home where he as simple set up he recorded the vocal and sent it over the next day. Even though he's the person that lives closest and I've known for 25 years, his one was done remotely, whereas almost all the others were done in my studio and all came about pretty naturally.
I am particularly drawn to the track ‘Children’ what was that inspired by?
I was inspired by Sun Ra Track called ‘Children of the Sun’ and it fitted because I wanted to have records that had this psychedelic dance feel. To make the track I used my Eurorack synth which is really good at making trippy, quite psychedelic sounds and I really enjoe using it to make the album. It worked well for 'Children; and I like house records that are sonically daring.
How do you go about crating your live set?
I never plan a DJ set fully. I make playlist of a ton of music that I think is going to go down well. As a DJ you try get a sense of whether somethings working or the audience needs more excitement or speed. I think about the age of the crowd is a bit factory I sometimes get booked for the older more disco deeper Balearic nights then you can afford to slow things down and play around bit more jazzy and soulful. For younger crowds, I generally look for higher intensity bass-led-set, including garage classics and music that is a bit more accessible.
Talking of garagem are you a Heartless Crew fan?
They were always incredible… what blew me away about them was Fonti, the DJ, he was such an incredible party DJ and was able to mix so smoothly between different genres. He’d go from r’n’b to dancehall to garage to dance music really seamlessly and Heartless Crew call it a crisp biscuit in when it’s a smooth mix that works perfectly – he could do it contantly and never balls up a mix. I guess that level of preparedness comes from being on pirate radio for years and years and years – you learn that skill from being under pressure and having to make things work. I have massive respect for Heartless Crew.
Do you see them as the pioneers of spitting bars on top of garage?
In terms of the timeline of UK garage, I don’t really know who came first. Wiley and So So Go Crew, Reko and God’s Gift and those MC’s in Pay As You Go Crew were some of the first people to go rap on top of garage, too. But in terms of where these groups cut their teeth, a lot came from drum ‘n’ bass previously and as the garage sound became more popular in London they transitioned. What these MC’s brought to garage was a move away from it just being about UK and US house music sped up.
I do find the whole thing fascinating because that’s the genesis of Grime in the UK and famously Wiley’s moves to Roll Deep and starts to do his Eskimo grime beat, that’s a key moment. He’s definitely earned that godfather title but Heartless Crew were around at the same time – massive respect for them
You’re also known for running the label Greco-Roman, what music do you look out for to suit it?
It's bit garage-y at times, house-y disco and looks for left-field pop. I think the three of us at Greco-Roman love those moments in a club where people might be playing instrumental house and techno then play a vocal pop track that fits into that music. I'm naturally drawn to that kind of slightly skewed pop stuff. I love pop and decent hook.
You went to school with Four Tet's Kieran Hebden, another purveyor of Leftfield music. What was it like growing up as buddies?
Kieran and I started to hang out when I was 13 / 14. He was a couple years above me in school. We were into a lot of the same music. A lot of US music and grunge and UK bands like Stereolab, the indie that came from London at that time. We used to go to the Camden Crawl every year together and go to festival, go to Glastonbury together and walk around all day everyday just watching tons of bands. At the same time we were loving stuff from labels Metalheadz and Bluenote or going to see US hip-hop group like De La Soul or gravediggers. We had lots of different touch points that we were both interested in. Kieran introduced me to a lot of music that I came to love and some of the first time I heard Garage music were through him. He always had his finger on the pulse with so much of that stuff and he introduced a lot to me. Developing that into Greco-Roman, it’s a passion that you want to share with people.
Is there an element of competition between you and Hebden?
There’s an element, you all want to have the best records, the most killer.
Do you think there’s a particular London musical aesthetic?
Yes, it’s all about loving soul and dancehall, and reggae and hip-hop, and garage and disco, and having an appreciation of all these things. You have access to so much good musical culture constantly. You have institutions like Notting Hill carnival where you spend some time listening to jungle, then on to King tubby, and then something by Mos Def. People are proud of that eclecticism in London and that’s what Kieran always does with his DJ sets and that’s also what I like. It is slightly competitive, who’s got the new reggae 7 inch and who’s got the new hip-hop record, and having this appreciation of all of those scenes.
What new London sounds are you into at the moment?
In terms of label’s Lobster Theremin and Rhythm Section from Peckham are great. And as an artist I like Rimbaudian.
I’m noticing a lot of interest in this new wave of Jazz in London at the moment with groups such as Ezra Collective cutting through. What’s your take on it?
I think Floating Points has had a big role impact with his Jazz-oriented electronic album. Going back a couple of years, the charts were saturated with obnoxious super heavy house music and I think people naturally moved away from that and back towards gently more spiritual jazz influenced stuff. Natural reaction to the charts having aggressive pop-y house music. Definitely good things happening.
Agreed. Nice meeting you all the best with your set at Glastonbury.
Joe Goddard plays Glastonbury on The Park stage at 9.30pm Saturday.
