In case you’ve been living under a rock, Django Django are gracing us with a brand new album on Friday. The follow up to their 2012 Mercury Prize nominated debut and 2015’s Born Under Saturn, their latest record – Marble Skies – is set to impress just as much. Exploring new sounds, with the new LP the London-based quartet reflect on both the past and present, and we’re pretty certain it’s gonna be one of our fave releases this year.
To tide us over until its release, we got the guys to put together a playlist of all the songs that inspired the new record. So, if – like us – you’re desperate for the new album to arrive already, tune in below for some much needed relief…
Jan Hammer Group – “Don’t You Know”
Dave was playing a lot of Jan Hammer on the tour bus on the last campaign. On the drive out of Colorado he performed a free form interpretive dance to The First Seven Days, Jan Hammer’s magnum opus, in its entirety. In his pants, lit just by the light from the open beer fridge. It was pretty profound and will stay with me till my end of days. “Sundials”, from our new record, expands on a piano riff taken from this album. He was kind enough to let us use it. Great man.
Mr Vegas – “Jack It Up”
There was a period at the start of writing this record that we were without a drummer. Dave had gone to LA to do some production work on a KT Tunstall album so I found myself sampling records in his absence, playing synths over different rhythms I’d picked out from our record collection. “Surface to Air” grew out of one of these ideas, it’s a sample of the “Bookshelf Riddim”. Here’s my favourite version by Mr Vegas.
Jaydee – “Plastic Dreams”
I dug this out and started DJing with it again recently. It was one of the first tracks I had that got me into house and techno. I had it on a mixtape when I was in my teens and have played it out a lot over the years.
Talking Heads – “Sugar on My Tongue”
I have been listening to this a lot lately. I love the production. That simple stripped-back oddball disco they do so well has always been a big influence.
George Harrison – “Dark Horse”
This is another old track that I’ve gotten back into. George Harrison was really great at subtle but brilliant songwriting and chord changes. This is one of my favorite songs of his.
Jeru The Damaja – “Come Clean”
DJ Premier’s best beat, in my opinion. Amazing use of this sample.
Cutty Ranks – “Limb by Limb”
When we were all at art college together I used to DJ with a reggae soundsystem called Big Toes Hifi. I’d play this a lot. I cut my teeth in production making dancehall rhythms and I’d put them on Mini Disc and play them out with a live MC.
BadBadNotGood – “Can’t Leave The Night”
From another album I was listening to a lot the last time we played in the US. I think some of this fed into the keys in “Marble Skies”. They do a lot of collaborative stuff which I think is really interesting, and they’re great musicians. I’ve not yet seen them live, am hoping to catch them soon.
Giggs – “Lock Doh” feat. Donae’o
Huge track. I DJ’d a lot with this last summer. Giggs is my favourite UK MC since Roots Manuva. He has such an amazing laidback style that’s so unique. The production is so good on this track… it’s definitely a driving track. Get in the beemer and pump the 808s up loud!
