This week Scotland welcome back the capitals ECA originating art-funk four piece Django Django for their first gigs north of the border in 2011, calling at Edinburgh’s Sneaky Petes (Thurs 24th), Aberdeen Tunnells (Fri 25th) and tagging in at the tail end of Nice N’ Sleazy’s (Sat 26th) 20th birthday shenanigans.
With a slew of bands nesting in a healthy period of homegrown hype over the last few years (Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit, Errors, Admiral Fallow…) it’s refreshing to have a Scottish formed band thriving in the over-competitive London scene. And ultimately rewarding it has been so far.
A buzz was lit underneath their early efforts when incessantly catchy debut track ‘Storm’ joined esteemed company (such as The Drums and The xx) on Rough Trade’s 2009 ‘Over The Counter Culture’ compilation. 2010’s two track of treat of an EP, ‘Wor/Skies Over Cairo’, received heavy rotation at TVB following their sort-of-homecoming appearance at the ECA’s Wee Red Bar that March. Their only appearance since was in May’s Stag and Dagger gauntlet in Glasgow – as they’ve honed their sets in the heated London spotlights.
As a live force, be prepared for thick slabs of stomping bass and all manner of electro mortars a Juno Roland’s arsenal can throw at you. With 18 months of further writing under their belts, we’re expecting a different kind of dizzying indie funk from the four piece now based in the trendy triangle of Shoreditch/Dalston/Hoxton in England’s capital.
The lads also use a simple swatch of percussionary tactics to keep things swinging along, from coconut shells to kids toy hand-clappers. This all on top of drum rumbling from the Davey MacLean, little brother of ex-Beta Band nob twiddler/DJ John MacLean. Although the Beta Band (and “folktronica” kinsmen Super Furry Animals) are frequent reference points to the sound Django Django are plotting, it’s more about the stomp than the swagger with this pasty fourpiece.
The burning riffs of the alt.rock ilk are replaced in Django Django’s world, with tangoing strums and the chequered shirts are swapped for exotic (ever so slightly) co-ordinated holiday numbers. Latest EP ‘Waveforms‘ has their standout vocal huddle, rather than harmony, focussed on a polyrythm pulse on the title track and a blitzed out club reheated version in ‘Drumforms’.
Most recently they’ve supported Metronomy’s stellar sell out show at The Royal Albert Hall and have been noodling on material for their debut LP, due by March next year. Whilst this tour is a good chance for to stretch the legs of the new material, if it’s good as we think you’ll be lucky to catch it being performed in such limited capacities when the reviews start pouring out.