Although this psychedelic art pop quartet formed in Dalston, London at the end of 2008, the bandmembers had met earlier in the decade at the Edinburgh College of Art. Vocalist and guitarist Vinny Neff and drummer Dave Maclean played their first impromptu East London live dates with Duncan Marquiss of Glasgow’s the Phantom Band on bass. Jimmy Dixon soon stepped in to replace him, however, and graphic designer Tommy Grace joined on keyboards to complete their core lineup. By the time of the release of the July 2009 debut 7″ “Storm,” critics had already latched onto their vocal and experimental similarity to cult folktronica pioneers the Beta Band. In fact, drummer Maclean was the younger brother of Beta Band and Aliens keyboard player John Maclean — a link that both raised their profile and justified the comparisons.

Django Django similarly betrayed a knowledge and love of electronic music and Joe Meek’s production techniques, alongside an ability to throw together seemingly disparate styles. Filled with sirens, bells, and surf guitar, their second single — April 2010’s “Wor” — sounded like the Ventures jamming with Hot Chip. While friend and Glaswegian video artist Cara Tolmie provided vocals and cello on the equally playful flip, “Skies Over Cairo,” Grace designed the minimalist artwork that housed this inventive material. The group’s self-titled debut arrived in 2012 and was a Mercury Prize nominee. In early 2014, Django Django were tagged to curate a compilation album for the popular British series Late Night Tales, for which they also recorded a cover version of the Monkees’ “Porpoise Song.” A year later, in May 2015, they delivered their sophomore LP, Born Under Saturn. The band returned in 2018 with their third record. Marble Skies was produced by Maclean and featured guest appearances from Metronomy’s Ann Prior and Slow Club’s Rebecca Taylor. ~ James Wilkinson

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