David Maclean from DJANGO DJANGO came to visit us at the Verdant Taproom. We chatted about songwriting, production, art & design, collaboration, AI, DJing and we brewed up a beer to celebrate the launch of Off Planet. Their 5th studio album and originally destined to be four experimental EPs but immediately transformed into a proper album.
Dave also played a killer DJ set whilst at the taproom. That exclusive mix is available via a QR code on the cans.
Django Django Off Planet Parts 1-4
Set for a full release on 16th June, with each of the four instalments a separate ‘planet’, their fifth effort was made with the help of Self Esteem, Jack Peñate, Stealing Sheep, Toya Delazy and many more, all of them either friends of the band or personally sought out by Dave – bringing entirely new creative angles into play. From bluesy pop and Middle Eastern cabaret goth to Afro acid and piano rave, to call it kaleidoscopic is putting it mildly. Despite at times not sounding like anything on their previous releases, Off Planet is very much still recognisably Django Django.
“Complete Me” ft. Self Esteem, the first single to be shared from the album’s Part 1, is an explosion of 90’s inspired breakbeat. Packed with organs, pianos and synth strings, the track makes Rebecca Lucy Taylor’s hooks completely irresistible, as if echoing from some familiar memory. A long associate of the band, Self Esteem released her first EP on Dave’s Kick + Clap label, appearing on 2018’s Marble Skies and supporting the Djangos on tour.
“The instrumental for Complete Me was made sometime in 2020 or 21 when the world was in lockdown and I was making music in my garden shed studio. It was a dance track that I didn’t really know what to do with. I sent it to Rebecca and she loved the vibe of it and really quickly came up with some vocal ideas that kind of stuck straight away and locked well with the track. The production was inspired by a lot of 90s breakbeat house and hip-house records that I’ve always been really into and loved Djing with over the years.”
Dave Maclean says of lead single ‘Complete Me (Feat. Self Esteem)