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The story of Django Django sounds a lot like fate in its own way, like there was some higher power behind the scenes keeping the band members together wherever the four of them might go. If there is a higher power involved then we owe them quite heavily, cos the world would be an ever so slightly duller place without the bands understated yet ecstatic indie-electronica. The quartet, consisting of David Maclean on drums and production, Vincent Neff on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Dixon on bass and Tommy Grace on synths, originally met in Edinburgh, Scotland while studying at the Scottish capital’s world famous college of art.
All four of them decided to move down to Dalston, East London together after their course finished in 2009, when not only was the area starting to become seriously cool, but also a hotbed for new music. When Maclean and Neff decided to form a band together themselves, the only line-up changes they’ve ever had to make was to stick Dixon and Grace, the other people they’d moved from Edinburgh to London with, on the bass guitar and synths, respectively. The band immediately gelled, and by the end of 2009 they’d released their first double A-side single “Storm/Love’s Heart” and were already attracting a local following with their debut live shows.
Since then the band have been unstoppable in their rise to the top. Their live shows got bigger and bigger and their single started to get the attention of mainstream press like The Guardian and the NME. By 2011, the band had signed to Because Music, making them label-mates with Metronomy and Justice, and their debut album was released in January 2012. An instant hit with critics, it was given five stars out of five by the aforementioned Guardian and nominated for that years Mercury Music Award. By 2013 it was starting to pay off commercially as well, going platinum in France and the campaign for it was capped off by a headline slot on the NME Awards Tour and a second on the bill slot on the 2013 Glastonbry Festival’s Park Stage.
Truly, Django Django are a band with the world at their feet. Where they go next, not to mention the music they’ll create, will be a fascinating and exciting thing to watch and hear. Them at the peak of their powers will be unlike anything we’ll ever see, and for that reason, they come highly recommended.
In 2012 Django Django made a bit of a splash with their debut album. The self-titled work from Edinburgh-via-London art pop quartet was nominated for the 2013 Mercury Prize, and obtained glowing reviews from NME and the Guardian.
The hype was not misplaced. Django Django comprises an intriguing combination of electro synth, acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies. Apparently describing a faltering relationship, the album focuses on abstract imagery, with ‘Love’s Dart’s’ refrain reminding the muse that ‘if you walk in circles you’ll find yourself back at the start.’
Performing live, Django Django deliver the echo-slung vocals of single, ‘Default’ with precision. And the tribal drums and electro whooshes of ‘Hail Bop’ please their trendy audiences. Since the band currently possesses just one studio album, there can be moments where things get a bit samey. One’s mind begins to wish for a little more variation amongst the succession of electronica tunes echoing from Tommy Grace’s synth. Thankfully, though, ‘Firewater’ comes to the rescue with its more acoustic, rock and roll feel, showcasing Vincent Neff’s voice and Jimmy Dixon’s bass.
Django Django generally perform in mid-sized venues before a backdrop of flashing smiley-faced graphics. Their lively gigs combine cool performance with musical intricacy. While not entirely musically unprecedented, the quartet remains a breath of fresh air.