“Wonderfully cathartic—as refreshing as a dip in a cold stream.” – Pitchfork (Best New Track)
Michael Mayer and Joe Goddard’s underground hit “For You” has received not one but two remixes courtesy of DJ Koze, a man whose re-imaginings are deservedly revered. Koze’s first offering is a club mix composed of layered, floor-raising chords while ruffling up the original vocals gradually and elegantly. The second is an Mbira remix, filled with African-inspired percussive inklings and sprinkled with effortless melodic flourishes.
The full EP (including instrumentals) is available now on 12″ and digitally.
Michael Mayer has debuted a new track from his forthcoming album &, featuring Joe Goddard of Hot Chip / The 2 Bears. “For You,” the album’s second single, is a modern ballad for the dance floor and bedroom; a true love story sung by one of the best. Over the course of Michael’s career remixing the likes of Rufus Wainwright or Pet Shop Boys, he has been able to bridge song writing and dance music in an extraordinary way and they both unleash the best of their talents and shine as if someone turned on every light in the world for a love that is meant to stay.
Speaking with Flaunt about working with Joe Goddard, Mayer said: “We’ve been wanting to work together for a quite some time. I’ve always admired his work, be it as a member of Hot Chip, The 2 Bears or especially his solo works. Although we didn’t know each other very well, I always felt like he’s a kindred spirit. When I invited him to take part in this project, he directly sent over some sketches he had made. ‘For You’ instantly was my favorite of the bunch as it perfectly encapsulated what I love so much about Joe’s work. It had this all out emotive vibe to it. It just needed to be structured and put together – something that I like to think I’m quite good at.”
& is released 28th October on !K7. Pre-orders are available now,
Michael Mayer is the true definition of a taste-maker. His work as a producer, a DJ, and a curator via his label Kompakt, speaks for itself. Mayer’s recording career spans four albums, 23 EP’s, nearly 170 remixes and the legendary DJ mixes for fabric and Immer. ‘&’ is his third full-length, a passionate and personal album that speaks as broadly as his DJ sets – embracing his genre-busting love for music, rhythm and atmosphere – and the dance floor in front of him.
‘&’ – the title says it all; Michael Mayer collaborated for every track on the album. The list of contributors is quite impressive, including Roman Flügel, Prins Thomas, Joe Goddard of Hot Chip, Ed Macfarlane of Friendly Fires among many others. Mayer is adamant that the collaborations came about because of a shared musical vision and personal connection rather an effort to stack the lineup. “All of those involved are good friends of mine and not random choices selected from someTop 100 list,” he says. “These people mean a lot to me – and by that the music we produced together is heart driven and emotionally powered.”
An album highlight is ‘Und Da Stehen Fremde Menschen’ (streaming below), built around a vocal sample from a long lost East German band Stern Meissen. “I bought the record because I thought the cover was interesting. Then I heard this one line that fit perfectly to this idea of mine,” says Mayer. “Barnt was the only candidate to make this idea come to life. The trick was to bridge something that sounds sincere and deep with a delicate balance of craziness”. The outcome breathes a groovy spookiness, likened to the Giallo works of Dario Argento, where the borders between reality and fiction are not clear. A digital single for ‘Und Da Stehen,’ featuring remixes from Patric Baumel & Kowton, will be released 5th September.
‘&’ is released 28th October on !K7. Pre-orders are available now, including ‘Und Da Stehen Fremde Menschen’ and ‘Blackbird Has Spoken’ (with Agoria).
Orders from the !K7 Store and Bandcamp include a limited edition lithograph art print of the album cover.
Michael Mayer is one of the leading tastemakers in dance music, and his DJ sets have influenced a generation (or two) of musicians and fans. Agoria is one of the leading French electronic producers and DJs; co-founder of InFiné and Les Nuits Sonores Festival. Agoria and Mayer team up for a track that is about taking all the time in the world: a track with that fills the room with a distinctive pop ambient flavoured twist on modern club music. It’s a track intended to go on forever.
Mayer and Agoria’s collaboration “Blackbird Has Spoken” is available now digitally. Stream it below via Boiler Room Debuts.
