DJANGO DJANGO
Full album, Off Planet, out today, 16th June 2023 via Because Music, including 4th and final part
Featuring new single “Slipstream” – listen HERE
Django Django today reveal Off Planet Part 4, the final six tracks completing the release of the UK four-piece’s fifth full-length studio album Off Planet, which Uncut has called “their most accomplished and ambitious record to date”. Split into four parts, each representing a different “planet”, the record is out now in full today, 16 June 2023, via Because Music – listen / buy it here.
Off Planet was conceptualised by Django Django co-founder and producer Dave Maclean as “a way to go beyond”, to bring new voices, new rhythms, new experimentation into play, and effectively to deconstruct the band’s identity. Off Planet is the biggest, boldest, and most varied statement the band have made, with a cavalcade of mainstream and underground stars – 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.
Part 4’s focus track, “Slipstream”, is described by the band as “a trance inducing dance track that began life when Dave wanted something for his DJ sets that sat somewhere between Patrick Cowley, Daft Punk & Vitalic. Heavy electronic elements, intricate melodies, and an addictively danceable beat merge with spacey vocal harmonies to become a Django Django anthem”. Part 4 also features the tracks “Dumb Drum”, “Fluxus”, “Who You Know” ft. Bernardo, “Black Cadillac”, and “Gazelle”.
Speaking of the rest of the tracks from Off Planet Part 4, the band said: “Off Planet 4 is the last part of the series and it features “Fluxus” – a synth heavy track that Dave made In his home studio while bored in lockdown and then passed on to Jim to write the topline. “Who You Know” was a slow fuzzy hip hop beat that was brought to life by Sonia Bernardo and is inspired a lot by Tricky’s early work.
“Black Cadillac” is an ode to New Orleans and Dr John, and came about through a Scottish Jam session when cabin fever set in due to huge storms and power cuts. The last track on the LP is “Gazelle” which was co-written by Dave’s brother and Beta Band member John, who came to the studio with the idea to make a kind of extended chugging disco track with elements of Fleetwood Mac and the Doobie Brothers! It also features the violin talents of Raven Bush who previously played on “Night of the Buffalo” and “The World Will Turn” on our last LP.””
Off Planet features multiple standout singles including the BBC Radio 6 Music A-Listed 90s dance-pop explosion, “Complete Me” ft. Self Esteem, the genre-bending “No Time” ft. Jack Peñate, and the futuristic club track “Don’t Touch That Dial” ft. Yuuko. Part 4 unites the album with a new collaboration with Bernardo on “Who You Know”, as the band set out to join with new voices and experiment with their sound on every release.
The release of Off Planet will be celebrated tomorrow on June 17th 2023 with an album release party at Paper Dress Vintage in London. (Final tickets are available here). About the party, the band said, “we’re throwing a party to celebrate the launch of Off Planet. It’s our most collaborative album to date, so we’ve asked three of the featured artists Toya Delazey, Refound and Bernardo to come down and play live. We also have DJing… Dave Django, the brilliant Make A Dance crew who have remixed “Don’t Touch that Dial” and John Maclean (Beta Band) who co-wrote the closing track on the LP. Come along and have a drink and a dance.“
Following an exceptional show opening up Christine and the Queens’ Meltdown Festival at The Royal Festival Hall last Friday followed by a performance at Kite Festival, Django Django will kick off a UK instore tour this evening at Rough Trade East in London to mark the release of Off Planet. The band will perform at this year’s Bluedot and Standon Calling festivals, and have also announced new Australian headline dates, their first there since 2016. Their full live dates are as follows:
16/06 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East – instore – SOLD OUT
17/06 – London, UK @ Paper Dress Vintage – SOLD OUT
19/06 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Records – instore – SOLD OUT
20/06 – Liverpool, UK @ Jacaranda Records Phase One – instore
21/06 – Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade Records – instore
22/06 – Banquet Records, UK @ Pryzm Kingston – instore
21/07 – Bluedot Festival, UK @ Jodrell Bank
22/07 – Standon, UK @ Standon Calling
29/07 – Low Festival, Spain
30/09 – Pambula Beach, AUS @ Wanderer Festival
01/10 – Sydney, AUS @ Factory Theatre
04/10 – Brisbane, AUS @ The Triffid
06/10 – Melbourne, AUS @ Corner Hotel
Off Planet – full album
Out now via Because Music
Full album tracklist:
Wishbone
Complete Me ft. Self Esteem
Osaka
Hands High ft Refound*
Lunar Vibrations ft Isabelle Woodhouse
Don’t Touch That Dial ft. Yuuko
Back to Back ft. Patience
Squid Inc
Come Down
Golden Cross
No Time ft. Jack Penate
A New Way Through
Galaxy Mood ft. Toya Delazy
The Oh Zone
Dead Machine ft. Stealing Sheep
Dumb Drum
Fluxus
Slipstream
Who You Know ft. Bernardo
Black Cadillac
Gazelle
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My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
