Simian Mobile Disco
Back in the late ’90s, James Ford and Jas Shaw were studying biology at and philosophy respectively at Manchester University, while crafting strange electronic music in the spare room of their shared house. Fellow student Simon Lord, a folk-influenced singer-songwriter, caught wind of the duo’s sonic experiments, and along with bass player Alex MacNaughten they formed the band Simian.
Up stepped Wichita, home to Bloc Party and Blood Brothers and one of the last truly independently-minded labels out there, to offer Simian Mobile Disco an album deal. Their side-project had become full-time - but James and Jas continued to treat it like a side-project because they wanted to retain the spontaneity. They didn’t want their songs to sound too techy and programmed, so they recorded them all on analogue machines, and kept the mistakes. They tried to emulate the accidental human qualities of the proto-acid producers like Phuture and synth pioneers like Delia Derbyshire, a kind of psychedelic acid wobbliness that can be heard on the menacing ‘Wooden’ or electro sci-fi workout ‘The Theme’.
Discography
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO EP
1. Tits & Acid
2. Simple
3. 3 Pin Din
4. State of Things
I BELIEVE
CD
1. I Believe
2. I Believe [SMD Space Dub]
3. I Believe [Prins Thomas Remix]
7″
1. I Believe
2. I Believe [Joker Remix]
12″
1. I Believe [Switch Remix]
2. System
ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE
1. Sleep Deprivation
2. I Got This Down
3. It’s The Beat
4. Hustler
5. Tits & Acid
6. I Believe
7. Hotdog
8. Wooden
9. Love
1. Scott
IT’S THE BEAT
12″
A1. It’s The Beat
B1. It’s Just The Beat
CD
1. It’s The Beat (Radio Edit)
2. It’s The Beat (Album Version)
3. It’s The Beat (Dub)
IT’S THE BEAT - THE REMIXES
CD
1. It’s The Beat (Luke Vibert Remix)
2. It’s The Beat (Riton Re-Rub)
3. It’s The Beat (Masseymix Edit)
4. It’s The Beat (Masseymix)
5. It’s The Beat (Siriusmo)
6. It’s The Eat (A SMD Original)
12″
A1. It’s The Beat (Masseymix)
A2. It’s The Beat (Luke Vibert Mix)
B1. It’s The Beat (Riton Re-Rub)
TITS & ACID
1. Tits & Acid
2. Animal House
HUSTLER / CLIK
A1. Hustler
B1. Clik
THE COUNT
A1. Simian Mobile Disco - The Count
B1. Dieter Schmidt - Morse Code From The Cold War
PIGGY IN THE MIDDLE
A1. SMD - Piggy In The Middle
A2. SMD - Piggy In The Middle (Punks Jump Up Mix)
B1. Christine - I Freak
B2. Christine - I Freak (Springmine Disaster Mix)
PULSE
A1. Pulse
B1. Sick
THE MIGHTY ATOM
A1. The Mighty Atom
B1. Boatrace
B2. Upside Down
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