“Everybody has those certain jingles—maybe it’s a cereal ad—that you think you’ve forgotten, but then 30 or 40 years later it’s still with you, and it’s so evocative,” The Avalanches’ Robbie Chater tells Apple Music. “That’s what we’re interested in exploring. What’s the difference between a beautiful pop song about a breakup and a piece of music for advertising that was written to sell a product? The intention’s different, but is it any less valuable, or any less great a piece of songwriting?” Taking it one step further, The Avalanches’ fourth album considers the power of advertising in shaping the memories we carry and, ultimately, the identities we form. “I think it’s good to interrogate, because it probably is part of who we are more than we realize,” says Chater. “When you’re young and creating an identity, the brands you choose to associate yourself with really are significant.” Co-founder Tony Di Blasi says the trio wanted No Bad Memories to be “a bit more fun, uptempo, and a bit crazier and wilder” than introspective 2020 predecessor We Will Always Love You. Creating and threading fictional commercials throughout the record, and even sampling electronic composer Suzanne Ciani, who created audio identities for companies such as Coca-Cola and Atari, the group builds worlds within worlds. Here Chater, Di Blasi, and Andy Szekeres talk through the key moments on No Bad Memories. “Bd-R” Robbie Chater: “We made ads for our own invented products. Six months in, we realized, it’s much more exciting if we’re making these jingles and then mashing 30 of them together. It feels a bit like the history of advertising rushing at you and a half-remembered life of being a consumer.” “Together” (feat. Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza & Prentiss) RC: “[It features a sample] from The Famous Five TV show, which Andy’s kids were watching on YouTube.” Andy Szekeres: “It was on in the background and that vocal came on. Straightaway, I messaged both of you and was like, ‘Could we use this as a sample?’ It’s fun if a sample comes that way, where you’re not intentionally listening for stuff. You’ve got to take note, because you haven’t gone searching for it, it’s found you.” “Every Single Weekend” (feat. Jamie xx) RC: “Jamie was making an album, and we made a song called ‘All You Children’ with him, and ‘Every Single Weekend.’ That one didn’t get used, so we finished it off for our record. It makes me think of the way that all of us, if we’re in the nine-to-five grind, can often live for the weekend and you blow all your cash going out, partying. There’s a certain euphoria to that, but it’s also a sad thought of just getting by.” “Blue Shadows” (feat. Karen O) RC: “Karen’s singing differently to how I’ve often heard her as a fan, that’s why I love it.” Tony Di Blasi: “The sample’s quite magical, and I think it’s hard for a vocalist to match that, but her energy matched the beauty. It’s not trying to be the chorus, it just offsets that.” “All the Time in the World” (feat. Vegyn, Baby Marlboro & Rivers Cuomo) TDB: “Rivers is such a good go-to person to write a top line. You send it to him and you’re going to get something amazing back.” RC: “His melodies just stick with you. Just wild. Did he tell us what inspired the lyrics? No.” “Far Away” (feat. John Glacier & Khadija Al Hanafi) AS: “The old version was a lot slower.” RC: “Khadija flipped it and changed it. All of a sudden, it had a whole new energy.” TDB: “Robbie recorded it with John in the London summer. London summers have this magic about them, because for those couple of months the sun’s out and people are out in the parks and they’re at the pubs and it’s like a festival every day. That one really reminds me of that.” “Can’t Get Over Losing You” (feat. Portraits Of Tracy) RC: “Tracy totally changed that track. She took it and sped it up.” AS: “That’s why it’s so joyous. The early version was sadder. Not necessarily slower, but just energetically not there. And then Tracy’s vocal and some production stuff just made it this.” TDB: “She’s only 22 and so talented. She’s such a beautiful spirit, and I think that comes through in the track.” “One More Fantasy” (feat. Carly Simon) RC: “It makes me think of advertising, and the dream and the fantasy that we’re sold. Because it’s got that slightly ’80s glossiness to it, that’s where it takes me.” TDB: “I always hear it a little bit happy and joyous. It’s funny the way we listen to things. It does have that melancholia about it, but it feels uplifting to me.” “Magic Wand” (feat. Barry Can’t Swim) TDB: “I was not a fan of this song for many years. And then we got it back from Josh [Mainnie, aka Barry Can’t Swim] and he’d done all that beautiful instrumentation over it. Sometimes, it’s one of those things that just falls into place—the record ebbs and flows and you find a spot for it and then it just shines. I just needed it to have that moment. I absolutely love it now.” “Superfun!™ TV Spot” (feat. Haley Joel Osment & Mike Patton) RC: “Mike’s voice is amazing, and he’s so charismatic vocally. It was perfect for this world of advertising. And he loves gaming consoles. So when we were doing the ‘Superfun!’ ad, which is kind of like a send-up of those old Sega and Nintendo console ads, he just knew exactly what we were talking about. Just a great spirit and energy.” “Our Love Is Alive” (feat. Suzanne Ciani & Barry Can’t Swim) RC: “We were watching a lot of Suzanne’s videos because of her work doing stuff for Coca-Cola, and there’s this video of her showing a synthesizer to kids on Sesame Street; it’s just so sweet. We spoke to her years ago about writing new music together and there was scheduling stuff and it didn’t happen, and so now it feels like a collaboration even though it’s a sample.” “The Pavements Light” (feat. Haruomi Hosono) RC: “Hosono is a hero. We were listening to Yellow Magic Orchestra a lot when we were making this record. All three of the members were very well known in Japan for doing their ads—they would appear on ads for different technologies individually and write the music for ads as well. It was amazing to work with him. And I think the way that song ends, with the old-school Avalanches-y crackly sample, feels like a good ending.”