Simian Mobile Disco

Musicians/producers/remixers James Ford and Jas Shaw have occupied the dance floor for much of the 21st century with their heady house and techno productions. Spinning off from electro-rock group Simian—whose 2002 song “Never Be Alone” was revived by French duo Justice for the 2006 club hit “We Are Your Friends”—the duo formed Simian Mobile Disco to explore electronic music’s endless possibilities. Armed with vintage analog equipment, they crafted a pair of indie-dance thrillers with 2007’s Attack Decay Sustain Release and 2009’s Temporary Pleasure, the latter featuring notable guests like Gossip’s Beth Ditto and Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor. By the 2010s, they began putting their sweat and synths into more experimental dance cuts with 2012’s Unpatterns and 2014’s Whorl, and later on, a collaboration with London’s Deep Throat Choir for 2018’s Murmurations. Outside of Simian Mobile Disco, Ford was a member of The Last Shadow Puppets and has long been a go-to producer for bands like Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz and Depeche Mode, while Shaw has released some of his own minimalist electronic work.