Hot Chip – Joy In Repetition [White Vinyl 2LP]

Repetition is more than a compositional tool for Hot Chip; its a philosophy. Theres joy in doing something again and again, says Taylor. Thats true of rhythms, of grooves and of making records together for 20 years. Were still doing it. We still love doing it. There have been numerous side projects over the years and parallel careers, notably Al Doyle joining LCD Soundsystem in 2005, but Hot Chip always return to each other. Its a sentiment encapsulated by new song Devotion which closes the compilation. A buoyant whirl of psych-pop that calls to mind The Beach Boys sipping Pia Coladas with Hall & Oates and asks for a rock in uncertain times, the song is a celebration of the devotion to doing this project together, Taylor continues, as well as their devotion to their craft. I think of Joe as being like Brian Wilson, with this huge dedication to finding how to make the most amazing pop music, he adds.

The video, directed by Will Kindrick and filmed in Japan, takes devotion to ones craft down a different tangent. Kindrick says: Ive spent a lot of time shooting in Japan recently, and have become obsessed with keibiin (Japanese security guards). I was waiting for a train and noticed a stoic security guard standing on the platform, his arm extended, robotically waving what looked like a lightsabre, and the most hyper-focused stare Ive ever seen in my life. There was nothing behind those eyes but pure devotion to his craft. I started thinking about these humble heroes hitting the streets every morningrain or shineguiding us through traffic, telling us where to park, protecting us from obliviously stepping into active construction zones. What about the individual underneath the helmet? This video is me pouring one out on the curb for the devoted, hard-working keibiin everywhere!

Though theyd bristle at the weighty notion of their legacy, the band have been delicately contemplating the essence of Hot Chip of late. Are they festival favorites doing it for the misfits? Outsiders whove burrowed their own lane between indie, dance and pop? A band on a mission to find humanity in the machinery? Or one whose longevity, as Pitchfork once wrote, is proof positive that you can build a band around the concept of emotional intelligence?

All of the above. Joy In Repetition isnt only a retrospective, its a document of Hot Chips commitment to joy, curiosity and each other. Its strange, you cant go back to the feeling of those early days, says Clarke. But theres something comforting about that. These records hold those memories for us. And its the shared experience that connects it all.

Hot Chip will celebrate the release of Joy In Repetition in the US with shows at NYCs Webster Hall on September 7 and LAs Fonda Theatre on September 9.

Tracklisting
Ready For The Floor
Boy From School
One Life Stand
Night And Day
Flutes
Hungry Child
Over And Over
Positive
Look At Where We Are
Need You Now
Eleanor
Huarache Lights
Melody of Love
I Feel Better
Devotion