A new interview with Mark Ronson in UK publication The Times gives exciting new insight into his Silk City project with Diplo, most enticingly a forthcoming single called “Electricity” co-written by Romy Madley Croft of the xx with vocals by Dua Lipa. (The song was no co-written by Florence Welch, as was reported by The Times.)
“The song is a belter,” the producer says, “spiritual piano house music like they used to make … Lipa sounds imperious.” Ronson is quoted as saying Lipa “has this deep, soulful voice that harkens back to gospel house.”
The article also details Ronson and Diplo’s working relationship. Where Ronson is a well-trained multi-instrumentalist, Diplo confesses to only knowing a few piano chords, choosing instead to not take his music “too seriously.” That laid-back attitude is the perfect foil to Ronson’s studio approach, which is about a laser-sharp attention to detail to the point of neurosis.
When Diplo’s busy schedule made studio time hard to plan, Ronson says: “I’m not gonna lie, I got a little upset at first … ‘Wait, we’re supposed to be in the studio all the time!’ Then I realised this is basically my first experience of being in a group situation. The thing I love the most is not necessarily the thing he loves the most.”
It’s an interesting read that details Ronson’s childhood friendship with Sean Lennon, his near-robotic musical brain, and his staggering resume of collaborators and production credits. Read the full interview via The Times.