On the heels of 2006’s “The Looks,” Canadian dance duo MSTRKRFT became a festival staple thanks to a booming house sound that appeals to club kids and indie rockers alike.
The group’s as-yet-untitled second album, due Oct. 7 via Dim Mak, is led by the irresistible single “Bounce” featuring N.O.R.E. and Isis.
“‘The Looks’ was like a big experiment for us,” member Jesse Keeler tells Billboard.com. “That’s why we called it ‘The Looks’ and not ‘The Brains’ or ‘The Talent.’ This next record is more like us wearing our influences on our sleeves, although I don’t know if anyone will notice that but us. We’ve made a record that is very ‘us.'”
MSTRKRFT is in the habit of testing out new material live, but Keeler says “we do it more just to test the sound rather than what the reaction will be. Kids hear stuff now and don’t know what it is and they go crazy. But when they know the [new] tracks and we play them, the crowd will explode.”
Keeler says although MSTRKRFT has largely avoided doing remixes while working on the upcoming album, the duo just finished a version of John Legend’s “Green Light” featuring OutKast’s Andre 3000. The track is the first single from Legend’s next album, due in September via G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Keeler enthuses of the track. “You can’t say no to John Legend. I am a huge fan of his music.”
