Stephen Malkmus just wants to make you dance. Or at least lurch about in a semi-rhythmic manner.
The alt-rock folk hero has finally gone and done it. That long-rumored “rejected” electronic album Malkmus has been talking about for a while now is finally upon us. Yes, really, and no, it’s not a joke. Or is it?
“It’s kind of funny to mess with stuff you’re not supposed to mess with,” the singer shrugged in a recent interview about his upcoming solo debut, Groove Denied, which is set for release on March 15.
Despite the electroclash jokes, Malkmus says his plugged-in new sound is beamed in directly from the early ’80s, thank you very much.
“Yes, I was thinking things like Pete Shelley’s ‘Homosapien,’ the Human League, and DIY synth music circa 1982,” he revealed in a press release, and the first single from the album, slow-motion electro-ballad, “Viktor Borgia,” confirms this influence. “And also about how in the New Wave ’80s, these suburban eighteen-and-over dance clubs were where all the freaks would meet—a sanctuary.”
Watch Malkmus get his groove on atop a laser-filled dance-floor in the “Viktor Borgia” music video below.
“I did frontload Groove Denied with the stuff that signals ’80’s/cold,’” the singer shared in his new Simon Reynolds-penned bio, a sure sign that he’s taking this electronic business pretty seriously. “That stuff excited me the most and it sounded braver. If I had another year, it could have been all in that style.”
Malkmus will support Groove Denied with a series of solo shows that kick off May 1 at Toronto’s Great Hall. See the full list of dates here.
