Hot Chip are currently in search of new musical acts that are doing something so wondrously unique and amazing that it will change the face of music forever. So if you’re an 80s revivalist who loves Prince and Bowie, best not bother reading on. Or continuing to to make music. The whole thing is part of a project called Creating Sense5, which Hot Chip are helping to curate and judge, and the winner will get to support the group’s special DJ set at an event at the Arches on 4 June. We went to meet with Hot Chip to talk to them about the project, but ended up mostly talking about Wiley’s phone and the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.

Vice: So what made you want to get involved with this Creating Sense5 project?
Joe: Because it gives us the chance to book some acts that we like and feel should be given some more attention.

Tell me more about the project.
Joe: Well, the launch night is at the Arches where there will be people from lots of different industries, like a knitting person and people involved in food. And they’re all judges on a panel that are gonna choose young people who are involved in those different things, like food or music or art.
Alexis: I guess this could be quite interesting because apart from us judging the music, it’s quite nice that there will be people representing different fields – food and design and fashion. It seems like that’s a more interesting thing than just a battle of the bands competition sponsored by 5 gum.

What are you looking for, ideally?
Joe: I would hope that it would be something incredible that I never imagined, something that would inspire me. I think it would be good for dance music if an entirely new rhythm were created by someone, something that is unlike anything that has ever been heard but is still catchy and people are people are able to dance to it.

What will it sound like?
Joe: Well, it’s beyond my comprehension. It’s like I’m in a dream and it’s beyond the region of my hearing. But maybe that will happen; maybe there is a kid out there. I am kind of being serious – I think it’s time in dance music for a new rhythm. Maybe some kid who hasn’t been exposed to the industry and taught what to do has come up with something and maybe we’ll hear something that we will like. I hope that happens.
Alexis: I wouldn’t be looking for anything specific but what Joe is describing sounds quite exciting. I guess I would just want something surprising, something that isn’t necessarily a new rhythm but maybe the song writing is unusual or the lyrical content is unusual, but essentially just a voice of their own, whatever it is. That’s what I like in any kind of music, whether it’s dance music or country music or reggae or whatever.

Have you heard any new acts that you really like?
Joe: In terms of new people from this country, I’ve been listening to a lot of funky records, like “Party Hard” by Donaeo and mixes by people like Roska, and the new Geeneus record. The reason I like that stuff is because it sounds like Wookie records to me and that’s one of my favourite producers of all time. There was a Wookie funky tune from last year that was really good called “Gallium”. I like the new Sticky stuff as well.

Have you heard his new one with Ms Dynamite?
Joe: Yeah that’s really good. I’d really like to work with Sticky actually. He did a remix for us last year and then emailed saying he’d like to do a tune with us, so we’ll take him up on that at some point.
Felix: Wasn’t his remix of us played on Strictly Come Dancing?
Joe: Oh yeah! On the US version of Strictly Come Dancing, people did a dance routine to the Sticky remix of our song. It’s called “Wrestlers” and has lyrics about wrestling so they were doing lots of like fighting in the dance routine.

Wow. So if a funky act entered, would they have to perform some songs live?
Joe: Well, it might be a DJ, producer or singer, so they’d do whatever they do. It wouldn’t have to be a fully live set. We’re DJing on the night so… As far as I understand it, it’s just about finding kids that are talented in different areas.

Ah, I see. Who else will be playing on the night?
Joe: We’re looking into booking a lot of different people that we’re into. So we’re looking at an act who Al has been working with, Planningtorock, which is a lady called Janine Rostron. The music that she’s made in the past uses lots of samples from classical music to create rhythms that sounded, to me, like old Wiley rhythms. She’s incredible visually as well, she has lots of video pieces that go along with her performance and she wears incredible costumes and masks that she makes. We’d like to bring Noze over from Paris, who are one of our favourite bands at the moment. They just did a really amazing remix of Who Made Who, and their album that they brought out last year had some great tracks that we often play when we DJ. They make, supposedly, just techno but their music is filled with lots of unusual and interesting things that you wouldn’t expect to find in that music. There’s a possibility of Little Boots, who I produced a couple of songs with last year, to come and do something at it. We’re still working out who’s available and who we can get.

Have you considered a chewing gum-related song on the night to impress the sponsors? Maybe a cover of “Wearing My Rolex” called “Chewing My Wrigley’s”? The chorus would go something like: “Usually chew, then have a dance, and try and blow a bubble”. Could be massive.
Joe: No, but there was a really good Ween song that they made for Pizza Hut. It was about the new stuffed crust. It went something like: “Where’d my cheese go? Where the muthafuckin’ cheese at?” It never made it but the creatives loved it.

I don’t think Wiley would mind you covering his song, if you were up for doing it. You’ve worked with him before, haven’t you?
Joe: On stage.

Didn’t you do a song with him too?
Joe: Oh yeah, we did a song with Wiley.

It was that memorable?
Alexis: We made the music before we knew him or had worked in any way with him. We were intending to be in the studio with him for the song but he didn’t come.
Joe: We just sent him a beat and he rapped over it. He didn’t even do much rapping really, he just repeated himself quite a lot. To be honest I just hope that Wiley starts producing his own music again.

What was he like on stage?
Joe: It was wicked.
Felix: Magnetic.
Owen: A barrel of energy.
Joe: The best thing about that process was he didn’t know where his phone was in the rehearsal he did with us.

And that made him really worried, I’m guessing?
Joe: Yeah. He definitely didn’t know where his phone was. He had to send his manager back in to search round the rehearsal room. The actual performance was really fun though.

Maybe Wiley could enter the competition?
Joe: Er, maybe.

I doubt he’d bother to turn up on the night though, knowing his past record of no-shows. Thanks.