When it comes to electronic music the live experience is always going to be different from what happens inside a recording studio (whether that's someone's bedroom or a professional space). The live experience is much looser, open to improvisation and can be more experimental where artists, much like DJs, can interpret the crowds' mood and react accordingly.Simian Mobile Disco know a thing or two about the live experience, having been recording and touring on and off over the last eight years. In that time the duo—James Ford and Jas Shaw—have released studio, remix, and live albums, along with producing for big names acts like Florence + the Machine and Peaches.They recently performed at Coachella—they'll be back again for act two this weekend—and also have a live album out, called Live, and in the video above they talk about how they go about producing their live shows. They explain their live setup and the rig they use, noting how each performance can be different and how they mix old with new, while also discussing how their live show's evolved and changed over the years.SMD playing Webster Hall, NYC. Photo courtesy of Michael Shane. (via)We also fired off some questions to them to find out a bit more about how they approach the live experience.The Creators Project: You mention in the video about the live versions of your songs sounding different to the recorded versions. When writing a track do you have this dual life for the song in mind?
Simian Mobile Disco: Not really, no. When we're writing, we're trying to create a piece of music that will stand alone as a track on the dancefloor, on your headphones, whatever. It's only later that we then figure out how we're going to play it live, how it will fit into our set—and often especially the older tracks might go through two or three iterations depending on what else we're playing on at the time.In what ways do you tailor live shows to suit the audience. For instance, when you played Coachella did you create a special set and experience for this?
In terms of the music, no. Absolutely not. You can't second guess your audience. Actually, it's cynical and arrogant to think you can know what an audience might like in different places. All you can do is be as true as you can to your own ideas, as soon as you let any attempt to be "popular" creep in you might as well start making the cheesiest shit you can to appeal to the maximum number of people. In terms of the production and lights, Coachella obviously have a lot more shit on stage than most club venues, so our lighting tech used that to maximum effect.
SMD playing The Fonda Theatre, Hollywood. Photo courtesy of John Fransella. (via)
In the kind of music we make, chance is essential—within certain set boundaries. You don't want too many elements left to chance, it's dance music, you need to keep some degree of groove and momentum throughout. But having that possibility of "mistakes" or diversions from a set path is crucial, so you're not just following the same steps every night.What made you want to release a live album?
We felt that the time was right to get a recorded document of where the live show was at, right now. We're at a point where we're playing new stuff, and old stuff from a few years ago, and everything in between, and trying to make a coherent whole out of it. Some of the older stuff has changed quite a lot sonically to fit with the more recent stuff, so yeah it just seemed like the right time to capture our live show on record.
Playing at the The Rock N Roll Hotel, Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of Sonica Manchez. (via)
Yeah, it has. Different tracks, different versions of older tracks. Some of the stuff from the first album we're playing out now, like "Hustler"—essentially the only original part of that track is the vocal. The drum parts, melodies and bass are all completely new. And of course we've been through lots of different versions of lights and production, right now we're on a more minimal tip with the whole lighting design. We're not interested in trying to compete with video walls, glitter cannons, and fireworks like so many EDM guys seem to be into. You get the feeling that all that performance is really to cover for the fact that they're just pressing play and there is no dynamic at all. We want to make our show as much about the actual performance of the music as possible.And how has the environment (both audience and stage) of a live performance changed since you started? Or is it just the same?
It waxes, it wanes. You play huge festivals right before Coldplay, you play tiny clubs where you can barely fit your gear on stage, never mind the lights you brought with you. You play to huge crowds, you play to small crowds. It's both as good and bad as it ever has been. We're just happy to still be out there playing to fans.Why were you playing in the bottom of a swimming pool?
Hah, in Berlin right? That's Stattbad, they do the Berlin Boiler Rooms from there. We were playing there as part of the really rather ace CTM festival. Great venue, great festival.You can buy Live on CD at Amazon US and Amazon UK from today.@stewart23rd
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Simian Mobile Disco: Not really, no. When we're writing, we're trying to create a piece of music that will stand alone as a track on the dancefloor, on your headphones, whatever. It's only later that we then figure out how we're going to play it live, how it will fit into our set—and often especially the older tracks might go through two or three iterations depending on what else we're playing on at the time.In what ways do you tailor live shows to suit the audience. For instance, when you played Coachella did you create a special set and experience for this?
In terms of the music, no. Absolutely not. You can't second guess your audience. Actually, it's cynical and arrogant to think you can know what an audience might like in different places. All you can do is be as true as you can to your own ideas, as soon as you let any attempt to be "popular" creep in you might as well start making the cheesiest shit you can to appeal to the maximum number of people. In terms of the production and lights, Coachella obviously have a lot more shit on stage than most club venues, so our lighting tech used that to maximum effect.
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You talk about letting things go wrong and following it. Would you say chance is an essential ingredient in a live performance?
In the kind of music we make, chance is essential—within certain set boundaries. You don't want too many elements left to chance, it's dance music, you need to keep some degree of groove and momentum throughout. But having that possibility of "mistakes" or diversions from a set path is crucial, so you're not just following the same steps every night.What made you want to release a live album?
We felt that the time was right to get a recorded document of where the live show was at, right now. We're at a point where we're playing new stuff, and old stuff from a few years ago, and everything in between, and trying to make a coherent whole out of it. Some of the older stuff has changed quite a lot sonically to fit with the more recent stuff, so yeah it just seemed like the right time to capture our live show on record.
Has your live show evolved over the years?
Yeah, it has. Different tracks, different versions of older tracks. Some of the stuff from the first album we're playing out now, like "Hustler"—essentially the only original part of that track is the vocal. The drum parts, melodies and bass are all completely new. And of course we've been through lots of different versions of lights and production, right now we're on a more minimal tip with the whole lighting design. We're not interested in trying to compete with video walls, glitter cannons, and fireworks like so many EDM guys seem to be into. You get the feeling that all that performance is really to cover for the fact that they're just pressing play and there is no dynamic at all. We want to make our show as much about the actual performance of the music as possible.And how has the environment (both audience and stage) of a live performance changed since you started? Or is it just the same?
It waxes, it wanes. You play huge festivals right before Coldplay, you play tiny clubs where you can barely fit your gear on stage, never mind the lights you brought with you. You play to huge crowds, you play to small crowds. It's both as good and bad as it ever has been. We're just happy to still be out there playing to fans.Why were you playing in the bottom of a swimming pool?
Hah, in Berlin right? That's Stattbad, they do the Berlin Boiler Rooms from there. We were playing there as part of the really rather ace CTM festival. Great venue, great festival.You can buy Live on CD at Amazon US and Amazon UK from today.@stewart23rd