Maribou State Get Back to Their Roots With 'Portraits'

Although their journey has taken them down new and exciting roads, today Chris Davids and Liam Ivory are finding themselves right back at the very place they were when they first started. With the release of their debut album, Portraits, the British producers feel they've made a return to their musical roots. "We kind of came full circle with the project," explains Ivory. "The first time we started making music together we were in a band that consisted of just guitars and drums. Now, live instruments have been added back in and we're back to being a live band. It's just evolved with our music tastes and music changing."

The voyage began back in 2011 when Davids and Ivory parted ways from their former band and came together as electronic music duo, Maribou State. However, the switch from traditional instruments to laptops was gradual. As the pair gravitated more towards electronic sounds, so did their studio set-up. "When we were younger, we were listening to more rock and punk music, so the band reflected that," says Davids. "Slowly, as we got older and started listening to more electronic music, we started changing the sound of the band and changing the instruments that we were playing."

By 2012, ears had perked up to what Davids and Ivory had been concocting in the studio. Out from the depths of their workspace, a series of EPs began surfacing via labels Fat! Records and Norman Cook's Southern Fried. Characterized by luscious, textured rhythms, and a penchant for haunting vocal clips, Maribou State had clearly demonstrated their own unique electronic music expression. With the release of "Scarlett Groove," the duo had proven themselves worthy contenders within the electronic music arena. Eventually, prominent figures such as Zane Lowe, Pete Tong, Annie Mac, B Traits, and Huw Stevens would show support for their newly cultivated sound.

"After Pete Tong started supporting 'Scarlett Groove' there was definitely more interest. There were more gigs coming in," says Davids. "But overall, it's been more gradual with smaller steps over a longer period of time."

After receiving such recognition, you'd think it would have gone straight to their heads. Yet, the pair from Hertfordshire are just as chill in person as they are reacting to the praise they've received from the notable radio heavyweight. Their easygoing and unassuming demeanor is one of the first things noticeable about them. At a recent show in Vancouver, while playing a DJ set for a rowdy crowd, Davids and Ivory didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by a group of drunk females on stage flailing around their equipment. A typical situation that annoys most DJs only appeared to make them laugh. Despite the inebriated gang, Davids and Ivory continued playing out well-loved tunes from Caribou, Jamie xx, and Harvey Sutherland in with a few edits and remixes by themselves and their music compadre, Pedestrian. As their set came to a close, the crowd demanded that the club's disco ball be activated. Being the well-rounded musicians they are, Ivory and Davids knew exactly what to do and cued "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson while little, white dancing lights reflected off the ongoing party.

While Davids and Ivory continued expanding in the studio, so too did their repertoire of collaborating artists. Along the way came Jack Sibley, aka Pedestrian, a London based producer with a background in drum and bass who also appreciated a wide variety of music genres. "By the time we met, we were all really into a similar style of not just dance music, but also stuff that we'd grown up listening to, like soul and all kinds really," says Ivory. "So we shared that."

The journey also brought them in contact with Holly Walker, a London-based vocalist who, after joining Davids and Ivory on the production of the Tongue EP, was back in the studio with the boys for the making of Portraits. In addition, the two had the pleasure of working with Jono McCleery. "He did the whole song in one take," raves Ivory. "So many vocalists out there will have to do about 10 to 100 takes before they can get the full track down and his was just one. It was really special."

Like a trip itself, Portraits takes you on an expedition through rolling hills of sound. From start to finish, the album meanders through a variety of euphoria endorsing melodies and sturdy rhythms. From the spirited pulse of "The Clown," to the more sultry and melancholy feels of "Say More," Maribou State prove their ability to successfully straddle the two worlds of both traditional live instrumentation and electronics.

Their rise to notoriety within the world of dance music broadened their already eclectic tastes. But both Davids and Ivory always knew they'd return to what laid at the core of their musical expression. "We've always wanted it so that we could just play a guitar part or something on the piano and then record that straight in, instead of having to sit on a laptop and program everything," explains Davids. "We've always just preferred the idea of having the natural feel. That was our main thing—to involve live instrumentation because that's the kind of music that we grew up listening to."

It seems fitting that the title of the opening track on the album is called "Home." The duo often find themselves desiring the comforts their own humble abode, a place they fondly refer to as The Shire, while on tour. "Being on tour is so much fun. Like, getting to meet loads of new people, see new places, and try new food," says Ivory. "But, I think the one thing that gets the both of us is the lack of routine. Waking up at the same time and doing the usual things that you do all gets completely thrown out of whack. We love coming out and touring, but then we're more than happy to go home."

Nevertheless, with the release of Portraits and their new live show, Maribou State have a full summer festival itinerary ahead. By reintroducing an organic quality back into their music, Davids and Ivory are eager to unveil their current sound. "Now that we've gone back to the live thing, we're actually quite excited to really get back into DJing, but maybe just from a different angle over the summer," says Ivory. "Also, we've learned to appreciate dance music quite a bit more I think. We've kind of come around to realizing that dance music is that basic root of where we came from, why we started the music that we're making now as Maribou State."

"We're more looking to embrace it," adds Davids. "We're looking forward to getting back into DJing and experimenting with the music that we're putting out."

'Portraits' is available now on Ninja Tune.

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