Form & Control

The New York based Psych - Soul, self-styled collective broke through in 2009 with their debut single 15 To 20, a club hit both in America and Europe that set the scene for a self-titled debut album later that year. Their latest offering Form & Control is described as an ambitious work which takes their clever fusion of international psych, soul, and cosmic disco a bold step forward. Imagine a scenario where Curtis Mayfield and Deee-Lite threw a Nu-Yorican party with Afro-beat, Italo-disco, Turkish psych, 70s West Coast rock and Boney M also on the decks. Kaleidoscopic or what? Imagine The Human League, MGMT, Fleetwood Mac, Black Devil Disco Club, Justice, Hercules & Love Affair, Blondie and The Steve Miller Band produced by Mike Chapman at London's legendary RAK Studios, home of prime slices of 70s glam, soul and disco. In other words, a sleek and shimmering alternative to the first album's spicier mutant stew, but just as groovy. The production/ songwriting brains behind both albums are two gentlemen by the name of Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand, who are equal parts DJs, producers and crate-digging enthusiasts. Joining forces for sessions with likes of Latin soul legend Joe Bataan, Daniel and Sean decided to not only produce more sessions at their own East Village studio but to "make a record on our own terms, our own masterwork," says Daniel. "I was in my late twenties and being in a band seemed undignified. Being the guy pulling the strings was much more interesting." In an attempt to explain their choice of album title Daniel says - "We had gone into the studio with only two tracks written beforehand, and after we'd got the rhythm section in for the first half, Sean and I worked on it for long days, and as we got inspired, "Form & Control" made sense to us. The lyrics are about making a deal with the devil, like, how over history did some people become that famous? Julius Caesar, for example, who people still talk about thousands of years after his death. To a lesser extent, musicians or actors who have made an indelible impression, who have left their mark. It's a pre-destined path, but perhaps you have to give up something to make it possible...form and control. 'With an old-school Sly & The Family Stone funky shuffle multiplied by a Tom Tom Club New Yoik sass, you don't need to do any maths to know this is ace!' NME 'With their multitudinous influences, blending funk, soul, reggae, dance, hip-hop and Brazilian beat, as well as rock, disco and electro, they encapsulate the spirit of the Brooklyn underground.'The Sunday Times Culture 'This New York collective puts the five-times table to work over playground funk that splits the difference between the Tom Tom Club, CSS and the Go! Team.' Guardian