In Session: Hot Chip

Hot Chip are a British institution.

Since releasing their first album, 'Coming On Strong', in 2004, they've become loved for their songwriting, which combines irrepressible pop hooks and finely crafted electronic music, as well as palpable everyday emotion (their sense of bittersweet melancholy is second to none) and strong doses of dry humour.

That debut LP was an under-the-radar hit and introduced listeners to their off-kilter style. Songs like 'Down With Prince' and 'You Ride, We Ride, In My Ride' set the Hot Chip blueprint: these jams were funny and full of funk, leading the imaginative instrumentation of indie right out onto the dancefloor.

The band exploded in 2006 when their second full length dropped. It contained 'And I Was A Boy From School' and 'Over And Over', singles that epitomised the indie dance movement that gripped the UK in the mid noughties. In fact, the tracks transcended the scene, going down in history as stone-cold crossover pop classics.

Another album, 'Made In The Dark', followed in 2008 and then 'One Life Stand' and 'In Our Heads' came in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Over those years Hot Chip never deviated away from their signature and now it's clear they command a singular sound, one that's both on-point and accessible.

If you've seen the band live then you'll know that a dance music pulse runs through their gigs as well as their records. On stage, their songs become weighty, ravey, redesigned to appeal to audiences who want to let loose.

Then there are their side project, used to further showcase their love of the party. New-skool acid house duo The 2 Bears features the band's Joe Goddard, dance-pop troupe New Build counts Felix Martin and Al Doyle among its number and Alexis Taylor has embarked on a number of solo recordings that thrive on electronics. Keen fans will also know all about the countless remixes from top producers that the band have commissioned over the years.

All of this makes them perfect candidates to mix In Session. And, with their latest album 'Why Make Sense?' released back in May, they're in celebratory mood. This selection features a slew of techno and electro-tinged bangers from the likes of Tevo Howard, Gerd and Donato Dozzy. Over a decade in the game, Hot Chip are still very much pumping up the jams.

'Why Make Sense?' is out now via Domino

Caustic Window - Squidge in the Fridge

Donato Dozzy & Nuel - Aqua 3

Anthony Naples - P O T

Tevo Howard - Arena

The Knife - Got 2 Let U (Shaken-Up Version)

Dense & Pika - Black Deep

Attan - The Time Paradox

Organ Grinder - Spanner in the Works (Alden Tyrell & Gerd remix)

Taraval - Gar's Highway

Peter Van Hoesen - Three Circles

New Build - Do You Not Feel Loved (Dominik Eulberg Remix)

Artist Unknown - The Journey

Coma - Blueprint

Round Two - New Day (Club Vocal Mix)

Hot Chip - Need You Now