How hard is it to retain the irreverent spark that started a musical partnership nearly 20 years ago? In this episode of Doing Music, MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser talk to Craig Schuftan and Christa Belle about their instinct for the absurd throughout the course of their career. We learn about their roots in musical academia and their love of strange, disgusting music, and their learned experience that the weirdest sound you make might be the best one. From relishing the plasticity of early virtual-analog synths to avoiding over-thinking the creative process, Andrew and Ben take us into what makes MGMT such a psychedelic force in the field of pop-rock.
Explore further:
Alvin Lucier
Anthony Braxton
Situationist International
Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves
Royal Trux - Accelerator
Seeburg 1000
Keep up with MGMT on their website, Instagram and YouTube. Their latest album, Loss Of Life, is out now.
Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com
Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.
