Kasabian get 'dirty'

The band discuss their new Daft Punk influenced album

05 January 2009 - Leicester band Kasabian are back this year with their new album, which they say will be a dance floor filler follow-up to 2006's Empire.

Track titles so far include Fast Fuse and Thick As Thieves and guitarist Serge Pizzorno described its structure as a “soundtrack”.

Speaking to 6 Music, he said its sound is classic Kasabian: “You hear it in a row. It takes you places and you build pictures in your head. It’s a real journey and it also will fill a dance floor. It’s about people joining in and I think that’s what we’re about.”

Describing their influences, Pizzorno continued: “There’s a couple of songs that kind of went New York [Rolling] Stones and there’s definitely one song that sounds like Daft Punk and The Clash together, which is quite interesting.”

"It’s a real journey and it also will fill a dance floor, it’s about people joining in."
Guitarist Serge Pizzorno

Another track is called Underdog, which frontman Tom Meighan said is his favourite: “It was the skeleton and it was great and then it turned in to this massive, really fat breakbeat, drum style tune with this big helter skelter guitar over the top.

“It’s really dirty, really horrible sounding guitar but amazing.”

‘More rhythm’

American producer Dan ‘The Automator’ Nakamura, who has worked with Gorillaz and Handsome Boy Modeling School, took up production duties on Kasabian’s new record.

Pizzorno said working with him was a revelation: “We never knew he did the Gorillaz. It’s funny because we just knew him from DJ Shadow records and working with Blackalicious.

“It was only when we were out there and saw the records on the wall. He took what we’d done already and added to it, which was great.”

As for what ‘The Automator’ brought to it, the guitarist explained: “We’ve always been really funky and we’ve always had a real groove, and I think he helped with pulling things out and being more rhythmic rather than throwing loads of instruments at it. I think it’s definitely got more rhythm.”

Georgie Rogers