Indie-electronic fans are no doubt exuberant over the announcement that Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip is releasing a new solo album, Beautiful Thing, which is set to come out on April 20th via Domino Records. This is the first new release from Taylor since the emotional ballast of 2016’s Piano. Taylor worked with an outside producer for the first time, collaborating with the acclaimed Tim Goldsworthy, co-founder of Mo Wax and DFA Recordings and a member of UNKLE.
To accompany the announcement, Taylor has dropped a new song and music video in the form of the title track, “Beautiful Thing.” Riding a minimalist electronic drum beat, “Beautiful Thing” stacks plenty of vintage piano and synthesizer sounds on top of each other, allowing for Taylor to soar above the mix with his trademark laid-back vocal delivery. Recalling vintage disco and trap sounds, “Beautiful Thing” is a densely layered piece of art that takes multiple listens to understand, as the song utilizes many non-musical sounds and tones in the background to take the listener’s ear in unexpected directions.
The music video intercuts shots of the English countryside with Taylor walking along a series of paths carrying a silver briefcase along with shots of a young girl listening and dancing to music. Eventually, the video’s pace picks up as it features more quick cutting to Taylor, the girl, and Taylor sitting at a piano. As the video concludes the two find a strange plastic looking building bathed in orange light, a reference to the recurring motif of an orange rectangle that appears throughout the video.
You can watch the music video for “Beautiful Thing” in the player below.
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