Joe Goddard and Hayden Thorpe Join Forces For New Single “Unknown Song”

Joe Goddard (of Hot Chip) and Hayden Thorpe (formerly of Wild Beasts) debut a collaborative single, “Unknown Song” which has an 80’s feel to it. The track uses synthesizers and blending of various electronic beats, set against a drum track. The track fluctuates softly, while Goddard and Thorpe compliment each other with their symbiotic vocals. Lyrics like, “Unknown song, unknown song. Got no method, but I’ve killer intuition. Unspoken love. Unspoken vow. I hear you know. Unspoken love. Unspoken vow. I hear you now” set the harmony in motion, while the vocals truly move the song forward. The visualizer shows two figurines blending wildly in blue and yellow hues, as they dance perfectly throughout the video.

After a career-long appreciation for each other’s work, “Unknown Song” is the first time Goddard and Thorpe have found themselves musically entwined together, after a career-long appreciation for each other’s work. The new track was written and recorded in early 2020 and is described as an uplifting and euphoric dance track. It delivers a sense of hope and positivity, reminding of and recalling better, simpler times.

In a statement, the track “Unknown Song” is “intended as a soundtrack for reminiscing, embracing and awaiting those joyous and energetic dancefloor moments for all.” As Thorpe says, “The lockdown has really made it apparent how music allows us to feel a synchronicity with our fellow beings. In the absence of touch, music is that sensual meeting point.” Similarly, Goddard notes, “We are in the midst of a crisis but gaining that new appreciation of dancing together is a small positive that I hope to hold onto after all of this.”

In 2019, Thorpe released his debut solo album, Diviner, which saw “Hayden’s unmistakable voice in fine form” per Brooklyn Vegan, while Under The Radar praised Thorpe as “responsible for some of the most unique, captivating and ultimately timeless music created this century.”

Hot Chip’s seventh full-length A Bath Full Of Ecstasy, also released in 2019, was dubbed by Billboard “essential listening for dance fans,” while Stereogum thought that it “might just be the best iteration of Hot Chip yet.”