Gilligan Moss: What Happened? EP
What Happened? That’s the name of Gilligan Moss’ latest EP, featuring ‘Want U So Bad’ and released via AMF Records. It’s a question that’s worth answering. In the three years since the release of their debut Ceremonial – which was followed up with a delectable buffet of remixes (Sia, Glass Animals, Tegan and Sara, and a rework of Sébastien Tellier’s interminably iconic “La Ritournelle”) – original songwriter and producer Evan has been joined by Ben, a childhood friend and musician who has brought a new dimension into the electronic outfit.
Though Ben has been part of Gilligan Moss for a while (he joined after the critically acclaimed release of Ceremonial, playing alongside Evan on tour), What Happened? is the first official collection of music that they’re releasing together. That said, it’s not the first time they met. They’ve both been friends for years, meeting back in pre-school in Chicago where they grew up.
The two share a similar venn diagram of music: one that moves from early forays into the likes of Outkast and UGK, through to Radiohead and back out the other end into Daft Punk, Four Tet, DJ Koze, with groups like Animal Collective and Panda Bear somewhere in the middle.
On paper, those selections sound like – and they are – a diverse mix. But they’re also a good representation of the Gilligan Moss sound: a smorgasbord of propulsive club music, experimental pop writing and trippy ambience, all spread across a foundation of electronic music. Their mission, they say, is to bridge the gap between several zones – be that the club, the tunes blasting from your car on a summer’s day, or even in the background somewhere in a bedroom.
“What we’re doing with the project is to look to the capital C – cool club music, – realm but also to what’s happening on the radio, what’s happening in pop,” explains Evan, citing Jamie xx as an influence. “It’s about finding ways to bring worlds together and make music that can exist in the club, and at home, while still being informed by pop songcraft. Fusing those things together is what our ultimate goal is on this EP.”
