Disco-Funk Group Escort Detail Long-Awaited New Album, ‘Animal Nature’
New York neo-disco and funk favorites Escort have offered a blissfully bumping new song, “Animal Nature,” the title track from their long-awaited second LP, out October 30th via Escort Records.
Anchored by an percolating bass and bevy of spirited, striking synth lines, “Animal Nature” boasts another captivating vocal performance from singer Adeline Michèle. With Michèle at the helm, Eugene Cho and Dan Balis’ production slinks assuredly towards a build that, instead of dropping, extends into a riveting, euphoric finish.
“‘Animal Nature’ is a song about control; how we are constantly bottling up feelings and urges,” Cho tells Rolling Stone. “And those moments, for better or for worse, where we shut all those voices out, look ahead and act upon our basic instincts. Earlier versions of the song were much faster, but as we slowed it down, we found that the message came across as much more self-aware and hypnotic. This is also in homage to all the great dark and sultry disco classics; where love is a dark elixir and there’s this voice selling it to you any way that they can.”
Along with 10 new tracks, Animal Nature boasts a handful of alternate edits and remixes of album cuts by Escort themselves, as well as Morgan Geist, Darshan Jesrani and Little Boots. Animal Nature also features Tiger & Woods’ previously released remix of Escort cut “Barbarians,” as well as JKriv’s new reworking of the group’s recent cover of St. Vincent’s “Actor Out of Work.” A complete track list is below.
Animal Nature follows Escort’s 2011 self-titled debut, which made Rolling Stone‘s Best Albums of the Year and arrived six years after the group first began releasing singles. Since their breakout 12-inch “Starlight” arrived in 2006, Escort has evolved into a meticulous studio outfit while also developing a celebrated live show that at times features up to 17 members.
“Part of it was like, ‘Let’s make a record that we’d want to find ourselves when we’re digging in the crates,'” guitarist Dan Balis told Rolling Stone in 2012. “But we didn’t want it to just be some solipsistic exercise — we wanted to make something that was relevant for now.”
Animal Nature Track List
1. “Body Talk”
2. “Temptation”
3. “Barbarians”
4. “If You Say So”
5. “Helium”
6. “Animal Nature”
7. “My Life”
8. “Actor Out of Work”
9. “Cabaret”
10. “Dancer”
11. “Barbarians” (Tiger & Woods Remix)
12. “Helium” (Escort Pressure Dub)
13. “Body Talk” (Escort Dub)
14. “Animal Nature” (Escort Edit)
15. “If You Say So” (Morgan Geist Remix)
16. “Temptation” (Darshan Jesrani Dub)
17. “My Life” (Escort Edit)
18. “Cabaret” (Little Boots Remix)
19. “Actor Out Of Work” (JKriv Remix)