Reveling in absurdity with MGMT

How hard is it to retain the irreverent spark that started a musical partnership nearly 20 years ago? In this episode of Doing Music, MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser talk to Craig Schuftan and Christa Belle about their instinct for the absurd throughout the course of their career. We learn about their roots in musical academia and their love of strange, disgusting music, and their learned experience that the weirdest sound you make might be the best one. From relishing the plasticity of early virtual-analog synths to avoiding over-thinking the creative process, Andrew and Ben take us into what makes MGMT such a psychedelic force in the field of pop-rock.  Explore further: Alvin Lucier Anthony Braxton  Situationist International Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves Royal Trux - Accelerator Seeburg 1000   Keep up with MGMT on their website, Instagram and YouTube. Their latest album, Loss Of Life, is out now.    Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

Om Podcasten

Doing Music is a podcast that explores the techniques and strategies behind musical ideas. In each episode, Craig Schuftan looks into the myth of spontaneous creation and talks to artists about their hands-on approaches for sparking something new. Doing Music is for anyone interested in the act of making music – because often the most exciting results happen when we stop musing and start doing. This podcast is brought to you by Ableton and hosted by Craig Schuftan. Craig is a music producer and the author of three books on music and popular culture.