MGMT’s Independent Era

Late last year, MGMT announced their first-ever independently-released single, ‘In the Afternoon’, breaking the silence since the successful release of Little Dark Age in 2018. An announcement of this scale ignited speculation: A band who had nestled themselves in the nostalgic corners of our minds had begun a new and independent chapter, with indie-heads everywhere declaring that only now could MGMT be classified as ‘truly indie’. I have to disagree with these cuff-jeaned gatekeepers of the Fantano persuasion and argue that being branded as ‘truly indie’ isn’t the defining goal of a band’s career. MGMT’s conversion almost calls for the abolition of labels in their entirety, at the start of an age where there is no one to dictate what is and isn’t commercially appealing – no creative interference. In this anti-establishment move, these synth masters have made their independent comeback with a power duo of singles.

It means a lot for an artist to become independent. MGMT are championing creative purity, extinguishing any prospect of cigar-scented corporate compromises. They’ve maintained their beloved sound, but have begun to exhibit some astronomically-creative risks. To complement this new era, attached to it is a new aesthetic.

The covers for each single flaunt renaissance artworks, retouched and technicoloured. ‘As You Move Through The World’ layers a kaleidoscopic blue with a yellow stencil artwork, enclosed by a highbrow serif font – any intellectual’s choice. With their last album being boundary pushing, drenched in 80s synth, and ripe with soulful critiques of modernity, the world’s been waiting to hear these forthcoming releases.

In the Afternoon

This track lived in my heavy rotation for a number of months following its release late 2019. Discordant and creepy at times, the track unravels a fresh and experimental sound. With lyrics like “enter another phase”, we’re told quite literally that the band is evolving. The track has a strong flavour of liberation – especially at the climax, where the lyrics “relief is like candy”, are belted like a glory cry. The band declares that they feel “like a kid in a candy store” multiple times until the song ends. I can’t help but see this as a blatant metaphor for freedom, breaking into their new, independent era. However, there are no cryptic lyrics to be dissected in their second release, ‘As You Move Through the World’. In fact, we’re challenged to even make sense of it.

As You Move Through The World

This track threw me into the director’s cut of Blade Runner, a world in technological apocalypse, where a chiseled Harrison Ford steers flying cars. This song could certainly exist unnoticed in the 1982 film’s soundtrack. Intricate layers of synth, crumpled audio, and snippets of percussion tease that you may be able to make sense of this cacophony. Bleeps resembling medical scans chime sporadically, while obscured, robotic voices pulse throughout the track. Clocking in at about seven minutes long, this track certainly doesn’t scream conventionality. Is this the uncloaked MGMT that has been lying paralysed, under the chloroform-doused cloth of a record label?

The band has always been able to meet the common ground between boundary-pushing and commercially appealing. Finally, we get to see an uncompromised MGMT who’ve reached a level of artistic credibility to push away from enterprises that could meddle with their art.