´óÏó´«Ã½

Only, they’re not that new. After all, they’re already part of the existing list. Elektrons is the new name of the Unabombers, otherwise known as Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey. So it just a case of a new name for a new sound or did something inspire their fresh moniker? Luke says the reason for the change is simple:

"Also, Unabombers as a name in the current climate isn’t radio-friendly or usable, especially because we’re doing tours in America."

Turning on the red light

Sensible stuff, but then Luke and Justin have always had their head screwed on. Their massively successful Electric Chair is testament to that; a night dedicated to the music without any of the nonsense that bigger clubs go in for. Luke says it’s that straight-forward approach that has also given their new album, Red Light Don’t Stop, its name.

"The whole album was road-tested and developed in Electric Chair, which is a basement. We’ve never been into the chrome-covered three floored nightclubs of the mainstream; it’s always been about a dirty basement, a red light and a feeling.

Making a British sound

Electric Chair also gave them the inspiration to take their recording careers in a new direction. Local singer Pete Simpson had often sung in the club and it was the way he worked with their music that gave them the push to look elsewhere for other voices, though Luke explains they always had something specific in mind.

"It opened the door to the notion of working with other singers. Eska and Mpho especially were two vocalists that we loved. We loved what they did vocally but also we loved the fact they were quintessentially British.

"We didn’t necessarily want this to be a Manchester-based album, but we did look towards the British stables, as opposed to the States – apart from Soup, obviously.

"The Brits, like Dizzee Rascal, are taking risks, and even on a pop level, with Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen and The Streets, there’s a kookiness, a boldness and a cheekiness, which in America is getting lost."

Gleaming grime

One of the most striking tracks on the album is Stop Hold It, which features the rhymes of London MC Tor. Luke says she sums up the approach that the pair were going for with the album.

"Tor is very well-known in the underground, in the London grime and hip-hop scenes, which is a niche but people in that scene would know her. We’d heard her rhyming and MCing and wanted to work with her.

"We loved her attitude and her rhyming, but more importantly, she’s musical as well, so she’s got the punch and the balls and the delivery to give something quite bold over the track we’d written, but she’s also got the soul.

The celebrity life?

Of course, the task now is take the album to the stage, a new experience for the DJ duo but one that Luke says they’re enjoying immensely, despite a few gripes.

"It’s fantastic. You end up playing in a lot more unusual places, like Glastonbury and Rock Ness, and we’re going to be touring South Africa. Our first track, Get Up, has gone to number one there. I think we knocked Rhianna off the top spot, which is really bizarre.

"The only downside is that it’s a different world and there’s a lot more egos and people are a lot more precious. That’s not me and Justin, we’re not into the celebrity and it’s slightly uncomfortable, but it’s also comical to watch it."

Whether Elektrons like it or not, with an album as fine as Red Light Don’t Stop in the bag, they are going to have to get used to a bit more celebrity status than they’re used to.

Red Light Don’t Stop is out on Wall of Sound. Elektrons play Nish Nash Nosh at the Mint Lounge on Saturday 1 September.