“Hail Bop,” the first proper track from Django Django’s self-titled long player, crossfades in from the animal croaks and calls, the utterings both machine and human, of the album’s introduction. With that track (understandably entitled, “Introduction”) it’s as though the band has asked for just a couple minutes of our time in order that they tune up their instruments and warm up their voices. Given the circumstances – it seems as though the band is setting up in the middle of a rainforest – we oblige. Sure enough, by the time “Hail Bop” begins officially, a moment signaled by a pulsing synthesizer heart and a perfectly clean, lightly flanged guitar, the band is ready. Their throats are warm. They’re acclimated to the inherent humidity of this locale.

Which is to say that the air here is saturated 100% with moisture: the history of so much psychedelia is the very sweat beading upon Django Django’s skin. On “Hail Bop” they’re practically drenched in it. But you can tell they know it. Furthermore, you can tell they’re having a lot of fun with it. Perhaps most importantly, by the virtue of their light looping, murky keyboard arpeggios, and a few other more modern amenities, the group is contributing something to it. Their own sound, their own hard work, is in that sweat now, and by the time “Hail Bop” concludes it’s apparent that Django Django might actually be capable of adding something new to acid pop’s primordial soup.

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Django Django – “Hail Bop”

Guest post by Chad F.