Fainting By Numbers, the new collaborative project from Hot Chip main man Alexis Taylor and German techno producer Justus Köhnhke, will drop their 12-inch debut single on April 15 via Moshi Moshi. In advance of its pressing, Taylor and Köhnhke have shared “A Stone in the Ground,” the seven-and-a-half-minute synth meditation that plays B-side to the single’s main track, a cover of John Lennon’s posthumous 1981 release “Watching the Wheels.” The duo may look to Lennon’s post-Beatles output for that song, but “A Stone in the Ground” throws a blank-faced stare in the direction of post-punk pioneers New Order. “She thought this was hers / And it once was,” Taylor deadpans wistfully over a hesitant beat. “A crying shame.”
On a more upbeat note, Taylor’s main gig, Hot Chip, just turned in a throbbing remix of Foals’ psych-inclined “My Number,” replete with drippy synth effects, fatty bass swagger, and LCD Soundsystem-like percussive textures. “My Number” is a standout from the Oxford, England art-rock outfit’s new Holy Fire LP. Stream Fainting By Numbers’ “A Stone in the Ground” and Hot Chip’s remix of “My Number” below.
