On The Floor! - Live at Goo, Sokol Underground, Omaha, USA

The Rapture

Vertigo, Universal, New York City

The moment they released the international dance floor hit "House of Jealous Lovers" in 2002, New York quartet The Rapture redefined the tip of the indie iceberg fusing the skronk and chaos of punk with the precision and funk of basement after-party disco beats. The Rapture opened the floodgates for many to float through on the wave of this fresh take on some vintage, party-forward sounds. While it's easy to pin the influence of Gang of Four, ESG, and Liquid Liquid on many of the followers, The Rapture's territory of inspiration mining goes deeper further and wider. The band have shown respect for forbearers as diverse as '70s New York disco progenitor Larry Levan, '80s Chicago acid house innovator Marshall Jefferson, historic party staples like Happy Mondays, The Gap Band, Bizarre Inc and Incredible Bongo Band, as well as unlikely sources like Sun Ra and Uriah Heep. "We are living in an exciting time for music, in the sense that there are a lot of things up in the air" says vocalist/bassist Mattie Safer. "Hip Hop producers are making electro house. Club DJs are playing '70s rock edits. Guitar players are listening to James Brown again. It's like over the last 5 to 10 years everyone has thrown out what they knew and what they grew up in search of some new shit, and it's all come together in a beautiful mess." Perhaps the best way to understand The Rapture is to stop worrying about genres and labels and simply get into the music.