The Yeah Yeah Yeahs liked working at the Sonic Ranch in Tornillo so much on their last album that they returned there to record their new one, "Mosquito," due April 16.
The trio of singer Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase worked up material in Manhattan, then spent three weeks, from April 9-30, last year, according to studio owner Tony Rancich.
The album was produced with TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek and Nick Launay, with one song produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundystem fame, with Kool Keith, aka Dr. Octagon, guesting on one track.
"SO much feeling went into this record," O says in a press release today announcing the album, "it was the rope ladder thrown down into the ditch for us to climb up and dust ourselves off. I hope others can climb up it too; we're excited to share the good vibes.
The album was demoed in Manhattan "with drum machines, a s---- sample keyboard and tons of delay — which we called the soup," she said, calling it a "more playful, lo-fi approach to songwriting."
Most of the album was recorded over the three weeks they spent at Sonic Ranch, where the gruop cut its third album, 2009's "It's Blitz!," in 2008.
"I think this album has more moodier, tripped-out songs than you've ever heard from us. You might catch some roots reggae and minimalist psychedelia influences in there," she said, adding it was "kind of raw, kind of chaotic, kind of dreamy. Very us."
No word on a tour yet, or local show, though they did follow the release of "It's Blitz!" with a sold-out show that year at Club 101's Airway location.
The band members all kept busy with solo projects in the interim between albums, including a Dec. 22 DJ set by Zinner at The Network.
The group, rumored to play Coachella this year (in April), has released a 59-second teaser video to promote "Mosquito."
The press release, btw, identified Tornillo as Tornilla.
In related news, Rancich confirmed that pop-rockers Hanson, who've recorded there before, and gypsy rockers Gogol Bordello worked on new projects recently at Sonic Ranch. Imagine if they cut an album together.
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