Hadouken Return

Their new album is out this week and James spoke to MTV…

16:40, Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Hadouken are back with their own record label and a new album For The Masses that looks set to smash the Top 10 this Sunday.

We speak to band founder James to find out what has changed since the group have been away….

Hi James, what’s different about Hadouken?

The first thing that’s happened to us is we’ve had a break and changed our sound. We’ve tried to make it more mature and more intense.

When we recorded our first album we’d only been touring for six months so we weren’t catering for live audiences. Now we’ve been writing songs that will work for live places. We are a party band and we’re making music for that!

How did For The Masses come together?

The album changed a lot from me working on demos in my bedroom to what it is now. It went from being indie and rock to dance. I was listening to The Chemical Brothers’ Surrender and Leftfield’s debut album- We wanted to understand how albums can work as a complete package.

How has your sound changed?

We wear our influences on our sleeves but still make our own unique sound. There’s a song where there is a nod to Michael Jackson. We made it before he died.

In this country when you release your second album no one gives a shit. We’ve made an album that is heavy with a breakbeat and dubstep sound. Since our last album we’ve had Chase & Status and the new Prodigy album and it feels satisfying to consider that.

Why are you releasing the record on your own label?

We signed a record deal for one album. The label wanted to renegotiate and we decided we wanted to do it ourselves with our own investors. I’m a bit of a control freak anyway!

I think the (old) label made some bad decisions so this time the profits will be much better.

Do you think the new record will earn you new fans?

We’ve always said to our fans that we were not gonna stay the same, The new songs are going down better than the old stuff- so that’s a good sign. We are gonna lose fans but some will embrace it.

FOR THE MASSES IS OUT NOW

Interview By Tom Thorogood

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