The Ting Tings, 'Hands' -- Song Premiere

Posted on Aug 19th 2010 5:01PM by Mike Ayers
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Columbia

In 2008, British pop duo the Ting Tings struck gold with the singles 'That's Not My Name' and 'Shut Up and Let Me Go' from their first album, 'We Started Nothing.' Now, determined not to make the same track twice, they've just released their newest single 'Hands,' off their forthcoming sophomore set 'Massage Kunst,' which is due out this fall. Fans will notice a decidedly more electro-pop approach that ditches guitar hooks for fast-paced synth jams. To get that sound just right, they hooked up with electro-disco-clash master Calvin Harris, who had previously done a few remixes for 'We Started Nothing.'

"We record our own music and play all the parts, so like on our first record it was important for us to get some distance from our production in the mix process," the Ting Tings' Katie White tells Spinner. "Calvin creates amazing pop mixes with his own music. We imagine him to work in similar ways to ourselves, avoiding many traditional recording methods in commercial conveyor-type studios. All our best music is produced in a self-created bubble zone, a personal space, carving up ideas and impatiently recording live performances. He was quick as hell and nailed all the main points of the track instantly. A good mix should make you feel even better about your track. We lost nothing and gained everything with his mix."

Like a lot of work Harris is involved in, 'Hands' sounds akin to something you'd hear in a dance club more than anywhere else. White says it was the first song the group wrote after a marathon 18 months on the road, and the lyrics reflect this idea in a way, as the crux of the song has White gleefully singing "clap your hands if you're working too hard."

"Traveling around the world, we saw how hard people worked," she says. "With our hectic tour schedule, we experienced it firsthand. People should have a little more time for themselves."

Listen to 'Hands'

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