The Phenomenal Handclap Band

With a debut unreleased album that featured members of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, TV on the Radio, L'Trimm, Calla, Mooney Suzuki, Oakley Hall, Antibalas, the Dap-Kings, Diamond Nights, Persephone's Bees, Si*Sé, and Apollo Heights, rumors circulated quickly from the get-go that the Phenomenal Handclap Band was a weighty endeavor, filled to the rim with both talent and potential. The New York collective was masterminded and formed by Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand, two underground club DJs struck with the desire to produce. They paired up under the name Embassy Sound Productions and got their chops behind the mixing board producing tracks for veteran soul musicians Joe Bataan and União Black. Those recordings garnered some attention, enough to give Collás and Marquand the clout to round up an underground soul/indie pop supergroup of sorts. Several sessions later — and after picking a new name and forming a core group of players (Patrick Wood, Luke O'Malley, Laura Marin, Bing Ji Ling, Pier Pappalardo, and Joan Tick) — a few singles were leaked to the Internet. Rooted in stylish, funky beats and groovy '60s and '70s culture, the songs grabbed the interest of Truth & Soul, which released a 7" single in April of 2009. A self-titled album soon followed in 2009 for Friendly Fire, and the album was reissued in 2010 by Tummy Touch. An album of remixes (Remixes) of songs from the album came out in 2010 as the Phenomenal Handclap Band's popularity grew thanks to bloggers and their fun live show. After parting ways with Tick, the group recorded its second album, Form & Control, at the legendary RAK Studios in London. It was released by Tummy Touch in early 2012.