M.I.A. is hard at work wrapping up her third album, working with longtime collaborators Diplo and Switch and newcomer Blaqstarr to get the album out this summer. But a new collaborator has emerged for the album too; Derek Miller of buzzed-about Brooklyn boom-boom-bappers Sleigh Bells was revealed as a producer on the album via Diplo’s Twitter. It’s obviously a coup for the Bells, who haven’t even gotten signed or recorded a proper album yet, but M.I.A. is apparently a fan, as she has been spotted at Sleigh Bells shows in New York.
M.I.A.’s album is due this summer, while a Sleigh Bells album is due out in 2011 (supposedly). [Pitchfork]