YACHT Shangri-La

Since partnering with Claire Evans and signing to DFA, Jona Bechtolt has expanded the sound of his YACHT project beyond its laptop-pop origins to include aspects of performance art, science fiction mythology, and pseudo-cultish iconography. Whether one buys into the far-out philosophy of partying and triangles is really irrelevant to enjoying YACHT’s radiant dance music though. 2009’s See Mystery Lights featured exuberant sing-alongs like “Psychic City” and autotuned Timbaland-esque jams like “I’m in Love With a Ripper,” and new release Shangri-La looks to build on that success. The first mp3 leaked from the album, “Dystopia (The Earth is On Fire) may have lyrics about the burning world and the jackals returning, but the emphatic hook and pristine production belie the heavy subject matter.

Abstract by Wilson McBee