Unshackled from the confines of a traditional album length offering, Django Django let their imagination run wild over 21 tracks of psychedelic-tinged electro art-pop. The album has been steadily brought out as a series of shorter releases, with the full opus now available together. All of these tracks were built from the computer up, with drummer Dave Maclean bringing beats that he had put together during lockdown and in the aftermath of 2021’s Glowing In The Dark. It’s not surprising then that the album can at times feel like a collection of vague sketches, albeit one that occasionally sputters to life in unexpected ways. 

This record is peppered with guest stars from the UK indie-music scene, which gives it the distinct feeling of being like a Gorillaz album where you don’t recognise any of the names. One exception is Self Esteem, whose star has ascended since she last joined forces with the band in 2018. Her turn on ‘Complete Me’ is an early highlight, plunging headfirst into early 90s rave. The result is surprisingly fun (and authentic), and later tracks in the same vein (such as ‘Don’t Touch That Dial’) pack a similar punch.  

At times though, the album seems to take the kaleidoscopic approach that has made Django Django so interesting in the past and stretch it beyond recognition. Beats and melodies that would be just one ingredient in their psychedelic soup on previous releases are isolated and used as a backbone for entire songs, dulling what makes them so distinct in the first place.  

Django Django’s ambition cannot be faulted though, and while there are stretches that drag, the highlights on Off Planet are summer-ready fun. While a little curation could have served up a tighter, more cohesive listen, there is also the distinct impression that if they didn’t throw everything at the wall then we wouldn’t get to see what sticks. 

Released on Friday 16 June