January 23, 2009

The Prodigy's new album builds on rave roots, writes Craig
Mathieson.

LIAM Howlett swears that the Prodigy's forthcoming new album, Invaders Must Die, is finished. "It's done, man. Delivered," says the songwriter behind the seminal English stadium beats trio.

In a musical scene where bands come and go over the course of a single album and artists fret about being out of the public eye for more than six months, the Prodigy work to their own internal rhythm. It has been five years since their last studio album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, with only a greatest hits package, 2005's Their Law: The Singles, to tide fans over.

"I'd like to deliver a record quicker, but we do a lot of touring," says Howlett, who has just finished a day in his London studio working on B-sides. "I don't know where the time goes, I really, really don't. Coming off the back of the singles album there weren't too many hiccups. I probably wasted loads of time at the beginning working with another producer — complete waste of time, that — and thinking I'll get all these other people in. It just works better with me."

For all the time Howlett lavishes on them, the Prodigy's albums rarely sound belaboured. He layers razor-sharp drum tracks and urgent keyboard parts together, repeatedly adding new elements to already frenetic tracks, before bringing in the band's two vocalists, the emblematic Keith Flint and the equally energetic Maxim. Neither appeared on Always Outnumbered, with Howlett preferring guests and samples, but they're an integral part of Invaders Must Die, which is released on February 21.

"It feels like a band album. I try to make a different record every time I do an album, and this record feels triumphant," Howlett says. "It's pure fist-in-the-air, very up. It's not dark, it's pure energy and it's quite euphoric in the same way as early rave music was. It pulls some inspiration from those early rave records, say '90 or '91. I pulled a lot of records out of my collection from that time to listen to. It's not a retro record, but it has elements of that era."

The original incarnation of the Prodigy was heavily involved in the English rave scene at that time, with early singles such as Charly providing a soundtrack for the explosion of warehouse parties and rural raves. It was a time when youth culture was in conflict with the authorities, a clash that the 37-year-old Howlett believes was as essential to great music then as it is now.

"If you look inside that you've got a lot of amazing music in Britain by kids on that street trip — all the urban, all the grime shit. That's really creative," he says. "Something good will always come out of something bad. Hip hop came out of all sorts of trouble here in the '80s, as did punk rock before that. It's my job to keep on top of it, to keep my ear to the ground."

This year's Big Day Out is the Prodigy's fourth, following 1996, 1997 and 2002, and their evening sets demonstrate the band's ability to create a fervent, expectant atmosphere. Howlett will tweak that audio alchemy from gig to gig.

"With the laptop, at any moment — on a plane, in a hotel room — I can be writing music," he says. "When we play live, someone can come to five gigs in a row and there will be lots of different things happening. They'll hear something I wrote the previous night, or that morning on the tour bus. The show will always be evolving. That's the great thing about electronic music and we have to play to that strength."

The Prodigy play at Big Day Out on Monday and the Palace on Thursday.

With the laptop, at any moment — on a plane, in a hotel room — I can be writing music," he says. "When we play live, someone can come to five gigs in a row and there will be lots of different things happening. They'll hear something I wrote the previous night, or that morning on the tour bus. The show will always be evolving.

i really like this part

what new things dude?you play the sdame things over and over again.i think liam lives in his own reality

i don't see this album to stay on top and in the general public perception for more than 2 years.it's too cheesy and pop sounding you know.so please liam drop another one in like 3 years,don't make us wait for another 5 or 7,we know you're getting older but release stugg more frequently.if not a entire album,at least a ep,or a maxi-single

MFTJG was made in a year and a half.

it's not about the time spent creating,but the duration between releases.it took him a year and a half to write imd,but 5 years passed from aono

what new things dude?you play the sdame things over and over again.i think liam lives in his own reality