the japanese popstars featuring robert smith

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Northern Ireland electro trio The Japanese Popstars will release their second album — first on Astralwerks — on June 21. Controlling Your Allegiance is packed with massive beats and big guest appearances in a bid for stardom on the level of festival bangers like The Chemical Brothers, Underworld or Justice.

Much like Crystal Castles before them, The Japanse Popstars recruited The Cure's Robert Smith to lend his signature voice. What began as a blind email (that ended up in Smith's spam folder) resulted in "Take Forever," a melancholy track that echoes the 80's in a fresh way:




Tom Smith of Editors, who have gotten the remix treatment from The Japanese Popstars for "Papillon," contributes vocals to "Joshua." The track starts out deliberate and moody, but when it kicks in at 1:06 there's a definite David Gahan/Depeche Mode vibe:




"Destroy" features Jon Spencer, of Blues Explosion fame, in a haunting track and equally creepy video:




Chicago house icon Green Velvet collaborated on the late night party anthem "Let Go":




And Mercury Prize-nominated Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan helps bring out the softer side of The Japanese Popstars in "Song For Lisa":




There's at least one other guest vocal — "Fight The Night" features the ethereal Morgan Kibby of M83. Count me in. Check the full tracklist for Controlling Your Allegiance:

1. Let Go
2. Catapult
3. Song For Lisa
4. Tomorrow Man
5. Take Forever
6. Fight The Night
7. Building Block
8. Destroy
9. Shells Of Silver
10. Falcon Punch
11. Joshua