The songs that influenced the musician’s new solo album.

Although Hot Chip haven’t released an album since 2015, their frontman Mr Alexis Taylor has been quietly but studiously carving out a solo music career for himself, and is set to release his latest album, Beautiful Thing, on 20 April. Mr Taylor describes the album as being about “a few different things: escapism, music as a gift, friendship, dreaming, love, songwriting, success”. A mixture of electronic soul music and ambient dub pop, Mr Taylor tells us that its dreamy quality was influenced by “writing in solitude, writing in dreams, remembering dream-songs, trying to understand what is going on in my head”. But what is going on in his head? To try and figure it out, we asked Mr Taylor to tell us through what he’s best at: music. Below, you’ll find a playlist of the songs that influenced his approach to the album.

Listen to Mr Alexis Taylor’s exclusive Spotify playlist here

**Mr George Michael, “A Different Corner” (1986) **

“This is a spacious electronically produced torch song from George Michael, and my favourite recording of his. You can hear its influence on ‘I Thought This Was Ours’ on the first solo album Rubbed Out, but also it was just a starting point to talk about with [producer] Tim Goldsworthy when I began making the new album. I didn’t try to write anything like this, but I have always liked its atmosphere. The space and artificially reverberant sound of this as well as George’s use of almost ambient/New-Age sounds has something in common with the next track.”

Spiritualized, “Feel So Sad” (1991)

“The slow-building atmosphere of this was something I was interested in. This was a song I probably bought on single in about 1996 and have returned to it often. For a band who went on to make records with quite a classic garage-rock feel in places, this period and this track in particular appeal to me in terms of their minimalist approach. It’s repetitive and glossy sounding, like the George Michael track, and also incorporates an influence from the likes of Steve Reich and Philip Glass. I was listening to minimal and ambient music ahead of making my album, and this has something in common with both.”

Mr Gavin Bryars, “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet” (1971/1993)

“This was probably what I listened to the most throughout the early stages of making the record. I was hoping to make something as stretched out as this. I think you can hear its influence in ‘There’s Nothing To Hide’.”

Mr Brian Eno, Music For Airports (1978)

“I mixed this coming out of Miles Davis’ In A Silent Way and then into the Spiritualized track discussed above, in a DJ set soon before I began working on the new record. It is also influential on the idea of making ‘Beautiful’ – slow-building, ambient-related music.”

Mr Mark Hollis, “The Colour Of Spring” (1998)

“Perhaps more of an influence on the Piano LP of mine, this was nonetheless something I spent a long time rediscovering and thinking about ahead of making the album.”

Sly And The Family Stone, “Just Like A Baby” (1971)

“[I like] the Rhythm Ace drum machine with live drums or electronic piano laid over the top –the loose feel and the improvised feel of vocal performances. These are permanent touchstones for me, but at that point Tim [Goldsworthy] and I were talking about these Sly Stone records in relation to some of my ballads/grooves.”

Rhythm & Sound, “King In My Empire” (2001)

“The bass and the emphasis on strange textural sounds in this and other Rhythm & Sound records were very important to me as sonic reference points for the record.”

**Mr Neil Young, Dead Man soundtrack (1995) **

“I have always loved the atmosphere of this. Parts of what Susumu Mukai played on ‘Dreaming Another Life’ remind me of the mood of this record.”

Beautiful Thing (Domino Records) by Mr Alexis Taylor is out 20 April