Miles away from the sparkling dance-pop hit “Latch” featuring Sam Smith, Disclosure released the darkly textured track “Arachnids” on Friday. Disclosure, made up of brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, also released a stripped-back music video featuring fans breaking into dance as they listen to the shape-shifting single.
Written and produced by Guy, he described “Arachnids” as “an ever-evolving creative puzzle of sound design and groove exploration,” which took months to arrange. A 10-minute drum machine jam served as the spine of the single, while ethereal vocal effects and warped synths offered additional support.
“For me, 'Arachnids' is kind of like a diary entry of where my skills in music are currently at, in terms of mix and production,” Guy wrote in a statement. “I wanted to ask myself questions like, 'How far can I stretch and evolve this fairly simple drum loop? Can it go through almost multiple genres along the way? Do I need more than one chord? Can the kick be the bassline?'”
Disclosure filmed the music video at London industrial club Venue Mot and featured close-up fan reactions as they listened to “Arachnids” for the first time. As the song title implies, the video, directed by Uncanny, also inserts images of spindly-legged insects.
Disclosure brought their high-energy mixes to San Francisco for the Portola Music Festival in September and flew down for the Miami-based festival III Points earlier this month. On Sept. 20, the duo released the gritty house track “in2minds” with Scottish DJ and producer Chris Lake, and in May, “She's Gone, Dance On,” a summery anthem that samples “Dance On” a 1978 song by Italian composer Ennio Morricone. For Lawrence, “Arachnids” reflects the evolution of his electronic music taste.
“There was so much creative freedom and so many nerdy moments in the studio, but with the aim of keeping the foundation and groove simple and concise,” Guy wrote. “It's not gonna be one you can sing along to, but I hope you get a lot of enjoyment from it. I know I did.”