MGMT - ORACULAR SPECTACULAR

MGMT is an American rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. The group consists of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, who perform as composers and multi-instrumentalists. VanWyngarden is the band's lead vocalist and lyricist. Originally known as The Management, the duo adopted the name MGMT in 2005. The band formed while VanWyngarden and Goldwasser were attending Wesleyan University. They initially signed with Cantora Records before signing with Columbia Records and RED Ink in 2006. Their debut studio album, "Oracular Spectacular", was released in 2007 and featured the singles "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel" and "Kids". The Justice remix of "Electric Feel" won the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical, at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009. MGMT was nominated for Best New Artist at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010, while "Kids" was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The band also collaborated with Kid Cudi and Ratatat on "Pursuit of Happiness", which was subsequently remixed by Steve Aoki. Following the release of "Oracular Spectacular", touring musicians James Richardson, Will Berman and Matthew Asti joined the core members during the recording of the band's second studio album, "Congratulations", released on April 13, 2010. Their self-titled third studio album followed in September 2013. The fourth album, "Little Dark Age", was released in February 2018 and marked the end of the band's contract with Columbia Records. MGMT released their fifth studio album, "Loss of Life", in February 2024. VanWyngarden and Goldwasser formed the band during their first year at Wesleyan University in 2002. Initially, they explored noise rock and electronic music before developing a style that incorporated psychedelic pop and electronic influences. The two had attended the inaugural Bonnaroo Music Festival as fans that year. Under the name The Management, they released two demo albums, "We (Don't) Care" and "Climbing to New Lows". Because another band was already using the name, they subsequently shortened it to MGMT. While attending Wesleyan, they also became acquainted with Francis and the Lights, with whom they later toured. VanWyngarden and Goldwasser graduated in 2005 and toured in support of their "Time to Pretend" EP, released that year, including performances as an opening act for the indie pop band of Montreal. In autumn 2006, MGMT signed with Columbia Records after being approached by the label's A&R department. The duo recorded their major-label debut, "Oracular Spectacular", with producer Dave Fridmann in 2007. During an autumn 2007 tour supporting of Montreal, the group performed as a five-piece band featuring Asti on bass, Richardson on drums and Hank Sullivant on guitar. In November 2007, MGMT made its European live debut at KOKO in London, where it supported Samantha and The Courteeners. Sullivant left the touring lineup in 2008 to concentrate on his band Kuroma. Berman joined as drummer, while Richardson moved from drums to guitar and Asti continued on bass. In June 2008, MGMT supported Radiohead during the Manchester date of the band's world tour. Later that year, MGMT headlined a tour of the United Kingdom and performed at festivals and concerts in North America and Australia. The band also opened for M.I.A. at a performance at Vassar College and played several shows with Beck. MGMT appeared at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2008 and 2009, the Virgin Music Festival in Toronto in September 2008 and the Street Scene festival in San Diego in 2008. In February 2009, the band performed alongside Spectrum at the Dome in Finsbury Park, London. That year, it also appeared at Australia's Splendour in the Grass and Meredith Music Festival. On August 5 and 6, 2009, MGMT opened for Paul McCartney at Fenway Park in Boston. The band also performed at the Dockville Festival in Hamburg in August and headlined the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco in October. MGMT recorded "Congratulations" during the summer of 2009 in Malibu, California. The album was produced by Pete Kember, also known as Sonic Boom, formerly of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum, with Billy Bennett serving as engineer. The album's artwork was created by Anthony Ausgang, with packaging design by Josh Cheuse. Although the band initially indicated that it might not release singles from the album, several singles were subsequently issued. On March 9, 2010, MGMT made the song "Flash Delirium" available as a free download on its official website, and later that month it offered the album for streaming online. The band began its "Congratulations Tour" on April 12, 2010, at the Fillmore in San Francisco. In April and May, MGMT performed at university events and appeared on "Saturday Night Live" and "Late Show with David Letterman". On June 11, the group played a sold-out concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. Further television performances followed on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" in June and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" in July. In August, the band released a music video for "Congratulations". It also appeared at the 2010 Coachella Festival and performed at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans and Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. In early 2011, MGMT headlined a free concert in Mar del Plata, Argentina, before beginning its first Asian tour on February 22. On September 22, 2011, the band performed Pink Floyd's "Lucifer Sam" on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" as part of a programme dedicated to Pink Floyd. In January 2012, MGMT confirmed that work had begun on its third studio album. VanWyngarden had written several songs, and the band began recording with Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios on February 27. During a performance in Bogotá, Colombia, on March 30, 2012, MGMT premiered "Alien Days", a song that later appeared on the album. The band continued performing live throughout 2012 and early 2013 while completing the recording process. The studio version of "Alien Days" was released on April 20, 2013. MGMT undertook a series of concerts in North America during the spring, autumn and winter of that year. Following shoulder surgery for VanWyngarden in mid-2013, Sullivant returned as a touring guitarist for the remainder of the year. The self-titled album "MGMT" was released on September 17, 2013. An early release, accompanied by a full-length music video titled "Optimizer", was made available through the Rdio music service on September 9. The band performed at the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware in June 2013 and returned to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2014. It subsequently toured Europe and appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2014. In July, the music video for "Your Life Is a Lie" received a nomination in the Best Editing category at the MTV Video Music Awards. Following the touring period, Goldwasser relocated to Los Angeles. In late 2014, the band announced plans for a short break before returning with new music. In April 2015, Berman described the band as taking a break after several years of activity, while indicating that further work was planned. In December 2015, MGMT announced that it expected to return in 2016. The group began working on a new album in October 2016. On May 8, 2017, the band announced the title "Little Dark Age" through a teaser video posted on Instagram. The album was mastered by June 2017. Its title track was released as the lead single on October 17, marking the band's first single in four years. "When You Die" followed on December 12, 2017, and "Hand It Over" was released on January 5, 2018. "Little Dark Age" was released on February 9, 2018. During interviews about the album, the band discussed the comparatively limited commercial reception of its two preceding albums and the expectations created by the success of "Oracular Spectacular". VanWyngarden and Goldwasser had initially worked remotely, exchanging material by email, before resuming collaborative work in person. The album incorporated electronic pop and synth-pop elements and reflected the members' responses to contemporary political and social developments, including the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. The song "James" was dedicated to touring guitarist James Richardson in recognition of his friendship with the band. The release was followed by a North American tour as part of the "Little Dark Age Tour". On November 22, 2019, MGMT performed a new song, "In the Afternoon", in Las Vegas, Nevada. A preview of the studio recording was posted on the band's Instagram account on December 10, and the single was officially released the following day with an accompanying music video created by the band. The release was the group's first following its departure from Columbia Records and the first issued through its independent label, MGMT Records. On March 20, 2020, the band released "As You Move Through the World". In June 2021, MGMT indicated through social media posts that it was working on new music. On November 11, 2022, MGMT released "11•11•11", a live album documenting a performance at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City on November 11, 2011. On January 17, 2023, the band announced plans to release a new album and return to touring after a period of nearly four years. A photograph posted by VanWyngarden in September 2023 included the phrase "elf of soils", which was interpreted by fans as an anagram of "Loss of Life". On May 13, 2023, MGMT performed at the Just Like Heaven festival in Pasadena, California, in a set commemorating the 15th anniversary of "Oracular Spectacular". The performance featured the album played in its entirety, with revised arrangements of several songs, theatrical props and short interludes referencing the band's history. In October 2023, attendees at a listening event organised by Pitchblack Playback at Riverside Studios in London received a flexidisc titled "Bubblegum Dog". The disc featured a spoken-word monologue that prompted speculation among fans about forthcoming music. On October 31, 2023, MGMT released "Mother Nature", the lead single from its fifth studio album, "Loss of Life". The band also confirmed the album's title, track listing and release date. The second single, "Bubblegum Dog", was released on November 29, 2023, without the spoken-word monologue featured on the flexidisc. "Nothing to Declare" followed on January 10, 2024, and "Dancing in Babylon", featuring Christine and the Queens, was released on February 20. "Loss of Life" was released in February 2024. On November 10, 2025, MGMT began recording its sixth studio album with producer Dave Fridmann. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGMT Studio albums Oracular Spectacular (2007) Congratulations (2010) MGMT (2013) Little Dark Age (2018) Loss of Life (2024) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.