Prinzhorn Dance School

by Heather Phares
Brighton, Englands Prinzhorn Dance School strips indie rock down to its sparest, nerviest essence, combining shouted, slogan-like vocals, clattering rhythms, and the occasional twangy or rumbling guitar in their minimalist, mysterious songs. Tobin and Suzy Horn took the name of Dr. Hans Prinzhorn, who collected the art of his mentally ill patients, as inspiration for their own work, and began writing and recording songs in an abandoned chapel in Portsmouth. After about a year and a half of songwriting and playing a few gigs, the duo sent their demo to five of their favorite labels. They ended up signing to DFA Records in 2006, becoming the labels least electronic-oriented act. That November, they released their first single, You Are the Space Invader/Eat, Sleep, as a 7 limited to 500 copies. The duo began recording their debut album early in 2007, beginning with sessions in a cottage in Devon that were scrapped in favor of recording in a Sussex barn. Prinzhorn Dance School then traveled to New York to mix the album with DFAs James Murphy, Tim Goldsworthy, and Eric Broucek and play some dates opening for LCD Soundsystem. The group was due to return to North America a few months later to open for LCD Soundsystems spring tour, but were unable to due to visa issues. The bands second single, Up! Up! Up!/Hamworthy Sports and Leisure Center, was issued later that spring, and a third, Crackerjack Docker, was released in summer 2007 just a few weeks before their self-titled debut arrived.