The new album from electropop act Confidence Man, 'TILT', is one grounded in escapism and a desire for pure euphoria amidst a chaotic reality.
This is the second body of work from the group.Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie are back after their huge debut album 'Confident Music For Confident People', and they're ready to give it to you, full tilt.
Written during lockdown, 'TILT' takes everything fans have come to expect from Confidence Man and cranks it up a few notches, as Sugar Bones explains.
"I think [with the first album] we were still patching it all together sonically and still figuring out what we were doing.
"I think with 'TILT' we had that groundwork set and we wanted to go bigger," he says.
"We've all developed a bit in what we can do in the studio. We were ready to take it to the next level and push the sound as far as we could."
And push it, they do. 'TILT''s influences are far-ranging and there's something on offer for everyone – whether you're prepped to let loose on the dance floor, or a moody, back and forth sway is what you desire.
Elements of '90s R&B and house music are sprinkled delicately throughout the work – a record which is all the best bits of 'Confident Music For Confident People' plus a few added years of experience and expertise.
Something has clicked, and it feels like a different thing. "It was very much like 'Groundhog Day' but with bangers," Sugar says of the recording process.
"It was the four of us, nine to five, week after week, in our home studio.
"Looking back, it's like this psychological thing where it's hard for memories to develop when you're living a repetitive life. In my mind it feels like this big memory soup of bangers."
Throughout 'TILT', listeners can expect more of an exploration of the band's characters, particularly Janet and Sugar, two stoic, powerful figures with, until now, little below the surface.
"We wanted to expand it ideologically – who Janet was, who Sugar was. . . I think we wanted to keep the empowered stance in the view of the album but we also wanted to show a bit of a softer side," Sugar explains.
"Janet's a bitch, in a good way, but she's got a heart too. We didn't want to continually paint these characters in a one-dimensional way.
"We gave ourselves a bit more freedom to write about different things [too], we wanted to maintain a bit of that 'First Class Bitch'-iness that's still there, but make this a bit more universal and unifying."
With more freedom for expression, the group have had a lot of fun in the lead up to 'TILT''s release, in the form of fake brand deals, unhinged album press conferences and merch drops (bobble heads, sunscreen and condoms to name a few).
"We've 'sold out' to this corporation and it was 'always a matter of time' before we sold out," Sugar says, describing the concept behind the roll-out.
"That's part of our ethos and always has been! We're bringing the 'sell-out' back."
Of course, much of Confidence Man's appeal is their live set. Popping up at festivals across the globe all the way to intimate venues in our own backyard, the group presents a no-holds barred experience packed with choreography, costume changes and even audience participation.
It's safe to say their upcoming 'TILT' tour will be no exception. "Janet's been pumping out some crazy new costumes that everyone's going to get to see once this album's out, and we've been rehearsing the new live show with all the new tracks over the last few months.
"Building it, putting it together, all the new gags, it's going to be a whole new world," Sugar teases.
"It'll be loud, in your face, you're going to get sprayed with champagne and other bodily fluids. Get ready to go on a nice little journey with us.
"[The live set] quickly developed into something that we realised could be really engrossing and draw people in.
"We step on to the stage and we become Janet and Sugar, and Clarence and Reggie. These people, they don't mess around. They like to dominate. . . Everyone's dominating each other, in a very happy way. A willing domination."
When it comes to playing to a live audience, Sugar says "you can almost force everyone into letting go".
It was 2018 when Confidence Man gave us their debut album. Four years and a global pandemic later, it's about damn time we let go again. Welcome to 'TILT' world.
'Tilt' is now available.
Confidence Man 2022 Tour Dates
Fri 22 Jul - Splendour In The Grass (Byron Bay)Fri 5 Aug - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 6 Aug - Northcote Theatre (Melbourne)
Fri 12 Aug - Hobart Uni Bar
Thu 18 Aug - Darwin Festival
Sat 20 Aug - Metropolis (Perth)
Fri 26 Aug - The Fortitude Music Hall (Brisbane)
Sat 27 Aug - The Hindley Street Music Hall (Adelaide)
