Dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip emerged from Westcliff, Essex as an act whose blend of spoken poetry, electronic rhythms, and influences spanning punk through Motown proved even trickier to categorize than the comparable acts LCD Soundsystem and the Streets. The pair, both alumni of St. Thomas More High School for Boys, first began collaborating in October 2006 when David Meads sought out Dan Stephens at a concert to rework several spoken-word pieces Meads had already created. A bearded performance poet steeped in classical verse, Meads adopted the stage name Scroobius Pip—intentionally misspelled—from the title character of Edward Lear’s poem “The Scroobious Pip,” while Stephens, previously known for electronic productions under the moniker DJ Sac in a deliberately crude anatomical reference, adjusted the name to the more formal Dan Le Sac. After uploading initial tracks to MySpace, the duo generated intense online attention with “Thou Shalt Always Kill,” a rapid-fire poetic critique set to a stuttering electronic rhythm and packed with allusions to pop culture and music. Although the lyrics included a pointed critique of NME, the publication still selected the track as its Track of the Year that April. Following extensive touring and sets at Glastonbury Festival, Reading & Leeds Festival, and Bestival, the debut album Angles appeared in the U.K. in May 2008 and reached the United States that September via Strange Famous.
