Death From Above 1979

Death from Above 1979 forged an explosive, high-volume approach built solely on drums, bass, vocals, and intermittent synth textures, channeling an aggressively distorted blend of punk, hard rock, and dance elements. In the early 2000s they ranked among the standout indie acts specializing in debauched, dance-oriented clamor, later pausing operations before returning with renewed intensity on the 2014 album The Physical World. Further refinement followed as they pared the arrangements to essentials on 2017’s Outrage! Is Now and expanded the textural range on 2021’s Is 4 Lovers.

Toronto-based Jesse F. Keeler on bass and synth and Sebastien Grainger on drums and vocals established Death from Above in 2001; the suffix “1979” was incorporated in 2004 after a legal resolution with the DFA imprint. Operating without a guitarist or additional members, the pair maximized their percussive framework across initial singles and the 2004 full-length You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine, which led to extensive touring with Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age.

October 2005 brought the remix collection Romance Bloody Romance, yet by the following August the duo announced their split, citing personal drift. Keeler subsequently formed MSTRKRFT with producer Al-P, while Grainger pursued solo work as Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains. Personal contact resumed in late 2010, prompting an official reunion announcement in February 2011 and a headline slot on the Coachella main stage that spring, after which they resumed regular live performances.

Nine years after their last release they issued the single “Trainwreck 1979” in summer 2014; it was swiftly followed by The Physical World, produced by Dave Sardy and reaching the album-chart Top 40. In 2017 the band shortened its name to Death from Above, mounted a U.S. tour that included Riot Fest, and unveiled the single “Freeze Me.” Later that year Last Gang and Warner Bros. released the back-to-basics third album Outrage! Is Now. Restoring the full name in 2021, they issued Is 4 Lovers, an effort that explored greater dynamic range and sonic experimentation.