NZCA LINES

Michael Lovett operates the NZCA Lines project, merging '90s R&B grooves, Beach Boys vocal harmonies, and science-fiction motifs into polished, retro-futuristic synth-pop constructions. His initial presentation of this swooning style arrived via the 2012 album NZCA/Lines, which he expanded upon with 2016's Infinite Summer. The resulting Timbaland-meets-Philip K. Dick aesthetic supplied a focused conceptual framework that distinguished the work from peers and collaborators including Hot Chip, Metronomy, and Christine and the Queens, with whom he both toured and recorded. NZCA Lines further differentiated itself from the broader electro-pop landscape through 2020's Pure Luxury, a funky and satirical examination of the period's political and ecological upheavals.

During his late-2000s tenure as bassist and backing vocalist in Your Twenties, Lovett also developed crisp synth-pop material alongside housemate Charlie Alex March, an artist on Lo Recordings. He adopted the NZCA Lines moniker from Peruvian geoglyphs and drew songwriting cues from authors such as Italo Calvino before issuing music under the name starting in 2011. The debut EP Nazca surfaced on Tokyo's Big Love label, while Loaf issued the singles "Compass Points" and "Okinawa Channels." With production by March and mixing by Ash Workman, the breezy yet melancholy full-length NZCA/Lines reached listeners in February 2012. Although Lovett continued NZCA Lines work and released the 2014 single "New Atmosphere," contributions on guitar and synths to Christine and the Queens' debut album Chaleur Humaine, plus live and studio duties with Metronomy and completion of an illustration degree, postponed his second album. Drawing inspiration from science-fiction authors Arthur C. Clarke and Philip K. Dick as well as Daft Punk's Interstella 5555, the expansive Infinite Summer showcased Charlotte Hatherley alongside Hot Chip's Sarah Jones upon its 2016 arrival. Beyond supporting tours, Lovett sustained sideman roles with Metronomy and Christine and the Queens, appearing on the latter's 2020 EP People, I've Been Sad. For the third album, Lovett shifted methods toward a more straightforward collection shaped by the late-2010s and early-2020s political climate in the U.S. and U.K.; Pure Luxury incorporated musical references to Sinnamon and '90s-era Beck. Joining Jones were drummers Kwake Bass and Liam Hutton, with VIAA and the group King contributing vocals. Memphis Industries issued Pure Luxury in July 2020.