Gang Gang Dance were formed in 2001 by keyboardist Brian DeGraw and drummer Tim DeWit, who first met in
Washington, D.C. in 1993 and played in The Cranium. In 1998 the band released one album,
A New Music for a New Kitchen on the
Slowdime record label, which was described as "deconstructionist anti-music" and "insane, rule-breaking almost-noise", before breaking up. While on tour, DeGraw and DeWit met vocalist Liz Bougatsos (who joined them some years later), a frontwoman for an experimental New York band called Russia at the time. After The Cranium's breakup, DeGraw and DeWit relocated to New York City. DeGraw, along with guitarist Josh Diamond (later a Gang Gang Dance member too), performed in film director
Harmony Korine's experimental project SSAB Songs. In 2007, The Social Registry released
Retina Riddim DVD/CD, a year later
Saint Dymphna followed, marking a shift in the band's sound "...toward employing
grime as compositional elements, while relying on more structured electronic workouts in general." On July 22, 2009, Gang Gang Dance played on a Russian Ferry in Japanese waters with their friends the Boredoms during an eclipse. In 2010, the band received publishing
royalties from British group
Florence and the Machine. Members of Gang Gang Dance noticed that a line ('how quickly the glamour fades') in "
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" was lifted from their song "House Jam" and approached Florence and the Machine's label who acknowledged that
infringement had occurred.
Florence Welch, the band's singer and main songwriter, had openly talked about her love of the band in interviews prior to the discovery, and Gang Gang Dance are thanked in the liner notes of copies of the album printed before they contacted her management. Welch claims she always intended the band to be credited and receive royalties, saying the fact they didn't until the mistake was highlighted was an error on the part of her management. In 2010, Gang Gang Dance signed with British label
4AD. A limited-edition EP
Kamakura, recorded in 2007, was also released via
Latitudes in 2010. In 2011, they released the album
Eye Contact, which received wide acclaim, chosen as "Best New Music" by
Pitchfork who also named it as one of their top albums of the year as did
New York Magazine, and
The Guardian. Tracks off of the albums were remixed by
Lee "Scratch" Perry, Nguzunguzu, and gg. The band was chosen by
Animal Collective to perform at their
All Tomorrow's Parties festival in May 2011. In 2011 they also performed at Planeta Terra Festival in São Paulo, Meredith Fest in Australia, Le Guess Who Festival in Utrecht,
Teatro Fru Fru in Mexico, the Filter Block Party in LA, and Pitchfork Festival in Chicago. In 2013, founding member, Brian DeGraw, released a solo album under the moniker bEEdEEgEE. The album was called
Sum/One and came out on 4AD. On April 10, 2018, Gang Gang Dance announced their first album in seven years,
Kazuashita, and shared the first single "Lotus". The album was released on June 22 through 4AD. == Discography ==