Electric | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Pet Shop Boys | ||||
Released | 12 July 2013 | |||
Recorded | November 2012 – April 2013 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:12 | |||
Label | x2 | |||
Producer | Stuart Price | |||
Pet Shop Boys chronology | ||||
|
||||
Singles from Electric | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 84/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Robert Christgau | |
Daily Mail | |
Drowned in Sound | (9/10) |
The Guardian | |
The Independent | |
Mojo | |
musicOMH | |
Q | |
The Telegraph | |
Pitchfork Media | 7.0/10 |
Electric is the twelfth studio album by English synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 12 July 2013, and is their first album not to be released on Parlophone. It was released on the duo's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services.
In their native United Kingdom, Electric was BBC Radio 2's Album of the Week from 8 July 2013. It features a collaboration with British singer-songwriter/rapper Example.
Electric hit No. 3 and No. 26 in the UK and US respectively, their highest chart performances in both territories in 20 years. The album also performed very well in other markets. It was supported by the Electric Tour which visited 46 countries through 112 concerts.
Pet Shop Boys recorded the album in London, Berlin and Los Angeles from November 2012 to April 2013. On 30 April 2013, the duo announced on their website that they had recorded the album over the "last six months", with "Fluorescent" in particular "written and recorded within the last month". Stuart Price was chosen to produce the album. Price finished mixing the album in late April 2013.
When Pet Shop Boys began working with Price, they made it clear that they wanted to make a "dance record". Price stated that his goal was for every track to have a "euphoric, fresh feel to it". The more dance-influenced nature of Electric was a response to the "reflective mood" of their previous album, Elysium.
The album is the first Pet Shop Boys studio album that was not released through Parlophone. The 28-year relationship between the duo and the label ended when Pet Shop Boys announced that Electric would be released through Kobalt Label Services. Pet Shop Boys subsequently announced that the album would appear on their own label, x2 (pronounced "times two"), under the Kobalt banner.Chris Lowe was given credit for naming the label. Pet Shop Boys intend to release all of their future albums on x2.
The album was simultaneously released worldwide on 15 July 2013 in four formats: CD, digital download, Playbutton and LP.