MGMT
Formed: 2002
Location: Middletown, Connecticut, USA
Genre: Synthpop, Indie Pop
Years Active: 2004 -
Meaning of the Name: Management
Core Members: Andrew VanWyngarden, Benjamin Goldwasser
Way of Working: Collaborative
Essential Releases
Oracular Spectacular (2008)
Debut album. Undeniably catchy synth-pop with a satirical edge.
Little Dark Age (2018)
Synth-pop with a darker edge.
MGMT provided the soundtrack to the feel-good summer of 2008 with their party album Oracular Spectacular. It was a more innocent time, before the looming financial collapse that would come only two years later. For many young people, the album was playing in the background as they had their first relationship, their first kiss, or their first all-night rave. It summed up the greatness of youth, was adored on American college campuses, and became an integral part of the university experience, selling over two million copies in the US alone.
Knowing the future always came knocking, with its bad backs and overdue mortgage payments, the songs were called things like 'Time to Pretend' and 'Future Reflections'. However, such knowledge grants young people the opportunity to live in the now, because in the now they are free.
Inevitably, the slow march of time came for MGMT themselves. As the university kids got older, so did they, and although their next record reached #2 in the US, it began a downward spiral of creativity which saw them burned out with a classic case of second-album syndrome.
On Oracular Spectacular, the songwriting came from free-flowing, long jam sessions. When faced with the time constraints of real life they planned their songs meticulously and they lost their carefree "magic", as they discussed with Interview Magazine. The rot continued into their third LP but on their fourth, called Little Dark Age, almost in acknowledgement of their turbulent time, they revitalised their sound by accepting the limitations of adulthood by allowing other people to contribute to their creative process for the first time.
Previously, they were perfectionists, afraid to make mistakes, agonising over small details. When Ariel Pink came in to help them with songwriting he penned lyrics in five minutes, showing that being spontaneous and free in the adult world means allowing yourself to grow from getting things wrong. It worked. The band had their pop mojo back, releasing a quality album that ranked on the year-end lists of magazines such as Slant and Under the Radar.
Ranging from boundary-pushing experimentation to upbeat infectious melodies, MGMT's career continues to provide sunshine in an increasingly dark world, proving that maintaining the optimism of youth can be, perhaps, even more important as we age.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
85
Mental Impact
65
Originality
70
Artistry
70
Authenticity
45
Live
60
Production
80
Musicianship
65
Singing
70
Songwriting
90
Danceability
80
Fun
90
Consistency
65
Range
65
Cool
30
Charisma
45
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards >>>
- Grammy Award Nominations x2:
Certifications >>>
- Oracular Spectacular: Platinum in USA, Australia, Canada, the UK; Gold in France, Germany
- Congratulations: Silver in the UK
Charts >>>
- Oracular Spectacular: #6 in Australia; #8 in UK
- Congratulations: #2 in USA; #4 in the UK
Critics >>>
- NME: Oracular Spectacular - Best Albums of 2008: #1
- Rolling Stone: Oracular Spectacular - 500 Greatest Albums of all Time (2012): #494
