Black Eyed Peas Mine The '80s For The Beginning

'The '80s was very unique — it launched humanity into hyper mode,' will.i.am tells SPIN about new album's sound.
By James Dinh

The Black Eyed Peas
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

With their feel-good party anthems, the Black Eyed Peas have never had a problem bridging the generation gap. And on their upcoming album, The Beginning, the group infuses their modern sound with classic '80s songs.

In the latest issue of SPIN, frontman will.i.am says that the album, due out on November 30, was recorded in hotel rooms around the world during BEP's last world tour.

"Our last record was just, 'Yo! We're making crazy beats — party, party, party!' " will.i.am told the magazine. "This one is more inspired by electro and dance music — it's the only thing alive at the moment. There are some songs where we're going all the way, but we mix it up. Some songs are 120 BPM and others are like 320."

The bandmates revealed that they're big fans of '80s music and pop culture and wanted to connect past and present on this LP.

"The '80s was very unique — it launched humanity into hyper mode," will.i.am said. "From then to now, we've transcended to a totally different culture, like, 'What?' Now we have high-definition, 3-D animation whereas the beginning was Tetris and Space Invaders. How did Space Invaders become Madden NFL? That's what we're doing — we're connecting the pixels."

Fans have already heard a taste of what's to come on The Beginning from lead single "The Time," which samples the "Dirty Dancing" theme song "(I've Had) the Time of My Life."

The BEP leader recalled cutting "The Time" in a hotel room. "We had no speakers so I had to hijack the hotel television set and plug my computer into it," he said. "I needed a new beat because I had to go DJ that night."

SPIN got the chance to preview some of the highlights of The Beginning, including "Do It Like This," which reportedly combines "two club-ready jams into one five-minute track." The song was made from leftover beats from will and Usher's "OMG" sessions.

The 12-song set also includes "XOXOXO," on which the magazine says will woos a lady via hilarious text message lines, and another track titled "Fashion Beats," which finds Fergie singing over disco/R&B band Chic's 1979 hit "My Forbidden Lover."

Which '80s classics do you hope to hear sampled on the new BEP album? Tell us in the comments!

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• Black Eyed Peas

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652080/20101111/black_eyed_peas.jhtml

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