ULTRAS – Stepping Out (MC Almond Milk Remix): Premiere

Glasgow’s ULTRAS released their self-titled debut album on 28 Apr via Hello Thor and Instinctive Racoon. The album sees several collaborations with the likes of Jonnie Common and Miaoux Miaoux, the latter of whom recently joined Franz Ferdinand. Another collaboration has come in the form of an MC Almond Milk remix of one of our favourite cuts from the record, Stepping Out.

Of the track, ULTRAS frontman Gav Prentice tells us: "The album version of this song was produced by Jonnie Common, and we indulged our love of 90s hip-hop and R’n’B when making the beats. Jonnie's "wee bro" and partner in CARBS, MC Almond Milk (aka Jamie Scott) did this remix, and I feel like it's still got that love of hip-hop in there, though it gets more expansive with the layers of synths in it. By the end it feels [like] full-on synth-pop. I'm no stranger to the synth-pop party, it's a place I like to be, and actually this remix has ended up reminding me a bit of my previous band Over the Wall.

"Lyrically, I'm singing from the point of view of a seasoned drinker who's come to a point in his life, where he feels like he needs to make a change – where he's failing to adapt to domesticity, but feels detached from his social life too," Prentice explains. "It's about searching for community and security in the wrong places. The 'lonely on the dancefloor' feeling is definitely reflected in those synths that Jamie put on there."

ULTRAS play MugStock, Mugdock Country Park, Nr Milngavie, 30 Jul, and Doune the Rabbit Hole, Cardross Estate, Stirling, 20 Aug.