The 2 Bears to release album

The 2 Bears, aka Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) and Raf Daddy, has announced the release of their debut full-length, Be Strong, which will come out digitally on January 31st via DFA Records, with the physical release following in the spring. The band has shared a new music video for “Work,” the first single from Be Strong, which you can check out on DFA’s vimeo page.

A London record through and through, Be Strong ducks and weaves to the myriad sounds of the city, as The 2 Bears pursue the perfect party record. Alongside tracks like “Be Strong,” “Church” and the mighty “Bear Hug” – a pummeling treatise on the benefits of the peak time dancefloor cuddle. Raf and Joe mutate genres into previously unheard territories of dancehall country on the bouncing prison yard lament “Time In Mind” and garage reggae on “Heart Of the Congos,” a track that manages to simultaneously channel both Wookie and early ‘80s Madness before placing them each at a system in the heart of Notting Hill Carnival at dusk.

Raf Daddy – aka Raphael Rundell – met Joe Goddard (taking time out from his day job as one fifth of Hot Chip) through a party scene that saw them share deck duties at the legendary Greco-Roman parties. Upon venturing into the studio in an attempt to replicate some of the records that they’d lost themselves in the night before, Raf found himself laying down vocals over Joe’s skipping, bassomatic backing tracks safe in the knowledge that they’d soon be replaced by someone with sweeter, more melodious tones. In the end, it was Raf’s voice that characterized and personalized The 2 Bears.

Over its ten tracks, Be Strong conjures up that elusive spirit of the dancefloor without pretension, and with ultimate precision. It’s a soul record in that it’s from the soul, wearing its imperfections with pride. It’s a dance record in that it’ll get you off your seat. It’s a London record in that it couldn’t have come from any other city in 2011, echoing the glorious schizophrenic sound of a late night cab ride listening to a radio with a mind of its own.

With minimal effort and maximum respect from their peers, tracks began to be hammered in clubs and on radio by the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Erol Alkan, Pete Tong and Annie Mac. This summer’s Bear Hug EP cranked things up yet another notch with Chris Moyles giving the track some early morning airings and Elton John and Paul McCartney declaring themselves fans.