Old news is suddenly new news

It's funny how it works isn't it. It's been known for months Markus Dravs is the main producer on the new Arcade Fire album. Yet when BBC 6 Music runs an 'exclusive' on it the whole media world goes crazy and blows it up like no one knew anything about it... Ah well, at least there's something in this article that's pleasing to hear. Markus Dravs thinks the new songs are 'better'. Markus Dravs was of course also the producer on Neon Bible so the man ought to know what he's talking about.

Dravs aids Arcade Fire
Mumford and Sons reveal Markus Dravs at work on Canadian collective's new album

01/12/2009 | Georgie Rogers

We’ve already knew that a third Arcade Fire album is due in 2010 but we can now reveal the band have been working on it with Markus Dravs, who engineered their last offering Neon Bible.

Not only does Dravs have the likes of Bjork, Coldplay and The Maccabees on his studio CV, he produced Mumford and Sons’ debut Sigh No More, with Marcus Mumford letting slip the news in an interview with 6 Music.

"I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this but yeah, he’s working on the next Arcade Fire record at the moment," he said, with double bassist Ted Dwane interjecting: "Boom there it is."

"There it is, dropped, 6 Music exclusive," added Mumford. "I’m sure that’s public knowledge, because he’s been there for about six months."

The London folk quartet are big fans of Arcade Fire themselves, but said Dravs wasn't giving much away about what's going on, despite Marcus Mumford’s questions.

"I don't know if I'm aloud to say this but yeah, he[Markus Dravs]'s working on the next Arcade Fire record at the moment."

Marcus Mumford

He admitted: "I keep asking Markus how it’s going and he’s like, 'Yeah, it’s okay', and I’m like, 'What are the songs like?' And he goes, 'Better'."

We also asked Marcus from Mumford and Sons to pick his album of the decade and he chose Funeral, Arcade Fire’s first album.

As for why, he explained: "It changed my life. I started listening to it when I was living in China. I always listened to it in Hong Kong non-stop on the tubes and I’d never heard anything like it before.

"It changed my idea of song-writing and sound, and the idea of lots of people making music together in one recording, but it making sense."

"Seeing them live was probably the best gig I’ve ever been to as well," he said and laughed. "Am I sounding really sycophantic right now?"

Arcade Fire’s last release was Miroir Noir in April, a documentary DVD with footage of the recording, release and tour behind their second offering, 2008’s Neon Bible.

BBC 6 Music News: Dravs aids Arcade Fire