Hot Chip on greatest hits, finding The Rolling Stones un-remixable & the weirdest place they've heard their music

4 September 2025, 20:19 | Updated: 4 September 2025, 21:02

Hot Chip press image 2025. Picture: Louise Mason

By Jenny Mensah

The synth-pop outfit caught up with Radio X's Dan O'Connell about everything from their Joy In Repetition greatest hits album to their favourite live shows.

Loading audio...

Hot Chip are on the cusp of releasing a greatest hits album and members Alexis Taylor and Owen Clarke say some fans might find it a little 'confounding'.

The aptly titled collection Joy In Repetition, which is set for release on 5th September, sees the band look back on over two decades and eight studio albums, mapping out their evolution from DIY dance act to one of the biggest British synth-pop groups of their generation.

Forming a 'Best Of' for a band with so many hits is surely a no-brainer, but fans won't necessarily see every track they expect to on the release.

Asked if it was difficult to whittle down their back-catalogue Taylor told Radio X's Dan O'Connell: "Yeah, it was quite hard. It's nice to have that selection of songs. It's nice to feel like there's some you're having to choose between, rather than scraping together enough to fit on there."

"It's going to confound some people that certain tracks aren't on there," admitted Owen Clarke.

Despite the omission of a few fan-favourites, there weren't any major fallings out over the tracklisting. "It was fine actually," said Taylor. "It was really without any major incident."

Asked if there was any points scoring, he added that there wasn't, although noted: "Joe [Goddard] maybe vetoed stuff on the first album, finding it a bit juvenile lyrically."

Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and Owen Clarke. Picture: Radio X

Read more:

When they're not making their own original music, Hot Chip have delivered DJ sets all over the world, while also remixing some pretty big anthems over years.

But is there any band or music they can't remix? "That's a good question," mused Taylor. "I mean, I think there are some things that really don't lend themselves to being remixed so easily, so I do hear some things where I think, 'I wish that song hadn't been remixed.'"

The multi-instrumentalist went on: "I remember we remixed The Rolling Stones a long time ago. I don't know what the context of this was. It might have been for an advert, being asked to do it and I remember Joe saying, 'Charlie Watts' drums are out of time.'

"It's Charlie Watts," Taylor added of the late Stones sticksman. "Don't try and make his drums be in time. It's OK for them to have their own groove, you know?"

Hot Chip on remixing The Rolling Stones

Hot Chip songs have featured in a few unlikely places themselves, with their Boy From School single appearing on a Simpsons episode in 2012.

Asked about the weirdest place their music has landed, Taylor said: "Well, there was talk of Hot Chip being in that pasta chain in America...Olive Garden.

"That was briefly very exciting for my daughter, but then we went and ate at said chain..." he trailed off, adding: "It was brilliant when it was in The Simpsons. Rather than it being odd, it was amazing.

The synth pop outfit are set to embark on three dates this month, playing London's The Troxy tomorrow (5th September), before heading to New York's Webster Hall and The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.

Asked about their most memorable places to play, Taylor recalled: "We've had so many that we've enjoyed over the years. Some of the London ones that have been good have been Brixton Academy. That we've done a number of times.

"I always have fond memories of playing in Brazil in Sao Paolo. First time we ever played there was really special. I think there was a power outage during the gig, but the crowd was very lively. They instantly just did a co-ordinated choreographed dance to keep everybody else interested until the sound and the power came back on."

Hot Chip's Joy of Repetition album is released on Friday 5th September: