Lots of Hall & Oates, a lot of deep house, Chicago house, Cocteau Twins, Eazy-E, Kraftwerk — Kraftwerk was a huuuge influence on this album, like “Man Machine” — Egyptian Lover, Human League, Strawberry Switchblade, lots of electronic stuff… and Rick Astley! (laughter) I shouldn’t have let you see that!

Lots of Hall & Oates, a lot of deep house, Chicago house, Cocteau Twins, Eazy-E, Kraftwerk — Kraftwerk was a huuuge influence on this album, like “Man Machine” — Egyptian Lover, Human League, Strawberry Switchblade, lots of electronic stuff… and Rick Astley! (laughter) I shouldn’t have let you see that!

Lots of Hall & Oates, a lot of deep house, Chicago house, Cocteau Twins, Eazy-E, Kraftwerk — Kraftwerk was a huuuge influence on this album, like “Man Machine” — Egyptian Lover, Human League, Strawberry Switchblade, lots of electronic stuff… and Rick Astley! (laughter) I shouldn’t have let you see that!

What have you been listening to lately? [Scrolls through iTunes] … Oneheotrix Point Never, Billy Idol, Roxy Music… have you heard of Space? They were like the first French robot group, it’s pretty funny (plays “Magic Fly” from video 1977, which sounds like a Daft Punk prototype).

What have you been listening to lately? [Scrolls through iTunes] … Oneheotrix Point Never, Billy Idol, Roxy Music… have you heard of Space? They were like the first French robot group, it’s pretty funny (plays “Magic Fly” from video 1977, which sounds like a Daft Punk prototype).

What have you been listening to lately? [Scrolls through iTunes] … Oneheotrix Point Never, Billy Idol, Roxy Music… have you heard of Space? They were like the first French robot group, it’s pretty funny (plays “Magic Fly” from video 1977, which sounds like a Daft Punk prototype).

What have you been listening to lately? Right now? Let’s see [pulls out phone] … Anita Ward, I can’t stop playing [her 1979 hit] “Spoiled by Your Love,” those types of disco records, like Donna Summer’s stuff with [legendary writer/producer Giorgio] Moroder.

What have you been listening to lately? Right now? Let’s see [pulls out phone] … Anita Ward, I can’t stop playing [her 1979 hit] “Spoiled by Your Love.”

The demo didn’t have that [‘80s sax hook] beginning, so I was listening to things like Roxy and A-Ha, “How do we make it sound amazing right away?” “Blinding Lights” and “In Your Eyes” didn’t [originally] have those melodies in the first verse.

Were Roxy Music a big influence? [Roxy Music’s 1982 hit] “More Than This” is a banger, dude! The reason I keep using it as a reference on this album is because you press play and you know it’s a hit almost immediately — you don’t have to wait to get the chorus to know it’s a great song.

There are so many ‘80s references on some of these songs, more than ever before. Why now? I think that just comes from being an ‘80s connoisseur and hearing the Pretenders or Roxy Music or Hall & Oates. I was finding that alt-rock synthwave character, all these weird ideas, me being goofy and not knowing if people were gonna like it.

There are so many ‘80s references on some of these songs, more than ever before. Why now? I think that just comes from being an ‘80s connoisseur and hearing the Pretenders or Roxy Music or Hall & Oates. I was finding that alt-rock synthwave character, all these weird ideas, me being goofy and not knowing if people were gonna like it.

Is that an Elton John sample? It’s an interpolation — I didn’t realize it was until I made it and I was like “Oh sh–!” So he’s credited, obviously. Before I played it for him, I was like “F—, I hope he likes it!” But he was freakin’, he was like, “Mate you’re the one! You’re gonna be doing this for a long time!”

For “Alone Again” it’s about the beat, the melody, the feeling, the sonics, it’s like some Cocteau Twins sh– — [Sings] “I don’t know if I can be alone again.” If you know I’m saying that, nothing else matters.