We are very sad to hear that the legendary Frankie Knuckles has died. The word “legendary” is rather overused these days, but Frankie Knuckles was a true dance legend and a pioneer of house music. We were honoured to work with him in 1988 when he did his brilliant dark mix of “I want a dog”. It was so exciting to drive out to Jersey City to hear this mix for the first time in his studio and then drive back to New York with the mix on repeat. We were thrilled with it and included it on our album, Introspective. In 1990 Frankie came over to London to play at Chris’s birthday party at Brixton Academy and enthralled the crowd with his brilliant set. In the early days, House music was referred to as “Chicago House” after the city where it was invented — it was great to visit the city last year and see that a street had been named after the music’s inventor: Frankie Knuckles Way. Love and respect forever. xx
Pet Shop Boys’ brand-new album “Nonetheless” is out now on Parlophone Records.
Recent Pet Texts
A new “Lunch with Pet Shop Boys” feature, including an interview with Neil and Chris, is now available to online subscribers of the Financial Times. Link to read below. The article will also be published in Saturday’s print edition.
Thanks to BBC Radio 2 for choosing “Nonetheless” as their new Album of the Week. x
PSB will be chatting to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 6 Music this morning, the day their new album “Nonetheless” is released. Tune in now at the link below.
Neil and Chris discuss creating their new album in an interview with Russell Tovey and Robert Diament on the “Talk Art” podcast, which can be listened to now.
Neil and Chris will be co-hosting “An Evening In with Pet Shop Boys” along with Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2 tonight. Tune in from 8pm BST at the link below.
Great chat with Alexis Petridis at Kings Place in London last night. Thanks to everyone who came or watched online and to The Guardian for hosting. Neil and Chris xx
Spotted in a London Underground station today.
Pet Shop Boys will be in conversation with Alexis Petridis at Kings Place London tonight, with livestream tickets available at the link below. The sold-out in-person event begins at 6:30pm BST with an exclusive “Nonetheless” album playback. See you all very soon!