Mastersystem
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | Scott Hutchison, Grant Hutchison, Justin Lockey, James Lockey |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Dance Music (album) |
Mastersystem was a British rock supergroup comprising two pairs of siblings from Frightened Rabbit (featuring the late Scott Hutchison), Editors, and Minor Victories. Their sole album, Dance Music, was released on 6 April 2018 and received widespread critical praise. The group embarked on a UK tour to promote the album that same month; however, subsequent shows and plans for an extended tour were canceled following Hutchison's death a month later.
In November 2018, the surviving members unveiled the music video for their last single, "Old Team."
Dance Music secured spots on multiple best-album lists for 2018, ranking 17th by Rough Trade, 21st by ABC News, 30th by The Skinny, 55th by NME, 71st by Under the Radar, and 76th by Noisey.
Origin
In 2012, while working on their fourth studio album, Pedestrian Verse, in the Scottish Highlands, Scottish indie rock group Frightened Rabbit’s brothers, Scott and Grant Hutchison, established a friendship with Justin and James Lockley of Hand Held Cine Club. The Lockley brothers were invited to film the album’s creation process.
When announcing Dance Music, Scott disclosed that the band’s original name was "Old Team," a nod to the combined extensive experience all four members brought from their previous musical endeavors.
Members
- Scott Hutchison – vocals, guitar (Frightened Rabbit) (deceased 2018)
- Grant Hutchison – drums (Frightened Rabbit)
- Justin Lockey – guitar (Editors, yourcodenameis:milo)
- James Lockey – bass (Minor Victories)
Songwriting
The songwriting approach involved dividing instrumental composition from lyric writing; Grant, Justin, and James created the music first, after which Scott composed the lyrics. This method contrasted with Scott’s other projects (Frightened Rabbit, Owl John), where he played a primary role in developing instrumentals.
Discography
- Dance Music (Physical Education Recordings, 2018)