Alexis Taylor and Mike Simonetti announce collaborative EP on Smugglers Way

Alexis Taylor and Mike Simonetti have joined forces for a new collaborative EP arriving via Smugglers Way, bringing together two artists whose paths have long orbited electronic pop, indie experimentation and club-adjacent sound design.

The release will be available digitally and on a limited-edition 12” vinyl from 12 June, and features original track “Perfect Kiss” alongside a rework of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s “I See A Darkness.” The project is rounded out by remixes from claire rousay and Black Forces, adding further contrast across experimental and club-informed interpretations.

“Perfect Kiss” arrives as the lead single, pairing Simonetti’s club-rooted, rock-leaning sensibility with Taylor’s recognisable vocal and melodic clarity, known globally through his work with Hot Chip. The result sits in a space between emotional pop songwriting and restrained electronic production, shaped by a shared interest in atmosphere over maximal impact.

Lyrically, the track explores themes of identity and perception, focusing on the tension between internal selfhood and external recognition. Taylor describes it as reflecting “being alienated and an outsider in society while wanting to be accepted for the true person that you are,” positioning the song within a more introspective emotional register than its glossy surface might initially suggest.

The collaboration has roots in a long-running creative dialogue between the two artists, first sparked through club encounters and shared musical references. Simonetti’s background spans influential labels such as Troubleman Unlimited and Italians Do It Better, as well as his project Pale Blue with Elizabeth Wight, while Taylor has increasingly expanded beyond Hot Chip into more experimental solo work.

For Taylor, the release also carries a sense of continuity with earlier chapters in his career, including formative industry experiences connected to Smugglers Way itself. The label connection adds a circular dimension to a collaboration shaped as much by shared history as by present-day experimentation.

Alongside the music, the EP is accompanied by a video for “Perfect Kiss,” filmed on Super 8 across London and Los Angeles, featuring Taylor, Simonetti and Elizabeth Wight. The visual treatment mirrors the track’s tonal balance between intimacy and distance, reinforcing the project’s understated aesthetic.

With its blend of reinterpretation, collaboration and remix culture, the EP reflects a broader tendency in contemporary electronic music toward cross-genre dialogue, where pop structure, experimental sound design and club heritage increasingly occupy the same space