Musically, Metronomy march to the beat of their own synthetic drum. 2008’s Nights Out - the wonky love-child of Giorgio Moroder, New Order, Pet Shop Boys and Unfinished Sympathy- was a deliberate step-up from fun project with friends to ambitious band with pop hooks and a unique voice. There is a distinct but quiet refusal to conform; a subversive quality at the music’s core, which has shaped Metronomy’s three tiered coming-of-age. Metronomy began life ten years ago in the tiny, bohemian market town of Totnes in Devon, when Joseph’s Dad sold his son a computer so he could sit in his bedroom and make electronic music inspired by the likes of Autechre, LFO and Aphex Twin, more as a creative hobby than a pop masterplan. He even came up with a name for it. ‘It comes from a young boy - me aged 16, 17 - thinking, “Metronomy… that’s a bit like metronome, and its also like the word astronomy!” Ha HA! On that stupid little level. But I’m very happy I’ve stuck with the name. The great thing about it is that it sounds great in every language. French people and Japanese people have a particularly nice way of saying it.’ After decamping to Brighton, as Metronomy, Joe released his debut album ‘Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe)’ (Holiphonic) in June 2006. Joseph admits that he only, finally, saw the commercial possibilities of Metronomy when DJ, producer, Trash founder and electro-punk avatar Erol Alkan asked Metronomy to play at his club. Cue the need for a proper live show, and the additions of Gabriel Stebbing, Oscar Cash, dance routines and clothes that blink, courtesy of huge lights bought from pound shops that the trio pin to their clothes. From time to time, the Metronomy live experience is augmented by four-piece female dance troupe, Sparkle Motion. In this new three-piece guise, the original release of Nights Out in September 2008 heralded a slew of glowing reviews and Metronomy’s first taste of touring the world. The trio made an impact in places that the boy Mount could never have anticipated. ‘We’re biggest in Britain, which I’m really grateful for. But I did a remix of a big Mexican pop star called Ximena, which is on this Nights Out Deluxe Edition. She goes out with one of the guys from The Mars Volta, and she’s kind of like a clean-living Amy Winehouse. Anyway, this remix got really massive rotation on Mexican college radio. So we get over to Mexico… and we’re playing shows to 2000 people. Suddenly, Mexico became our second biggest territory. If someone had told me five years ago that I’d have some kind of relationship with the Mexican people... its fantastic.’