Hercules and Love Affair

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Hercules and Love Affair is a dance music project started in 2004 by American DJ and producer Andy Butler in New York City. It uses a rotating group of singers and musicians and makes disco, house, techno, and nu-disco music.

The project began after Butler teamed up with Anohni to make the song “Blind,” which became a hit and Pitchfork’s Song of the Year in 2008. Since then, Hercules and Love Affair has released several albums with different vocalists.

Their debut album, Hercules and Love Affair (2008), featured Anohni, Nomi Ruiz, Kim Ann Foxman, and others. The band played live for the first time in May 2008.

Blue Songs arrived in 2011 on Moshi Moshi, with Butler continuing to lead the project and new vocalists Shaun Wright and Aerea Negrot joining, along with contributions from others. One song, “Step Up,” included guest vocals from Kele Okereke of Bloc Party.

The Feast of the Broken Heart followed in 2014, with a heavier, more electronic sound. John Grant sang on tracks like “Liberty” and “I Try To Talk To You.” Other vocalists on the album included Rouge Mary, Gustaph, and Krystle Warren.

Omnion came out in 2017, featuring Sharon Van Etten on the title track and more collaborations across the record.

In Amber was released in 2022, again with Anohni’s involvement and Elin Ey on the lead single “Grace.” The album received widespread praise, and The Arts Desk named it Album of the Year 2022.

Andy Butler grew up in Denver in a difficult home life but found comfort in music and Greek mythology, which inspired the band’s name. He started with piano and composing classical pieces as a teen, then fell in love with dance music after hearing Yazoo. He began DJing at 15 and later moved to New York City for college, where he met Anohni and created “Blind.”

Hercules and Love Affair is known for its distinctive, international-style dance sound and strong vocal performances. They’ve released music on DFA, Moshi Moshi, Atlantic, and other labels, and continue to tour and make new music.