Little Dragon have completed their spectacular second album, a pulsating electro pop epic that Prince would be proud of (only fronted by a beautiful Swedish lady with a sultry voice). "Machine Dreams" is a bold and surprising side/two step onwards from their self titled debut, released two years ago to great acclaim especially among industry folk. "Machine Dreams", with its nagging hooks and gloriously infectious tunes, is set for a UK release at the moment and pending a US release at the end of the year. In the meantime, the band kicks off their tour today with a debut in Chicago, a few dates in the Northeast, and a handpicked opening slot for Q-Tip at SummerStage this week.

Having toured relentlessly since their last record, Little Dragon found themselves achieving quite an aggressive following in the US. After sessions on KCRW's popular 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' show, their album became the most played on the station after Radiohead. No mean feat for the little dragons from Sweden, especially with the lack of a US record label to back them up. The track 'Twice' also received airplay on Grey's Anatomy and eventually the band were brought to the attention of David Sitek who became an instant fan (as did notorious basement dweller DJ Shadow) and asked them to support TV On The Radio on their US tour in May of 2009.

Recorded in their home city of Gothenburg, "Machine Dreams" is a gigantic leap on from previous material but still maintains the distinct Little Dragon charm. Be it Yukimi's warmly inviting vocals, Erik's dextrous drumming, the vast array of synths and bleeps created by Hakan or Frederik's bubbling bass lines, together they create a utopia of their own. The move towards a more electronic sound was a conscious one, as Yukimi explains; "The title "Machine Dreams" seems obvious. These days, humans seem more and more like machines, and as technology evolves, machines feel more human and it becomes fuzzy and beautiful and science fiction-ish We feel dependent on our machines to create and live, and their sounds reflect us".