Cut Copy is original, not some imitation

Two minutes and 48 seconds into Cut Copy’s single “Hearts on Fire,” one of the cheesiest sounds imaginable appears in the song’s chorus. It’s a hyper-processed saxophone that evokes Michael McDonald’s chest hair or a Miami speedboat chase. It’s one of the Australian psych-disco band’s favorite moments on their new album “In Ghost Colours.”

“We got into an argument with Tim [Goldsworthy, of the acclaimed production duo DFA] about that, but in the end we prevailed,” singer-arranger Dan Whitford says.

An album by Cut Copy is itself something of a novelty. Its 2004 debut “Bright Like Neon Love” accurately predicted that lithe, shimmering arpeggios and deftly chopped vocal edits would own electronica in the coming years.

But incessant touring and internationally staggered album release dates sucked up nearly a half-decade of their career.

An odd thing happened between records, though: The rest of the world, and even the minuscule electro scene in their own country, caught up with them. Van She, Muscles and the Presets -- all electro bands weaned on Cut Copy in their formative years -- now command equal-sized dance floors around the world.

“I didn’t think about it when I was writing, but afterward I thought ‘Ahh crap, what are the Presets doing next?’ ” Whitford concedes. “We played shows for 50 people before this trend started, but for us it’s been encouraging to see this scene we helped pioneer gain more mainstream notice.”

Time away from the media lights let the band refine some new tricks, like unaffected singing and a bigger palette of instruments. “Ghost Colours” is steeped in Eno’s tongue-wagging acid-pop and ephemeral noisemaking, but Cut Copy’s secret weapon is the oldest one in music: They really just want to write drippy love songs.

“Audiences want to engage with a singer, that’s what they respond to,” Whitford says. “To compensate, we have to play with more of a punk attitude than electronica. We had to put on a good show just so anyone would care.”

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-- August.Brown@latimes.com

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CUT COPY

WHERE: The Echo, 1822 Sunset Blvd., L.A.

WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Monday

PRICE: $10

INFO: (213) 413-8200; attheecho.com