Muse are not, it seems, procrastinators. Mere months after expressing an interest in working with the Streets, a track has leaked with Muse's blustery guitars and an original Mike Skinner rap.
Who Knows Who was leaked on the internet this weekend, appearing unofficially on a Muse message-board. Despite Skinner's unmistakeable rhymes, some fans were sceptical that it was Muse providing the music, which oscillates from goofy funk to full-on rock, without any of Matt Bellamy's vocals. It wasn't long, however, before fans identified the riff as one that Muse had been experimenting with at recent live shows, and then the band weighed in with an official statement.
"The MP3 floating around ... was the result of a late-night jam session and something we did for a bit of a laugh featuring a blues riff we have been playing live recently upon which Skinner recorded some vocals. It is not intended to be a serious release so we are happy for it to be leaked unofficially."
Speaking to BBC 6 Music in April, Bellamy said that he wanted to work with Mike Skinner and create an English take on Rage Against the Machine. "London rap-rock," he explained. "Just like a little one-off – it might be a laugh."
In June, the Streets opened for Muse at Wembley stadium – giving ample opportunity for the two bands to get together backstage and have a go at angry hip-hop rock. Though Skinner's lyrics are not always coherent, there's a real energy to Who Knows Who, particularly in the crash of the guitars on the chorus. "I'll return at any hour," Skinner intones, "fuck all your lot, fuck your power!"
