In early 2018, Jas Shaw, one half of electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco was diagnosed with a rare, health condition – AL amyloidosis – a disorder of bone marrow cells. Having just completed SMD’s 7th studio album, Murmurations, and with a special show at the Barbican with the Deep Throat Choir scheduled for April and the album due out in May, things were thrown into confusion. At the time, no one, including Shaw, knew how the treatment and prognosis would pan out. Jas had to start chemotherapy treatment almost immediately, which meant cancelling SMD’s live touring. The duo decided to go ahead with the Barbican show in spite of Shaw’s illness, which was especially poignant as all involved knew it could potentially be SMD’s last ever live performance – in the end it turned out to be a tour-de-force. If this was SMD’s swansong, so be it.