Jesse Hartman’s cult electro-pop project Laptop returns with "Additional Animals" — a darkly funny alt-disco track about extinction, meat, and the absurd human urge for more. It’s the second single from "On This Planet", an album co-written and performed with his 19-year-old son Charlie Hartman.
Now based in New York, Laptop originally emerged in the early 2000s on Island Records with three legendary cult classic albums — "Opening Credits", "The Old Me vs The New You" and "Don’t Try This at Home" — earning praise from NME, The Guardian, and others for its stylized blend of synth-pop, irony, and heartbreak.
After going viral on TikTok with their first single “Weirder” (4M+ views and counting), mixed by Grammy award-winning producer Mario McNulty (David Bowie, Prince, Nine Inch Nails, Laurie Anderson, Julian Lennon), the duo continues their reboot of the Laptop aesthetic — part indie-pop, part satire, part family therapy session.
“Additional Animals” is as much about appetite as it is about climate anxiety, blending shimmering synths, mandolin and Mediterranean horns. An extension of classic Laptop, this witty indie-pop is a logical evolution for the band, presenting a cross-generational blend of dry wit, anxiety and synth-driven swagger.
"This song is about the human appetite — for meat, for more, for everything — and how that hunger’s eating us alive. It’s a song about extinction that you can dance to. The lyrics are a little more connected to the moment than usual for me — our failing planet, our endless consumption — but it’s still wrapped in this shimmering, international pop packaging," says Jesse Hartman.
“We tracked the song in hip Valencia, added harmonies and Caribbean instruments in Nevis, and finished it in our hood in New York. It’s a global pop fever dream about survival, meat, and the slightly hilarious fact that humans always want just a little more."
The video, directed and shot by filmmaker Jesse, was filmed during a surreal family summer in Valencia and features Jesse, Charlie and Jesse’s daughter Lulu, along with rooftop horn solos, fishing boats, flamenco parades, aquariums, and sun-drenched chaos — part European art film, part alternate-universe vacation video.
Jesse shares, “It stars me, my kids, our percussionist Mike (who used to play with Brian Eno), and our Nevis family singer Denise. It’s chaotic and colorful and oddly hopeful — like maybe we’re not the last animals standing.”
Before Laptop, Jesse Hartman got his start as a teenage Voidoid with Richard Hellbefore he co-founded the indie rock band Sammy (with Luke Wood, later President of Beats by Dre), releasing albums on Fire Records and Geffen Records. Known for his dry humor and cinematic aesthetic, Hartman was once described by The Guardian as the master of “insincere sincerity.” Now joined by his son Charlie, a multi-instrumentalist and co-writer, he brings that same emotional contrast into a new era — with Laptop’s blend of deadpan pop and wide-eyed dread more relevant than ever.
With a London show coming in October and a full album on the way in the Spring of 2026, Laptop’s return is both a throwback and a reinvention — legacy pop for a collapsing planet.
“Additional Animals” is out August 8 on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The full album "On This Planet" arrives in Spring 2026.
CREDITS
Jesse Hartman - vocals, guitars, keyboards, synths, piano, bass, percussion
Charlie Hartman - vocals
Lulu Hartman - vocals
Geddys “Ch4se” Ferguson - vocals
Denise Gordon - vocals
Frank and Snowflake - vocals, mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar
Mike Desmarais - drums
Lluisen Capafons - congas, additional percussion
Dima Faustov - saxophone
Lev Borovskiy - trumpet, trombone
Oliver Freiberg - drum programming
Recorded by Iñaki Ariste Aznar (Valencia), Edward Douglas (NYC), Jesse Hartman (NYC/Nevis)
Mixed by Jesse Hartman, Ray Aldaco, Edward Douglas, Nicholas Vernhes
(Final mix by Jesse Hartman and Edward Douglas)
Produced by Jesse Hartman
Mastered by Dave Trumfio
Recorded in Valencia, Spain (Summer 2022), Additional sessions in Nevis (February 2023), Final overdubs and edits in New York City (2023–2025)
Written by Jesse Hartman (BMI)
Published by Exurbia Music, Inc. (dba Yodel Productions, Inc.)
Released by Hurricane Cove Records
Video concept, direction, cinematography & editing by Jesse Hartman.
Featuring Charlie Hartman, Jesse Hartman, Lulu Hartman, Mike Desmarais, and Denise Gordon.
Shot on location in Valencia, Spain
Cover artwork by Jesse Hartman & Scott Ratner
Artist photos by Thomas Krause
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
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