Meme Features This is the home of those Meme articles that are much more than News items or album Reviews. If we've got a lot we want to say about a certain type of music, band or label, then we'll put it as a Feature on this page. We've developed a particular style for interviews which we thnk fits in well with the Meme philosophy of giving you exactly the information you want; no more, no less. So, our interviews are 5 questions max, but those 5 are the ones you want the answers to. When we get interviews with artists or labels, we'll put them up here. Think of this page as the Meme Magazine goldmine...
The Amplifetes, out of the blue
One of our favourite new bands of the moment are The Amplifetes, a Swedish quartet with a distinctive and diverse sound. Often they are quoted as being influenced by ELO, The Ramones, David Bowie and Velvet Underground.
Ahead of their forthcoming debut album release, we caught up with Amplifetes' lead-man Peter Ågren to ask him about these influences, the Swedish music scene, Twitter, Madonna and the new LP...
Meme Magazine: We love the diversity of the Amplifetes' sound and the openness that you bring to it. When you talk about The Ramones, ELO and 60s psychedelia as influences then there is a chance that this may put some (narrow-minded) people off your music before they've even heard it. Do you want to develop a discerning, specialist fan-base or do you want to spread the Amplifete word as wide as possible?
Peter Ågren: First of all, thank you for the compliment on our sound! Well sure, the influences you mention might put some people off but so would any influence. As well as attract others. I think the key to our sound lies exactly in the 'openness' you mention, and that has a lot to do with our quite diverse influences. To me, if someone lists Velvet Underground alongside ELO as an inspiration, it kind of indicates that their music is going to take you some new and unexpected places. It should hopefully trigger peoples interest.
Regarding the fanbase, I'd say both if that makes sense. In many ways, our music can be called extremely specialist, even borderlining to nerdy, with loads of references all over the place. On the other hand, genre barriers are crossed every second in it, which then could make it appealing to an enormous amount of specialists! Enter Amplimania!
MM: Sweden seems to be a hot-bed of musical talent, particularly on the quirky-pop and soul side (we won't mention the Death Metal stuff). What makes Sweden different from its neighbours, or is it just that we haven't heard as much from them?
PA: A possible reason for that might be that Sweden had ABBA breaking the ice in the '70s: none of the other Scandinavian countries have seen any band with that kind of talent or success. Also, Sweden has the biggest population and a history of
teaching kids how to play instruments in free music schools (besides regular school). Otherwise, I really don't know. Luck?
MM: You are big into Twitter and Facebook for letting people know about your music - how important are these new channels to you, and also the blogs and online magazines that support you?
PA: Very important, it's really great to have that opportunity to communicate with the audience. With the social networks and blogs, it also has become so much easier for the listeners to give feedback on things whereas before, an artist lived or died almost solely by the flick of the critics hand. All in all, it's easier these days for artists to find an audience and vice versa.
MM: The band members have worked with (amongst others) Kelis, Madonna, Grandmaster Flash & Peter Bjorn and John. Any particular favourites? Is collaboration going to be an important part of the Amplifetes' future?
PA: Those collabs have been done, as you say, by the members on their own and we all continue do stuff on the side, given the time and opportunity. And absolutely, we hope to interact with others as The Amplifetes as well, doing remixes and other kinds of joining forces.
MM: Can you describe the new album and what you were trying to achieve with it?
PA: The album is an attempt to smash all of our favourite musical styles and influences – and I mean all of them – together into a miniature snow ball, drop it down a steel factory chimney from a helicopter and record the sound it makes with a dictaphone. In other words, we wanted to build something new, using old bricks, that we could live in. Write down a fresh story over the well-thumbed pages of the book. And most importantly, we just wanted to make a record that has what it takes. Does it? We feel it does.
MM: What does the future hold for the Amplifetes? Will it be anything less than World Domination?
PA:The album will be released in a lot of places this autumn so following that, there will be a lot of touring and promotional trips around Europe. And world domination will do just fine, thank you:-)
Tracey Thorn, modern girl
Tracey Thorn, once darling of the indie pop scene of the '80s, voice of the 'heart-broken teenager' (that'd be me then) and one half of 'Everything But The Girl', has recently released her first solo album in 3 years, entitled 'Love And It's Opposite'. (Our review here, download free track here, and listen to remix here).
A selection of songs looking at the ups and downs of married life in middle-age, it brings together her own experiences as a wife and mother of three, with stories of the darker side of relationships struggling to survive, but, luckily for us, this is ultimately an uplifting and beautifully made record.
We asked Tracey about her journey from Marine Girl to pop starlet, and about how she, and her fans, are coping with it all...
Meme Magazine: You have a long and distinguished music career from the Marine Girls in 1980 to now via Everything But The Girl. How much of your fan-base do you think is made up with Eden-owning 40-somethings or with new fans? And how much do you care - are you purposefully trying to reach out to new people?
Tracey Thorn: I'm not sure what the proportion is, but I am aware that the fan-base now is a right old mixture. Some of them seem able to travel with us through various incarnations, others have joined along the way, and some are very set in their ways and only like EITHER the dance-based stuff OR the more acoustic stuff. I do think it's always possible to reach out to new people though, there is always a new generation of really avid music listener coming along, and often they're the kind of people who don't like being told what to like, so they hunt things out for themselves.
MM: Today, the music fan has never had so much opportunity to hear new music, but at the same time this means they almost have too much choice. You've chosen to do minimal 'official' promotion work for this album (so we really appreciate you doing this for us!), so, two questions on this:
- How are you coping with the rigours and challenges of music promotion in the 21st century (including getting through airport security on your way to New York) and having a family to look after?
TT: On that kind of "official" level music promotion really hasn't changed at all - there is still a somewhat routine quality to it - interviewers are lined up, you do the interviews, some will insist on photos etc etc. Big important magazines still place great emphasis on getting the artist to come to them (hence the trip to New York, which I nearly ballsed up completely on my way out there!). My compromise has been to do a little of that, but not too much, so my real life can carry on without too much disruption.
- How important therefore is the 'unofficial' promotion process for you? I'm thinking of on-line magazines such as Meme, music blogs and Twitter. Can we all make a difference?
TT: The unofficial stuff has been hugely important for me, and also hugely enjoyable. I like the directness of contact offered by things like Twitter - that feeling that there is no-one mediating between you and the audience - and I like the spontaneity and freedom it offers. It feels like you can be more nimble on your feet, respond to things more quickly, and also adopt a somewhat lighter tone. If magazine interviews have a fault, it's that they get too ponderous, taking themselves and the artist too seriously sometimes, so that it all gets a bit bogged down.
MM: At the time, I bought the EBTG LPs, your solo LPs and (even!) Ben's 'North Marine Drive' (with 'On Box Hill' still one of my favourite songs ever). Today I enjoy the odd night down at Plastic People watching Ben DJ, and also listening to 'Love And Its Opposite'. It sometimes feels like I've bought into a family franchise. Any feelings of responsibility for taking so many people through such a long and important part of their lives?
TT: Of course the modern way to talk about all this would be to say that we are 'A BRAND', which is such a loathsome concept, that I can't believe I just said it, even as a joke. The nice thing about this idea of taking people with you on a journey is that its a very shared experience - it's like the way you feel that your family know you best because they've seen you right from the start, and in so many guises. I feel very comfortable now with a lot of our fans because I feel like we'e been through the same sort of things together. They understand where I've come from and how I've ended up here. And a lot of the things I write about are things they are going through or have been through too, so there's a kind of mutual sympathy.
MM: Finally, what's next and what would be your ultimate ambition?
TT:What's next, what's next, always the thing that you least expect ... Well that's the goal, anyway. I certainly can't make the record I've just made again, so the next thing will have to be different. I may want to collaborate more again next time around - I may want to head back to the dancefloor - I just know I'll want to feel like there's a reason to make another record, and that it will lead off somewhere new again.
I don't have ultimate ambitions though, most of it takes me by surprise.
MM: Many thanks for answering our questions.
Presenting Ms. Alice Russell...
Alice Russell, for those of you who don't yet realise or for those of you who haven't been fortunate enough yet to hear her voice or see her play live, is, in our humble opinion, probably the best soul singer to come out of the UK for a long time. Alice started out on Tru-Thoughts Records, (which fits in nicely with our TT Anniversary feature), and has since released a number of solo LPs and collaborations on her own label. Alice was kind enough to answer some questions we put to her this month as she was finishing off her UK tour to promote the Pot of Gold Remix LP.
Meme Magazine: One of the things that
we love about you, apart from the music of course, is your
energy and enthusiasm that you seem to put into everything.
On stage we always seem to be seeing the real Alice Russell
and not just some stage persona. Where do you get all this
energy from, and how important do you think it is to your
success, and your sanity?
Alice Russell: well when it comes to the live shows i often joke about getting a straw out to drink up all the energy of the peeps that have come to the show as you can really feed of the energy on stage with the guys and the audiance so you always (even if you feel all tuckerd out) manage to find the energy to communicate the music, and you can't hold anything back...you got to give it your all! and it is all alice you're getting me the real ole russsell.
as for my sanity..that is a big question that maybe we should deal with in another chapter...
MM: The Pot of Gold Remix LP was released a few months ago. A
large proportion of your work involves remixes or
collaborations. People clearly want to work with you, but
how important are the remixes and collabs to you, and how do
you feel when these start getting a life of their own (I'm
thinking of tracks such as the Hurry On Now Boub Remix or
Seven Nation Army)?
AR: ahh i love that boub mix (people found the pronounceation of boub a bit to close to boob ), well i think its always good to see where people take it, also after a song is created it is almost fair game to be reinterpreted and i think remixing, if done well, can take songs to ears that wouldn't otherwise be open to the original version and i'm not an over-protective mumma - i like sending songs off and hearing where other producers take the songs.
MM: Your 'formative years' were spent on the Tru-Thoughts label
and you now have your own label, Little Poppet. How
important was Tru-Thoughts to you and why do you think it is
such a special label? Why your own label and how is it
going?
AR: well i was with tru thoughts from the beginning so they are very special to me, and they have kept strong through thick and thin and keep growing and finding new artists, the reason that it is so special is also it is very much run with the family vibe and the extended family vibe and also people working with each other on each others music and helping each other, and of course i met tm juke, will quantic, nostalgia 77 and the rest of them lovelys through tru thoghts! and as for me going solo and leaving tru thoughts, it was just time for me to have a go at it on my own and see what happens in the big bad world...
MM: The changes in the music industry at the moment are massive
(there are dedicated music sites such as Meme Magazine,
hundreds of music blogs and Twitter, as well as new channels
such as Spotify). The music fan has never had so much
opportunity to hear new music, but at the same time this
means they almost have too much choice. At the other
end of the scale, vinyl still holds a place in people's
hearts, and even the cassette tape is making a retro
comeback. What is your view of the state of things, how does
it affect the way you make music and where do you think it
will all end up?
AR: i go from loving the way in which the internet sites have made the world seem closer and you can get info, connect to other musicians and peeps and hear music at the tap of your finger tips and also that it makes it easier for people to get their music heard all over the world, but i also get overwhelmed and feel that sometimes it is all to much, when people end up on the iphones surfing instead of having a good ole chat and maybe i'm getting old but what makes me a bit crazy is when you go to a live gig and everybody is filming the show in their mobile so watching throught their phone screens!?? you crazys! there is the real deal in front of you! but we are, it seems, already thinking about posting it up on twitter etc thus wishing our lives away a little bit and forgetting how important it is to live in the moment, taste the moment, feel it soak it up that live music and remember it with your own eyes n' ears...pop it in the memory bank and cherish
it!..but !!!! i am also aware that it does allow sharing with others that may have missed the gig so i'm always in two minds..but nahh go and see 'em live and turn your phone off...be where you are!
i love the twitter thing as much as the next guy and being able to find and download songs in a click but when it gets too much too fast and too distracting ... well at that point i shut myself away and listern to my records...you can't beat the feel, the sound, the grounding earthy feeling of vinyl, it doesn't compare to mp3 and looking at your computor screen compared with perusing the album cover ..reading the lyrics and listening to the whole album ...
where do i think it will end up? well i think live shows are becomming even more important...as downloading and file shareing is kind of killing the "album" as people just down load 1 or 2 songs, but i do think that same person loving and downloading a couple of songs from one artist will then go and see someone perform live and you really get to see what they are about, the live shows are a way for the fans to support the people they like!
hopefully we will keep stepping off the spinning wheel every now and then as exciting as it is and remember simple things that bring delight that don't need to be plugged into a wall to be able to entertain or move us.
MM: Finally, what do you have in the pipeline next? Are you
planning on releasing any other acts on Little Poppet? And, what
would be your ultimate ambition?
AR: well at the mo it is really to be able to put out my own music but if things go well i would dearly love to be able to release and support other new up coming acts on the label! that would be exciting indeed!
but for the mo i want to get my teeth into makeing some new music with tm juke and also i am making plans with quantic to go and record and write an album with him...i love touring and we are still going to be going on tour this year but i am taking some long over due time out to get my butt back into the st-st-studio!
my ultimate ambition? wow a big ole question...i just want to keep doing what i do and singing my little heart out and pushing myself to see where i can go with music.....but above all enjoy the moment and remember what is important!
i got a lot of dreams but i'll keep them in my head for now!
thank you andrew!
xxxxxxxxxxxxx A
Tru Thoughts 10th Anniversary
It can't have escaped your notice that during 2009 the Brighton-based label, Tru Thoughts, celebrated its tenth year in the music-making business. This is a major achievement for an independent label and we wanted to help TT celebrate their success with this feature on the label. We are pleased to have been able to interview its founder and A&R man, Rob Luis, as well as two of their artists, the soul sensation from Melbourne, Kylie Auldist, and the multi-talented Flevans.
For us, Tru Thoughts epitomises the perfect record label: it consistently produces great music from a diverse range of artists but is at the same time totally unpretentious. For TT, it's all about the music. So when, for example, they find a brass band kicking out great tunes, they sign them up. When they realise the guest vocalist on one of their bands has the voice of a diva, they sign her up. For new artists, the 'family' of Tru-Thoughts artists comes into its own - it is obvious that there is a close connection with all of the artists on the label, resulting in some great productions, collaborations and remixes. Even those artists that are no longer with the label, such as Alice Russel, remain loyal to the boys from Brighton.
But enough of what we think - let the people who live it everyday tell you about what it's like to be part of Tru Thoughts. We've three interviews, starting with Kylie Auldist. Kylie recently released her second LP, Made of Stone, and can often be heard working with label-mate funk band The Bamboos, and in particular their front man Lance Ferguson.
Interview with Kylie Auldist
Meme Magazine: You've been signed to the label for a couple of years now and have managed to release two great albums in that time. Firstly, can you describe that moment in 2007 when you came to Brighton, England as vocalist for the Bamboos and, in the words of the TT website, were 'snapped up' by the label. It must have been a weird but exciting time for you...
Kyle Auldist: Firstly, even going overseas to sing was really a big deal for me, so meeting the guys from 'THE LABEL' was interesting to say the least! The fact that they took an interest in me and seemed to seriously want me to do an album with Lance was mind boggling! When Paul Jonas started talking to me about it all I must admit I thought he was joking – well, we were at the pub, it wasn't like we were sitting over a desk having a serious meeting!
I feel embarrassed to say he actually had to convince me that it was a good idea 'cos I had no clue as to where to begin such a project! Luckily Tru thoughts ‘know where it's at’ and Lance is completely capable so it all worked out nicely in the end!!
MM: You seem to have great support from the people around you, including the label, Lance and your family. Can you talk about how TT has helped you develop as an artist over the last couple of years, the roles Lance has played in that, and the backing (sometime literally!) you get from your family in Melbourne?
KA: I am very lucky to have such good people around me, because as we all know, you can't choose your family! I think the fact that I am blessed with a gift that needs to be shared is the reason they're all behind me. I couldn't do it alone. Lance is really the catalyst - he writes all the music and helps me with lyrics and melodies. He also has a strong work ethic - something I missed out on! So if it was left up to me there would be no albums! My husband supports me all the way and doesn't sulk too much when i go overseas for a month at a time. He and both our parents help out with minding the two boys while I'm away. As for backing vocals - my son Reggie sang BVs at the MADE OF STONE launch. He was fantastic and I'm sure that will be the most stressful gig he ever does! Trial by fire for sure! The rest of my family support me all over Australia, there's never a gig anywhere (really!) in Australia that I don't have at least 2 or 3 cousins show up!
MM: We really love your style which manages to blend funk and soul so well. Do you have any role models that you base your style or approach on?
KA: Thanks! Well I guess I'm the funk fan and Lance is the soul fan and we kind of blend it all together. He collects rare soul and has managed to educate me a little bit in the ways of old school soul. I love Chaka Khan and Prince and always have. I can't seem to get past it! Like how you find a fashion and stick to it - even when you're 70!
MM: How did the album launch go? Any nerves? Is it more difficult doing that sort of thing in front of your home crowd?
KA: It was amazing actually. Thirteen of us on stage, strings and horns and BVs - all the bells and whistles really! I was so proud to have Reggie there with me and even my Mum came a long way from the country for the gig. So many members of my family were there from all over Australia which was fantastic. I was worried at first because none of us want to look stupid in front of all our friends and family but it felt really good - kind of intimate like I could just chat with the crowd because I knew them all!
MM: Finally, what's next for Kylie, a bit of a rest or more work? And, where, ultimately, do you see yourself?
KA: Well, there's no rest for the wicked and Lance is back from America with the whip soon! But really, my whole life is a holiday since I'm doing something I love anyway. Ultimately I wish to be happy with my family and not a long way away from them. Thank goodness for the miracle of modern recording technology! I do appreciate the opportunity to perform overseas though - the audiences are so attentive which is a buzz. I guess it would be nice to just be able to sing as long as I can.
MM: Many thanks for answering our questions. It's very much appreciated.
KA: Cheers Andrew, my pleasure!
Interview with Flevans
Meme Magazine: You were one of Tru-Thoughts very first signings, then had a brief spell away from them before being signed back in '07. What is it about the label that you love and why do think TT is so special?
Flevans: There are loads of great things about TT as a label, and things have been good for me personally since re-signing and releasing the last album. I've known some of the guys there (in particular Rob, Roo & Paul) for years now, and it's good to be a
little older and wiser and see that you've got a good friendship with the people that are releasing your music. Also you meet some great people through the label; I recently toured with Kylie Auldist & Lance (from The Bamboos) and we got on so well they've hooked me up a tour in Australia in Jan.
MM: One of the things that stands out about the label is the amount of synergy that is generated amongst all of the TT artists past and present, with continual collaborations, productions and remixes. How important is it for you to have that sort of support and inspiration so close at hand?
F: Yeah, it's very important to be around people who are productive and successful....and of course from a collaboration point of view it's great - I'm working with Kylie Auldist and Laura Vane on the next Flevans album, and this is all through the vast TT network...
MM: We're loving the remix album. You're music seems very suited to a juicy remix, and you've done a few cracking remixes of other artists. Do you write the music with remixes or remixers in mind or do you just let them take their natural course?
F: I've never really written a song with a remix or remixer in mind, it's usually something that happens after the album drops. I've called on a few good friends, label mates and people I've met on my travels to do remixes for me....I'm really happy with it as a remix 'album' - it's really consistent which I think some remix albums miss, and theres plenty of big tunes to play out....
MM: How has the transition from samples to live instruments gone? It seems to be a bit of a trend with musicians at the moment, with bands such as Jazzanova going through exactly the same journey. Any plans to take it all on tour?
F: It's gone really well, I've learnt a lot since writing 27 Devils; it was a good process and has changed the way I write; it's been good for me to pick up an instrument for some inspiration rather than look for samples. The whole live thing will be happening in the new year - it's been a silly busy year since re-signing to Tru Thoughts, so I wanted to get the next Flevans album in the bag, and I'll be touring with a full band for that release.
MM: What have you got in the pipeline? There are a few forthcoming collaborations (for example with Lack of Afro) and a new LP next year. Finally, what is your ultimate ambition?
F: My pipeline is pretty full....I've got a forthcoming collaboration with Lack Of Afro, we're recording as 'The Pick-Ups' - we actually recorded the source material a couple of months ago, but have only just now had time to start getting it all together. It's going to be a bit special, with Adam and me playing pretty much every instrument on there. I'm also recording an EP with Lanu whilst in Australia and then getting the next Flevans album mixed in February/March 2010. Wha'ts my ultimate ambition? To enjoy it all whilst it lasts - things have been really good this year, so hopefully everything will keep heading in the right direction!
Interview with Rob Luis
Meme Magazine: Firstly, congratulations on Tru-Thought's tenth anniversary. You must be very proud. How has the year gone and what have been the highlights for you?
Rob Luis: It’s been an exciting and busy year for me. Lots of gigs and lots of releases. I really enjoyed seeing Quantic play live at The Big Chill and also going on Gilles Peterson’s show. When I was at school I used to listen to his shows regularly so it was great to be on the show and chat music.
MM: Can you just tell us a little about how you came to launch the record label in the first place? Was it all planned out from an early age or did you kind of make it up as you went along?
RL: My background was in running club nights and DJing and after a while I felt the need for a new challenge. As for running the label now…we still make it up as we go along!
MM: What is the future for independent labels like TT? The past year or so must have been tough from a business point of view: quite a few labels went under and you had distributor issues at the start of the year. On the plus side there seem to be more and more people trying to set up their own labels (with even ex-TT artist Alice Russell doing it). Is it just a different business model that we're going to see in the future?
RL: I think now people who run independent labels for the most part do it because they like music…it’s not going to be a huge money earner. This year has been tough for many but I have faith that people will pay for music they like especially when they understand that if they don’t buy music, only X Factor style music will be available.
MM: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start up a record label today? I heard that you think the Quincy Jones autobiography is a good inspiration. Any other top tips?
RL: I think the Quincy Jones autobiography is something that all artists should read but I personally found it useful as he is a very positive and creative person but talks about business in the book too. I would suggest that you learn best by releasing music and then asking as many people as you can who run labels for help. I always make time to chat to people if they have a label up and running and want some advice or tips.
MM: What plans do you have for the label for the next ten years? Any big changes or more of the same great stuff? Or is it just too difficult to predict?
RL: I hope we can carry on doing what we do. I’m chatting to a few artists at the moment who we want to try and sign which make a bit more bassier and beat orientated music. Not easy to predict what will happen in the next year as I seem to be getting sent some very good demos at the moment.
MM: Finally, what is your ultimate ambition?
RL: I would really like to have an artist sell a lot of records and get playlisted on Radio 1 and Radio 2…just for the fact that it would make more people pay attention to independent music that is not rock orientated and actually independent, i.e. not an offshoot of Sony or Universal. We still struggle to get plays from Zane Lowe and evening session people on Radio 1 even though we sell more records than a lot of the 'indie' music they play.
MM: Many thanks Rob - much appreciated. All the best for the next ten years.
RL: Thanks for your support Andrew
So, hopefully you've now got a pretty good idea of the Tru-Thoughts label, and what makes it kinda special. If you want to hear more, head on over to the Tru-Thoughts website and Etch shop, and get your hands on the 10th Anniversary CD. My thanks to Kylie, Nigel and Rob for their time in answering the questions.
Exclusive Jazzanova Interviewwith Meme Magazine
We had the fortunate opportunity to be able to interview Stefan Leisering, one sixth of the highly regarded band, Jazzanova. Jazzanova released their most recent LP, 'Of All The Things', at the beginning of this year (in the UK) following their previous effort ('In Between') six years ago, between which they had produced a whole heap of remixes, compilations, radio shows, theatre scores and even started their own record lable (Sonar Kollektiv). The new record, which uses more live instruments than before and introduces some superb vocalists, has received great reviews all round (see ours here) so it was with great pleasure that we were able to talk to Stefan about the making of it and what they are up to now.
Meme Magazine: Your album is less focused on the dancefloor - do you see this as a general trend or is there still life in dance music?
Stefan Leisering: Like our first album, "Of All The Things" focusses less on the club, and more on every other imaginable life situation.. somehow a 'soundtrack for your life'. When it comes to making an album as a reference we think much more of standout albums such as "Songs In The Key Of Life" , "Rubber Soul" , "What's Going On" or "Pet Sounds" just to name a few classics from different fields. An album for me is not a good platform for club-oriented dance tracks, with long build-ups and outros. They belong on a 12" and most ceraintly shine in a DJ-mix or on a compilation.
MM: Some people criticise music today as just being the remakes of previous classics but with better production (just like Hollywood remaking old films). How do you manage to make your music stand out as original amongst all this 'noise'?
SL: Every music that's been made so far has a certain relevance for now and as long as it has listeners there is definitely a reason why it exists, even if it's been inspired by music from yesterday. As long as I feel the musicians' passion for what they're doing, it's a true thing. Our music for instance is not a result of strategical moves within the rules of commercial pop music, it is the result of the essence of what we love about music ourselves. We don't care about what's in or out, we take care of our uniqueness... of our signature...
MM: Meme Magazine is about introducing people to new, good music which seems like the same mission as Jazzanova. Do you think that there is a new openness in people's ability to take in unfamiliar music?
SL: Everyone, who is fed up with the charlatanisms of the commercial music (for me this includes all music/artists that is/are costumized to sell, not that music that sells because of it's uniqueness or originality) stumbles accross unfamiliar music sooner or later. Maybe it's music that's not been marketed as strong, but can have a more real effect and depth on the listener. People seem to have a new openess merely by the fact that they're fed up with compromises and artificiality.
MM: Does the amount of effort and control you put into your recordings take away some of the 'spontaneity' or can you build in the 'soul' to the music?
SL: I think the always-varying amount of effort and control is somehow our 'Jazzanova-proved-seal' to our music. And spontaneous decisions always have to be done on the way to the final result. From the early composing stage, through the arranging, the recording to the mixing in the end. Through our almost 20 years in making music, we learned when to stop and to realize when a song is 'complete'.
The soul in our music is what we love about music...the energy, the harmonies, the rhythms, the melodies, the instrumentation etc...
MM: Who (if anyone) do you imagine is the listener when you are making new music?
SL: During the process of making the music, this does not play a role. We make the music that we love to listen to ourselves and do not customize it for anyone else, other than for ourselves.
It always suprises me to see, who finally is interested in our music in the end.
MM: What are you listening to at the moment?
SL: At the moment I'm listening to Renaissance & Baroque Choir Music, Schubert Piano & Choir Music, Psychedelic and Garage Rock , late 50's to 60's Soul, R'n'B & Northern Soul and lots of Jazz from my record collection.
MM: Any new remixes coming up soon?
SL: We stopped making remixes at the moment, to focus more and more on our own compositions and on our Jazzanova Live Band tour too...
MM: And finally, 'is Berlin the new London?'
SL: Every metropolis has it's own thumb-print... it's own sigature. Berlin has grown and become influential in many aspects like in young fashion, music, film, art.. etc. Since the boom of the no-frills airlines it's become an affordable and attractive destination for young travellers. In summer the destricts of Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte are crowded by young tourists, as they enjoy the subcultural life of Berlin. Also more and more musicians from the whole German country as well as from many other countries move here. I have the feeling it's constantly growing and the more people come, the 'magnetic effect' increases.
Still I think it isn't comparable to London concerning the way and the tempo of living. I think London has had a more straight development.. politically as well as culturally. It's much more a multicultural meeting point where musical/cultural styles and phenomena like Reggae, Ska, Punk, Mod, Northern Soul, Brit Pop, Beat, Acid Jazz.. etc. were or are big. Berlin is a much cheaper place to live and bit more quiet and greener. There is a bit less commercial pressure on the creatives to develop their ideas... Musically Berlin is more about rock, punk and techno. Sometimes I miss the soul and the jazz a little bit here,.. but hey!! maybe that's why Jazzanova come from here.
Pure Colombian We introduced you to Will Holland's new band 'Quantic and his Combo Barbaro' (see here) after we were rather taken by the pre-release track ('Linda Morena') his label very kindly sent us. (Remember, by employing the immense and unbounded resources of the Interweb, you too can listen to this track on our very own
MemePlayer).
Now we are happy to bring you some more details of this latest project from Will, who moved himself down to Cali in Colombia in order to put together the best band possible. The songs on the new LP ('Tradition In Transition', due 6th July) take Caribbean, African and Latin American roots and fuse them with the deep soul and funk sounds of Quantic's previous incarnations, to give a pretty unique flavour of contemporary South American music.
There will also be a film to accompany the LP, of which you can get a taster below. From what we can tell, this new LP is getting a lot of attention from the people who matter, so drop the name into the next conversation you have and sit back, smug in the knowledge that you know and understand everything.
For anyone feeling the stresses and strains of the global banking crisis, or just depressed by the passing of summer (what summer?!), here is a selection of songs to help you both chill and relax.
The Cinematic Orchestra is a band with plenty of history, creating, as their name would suggest, luscious cinematic pieces. Jason Swinscoe brings us some gorgeous instrumental songs, whilst others use a range of vocal talents including Fontella Bass and Patrick Watson. Choose 'To Build A Home' from the latest LP 'Ma Fleur' or the classic 'All That You Give' from 'Everyday' as a starting point. The 'Live At The Royal Albert Hall' is also worth getting your hands on.
In a smilar vein, although a bit more left-field, is Four Tet, the brainchild of Keiren Hebden. He's recently teamed up with jazz drummer Steve Reid, but the early LPs are still firm favourites. 'Smile Around Your Face' (from 'Everything Ecstatic') and 'My Angel Rocks Back and Forth' (from 'Rounds') are good examples of this.
The Thievery Corporation keep going and going. We love their 'Richest Man in Babylon' and 'Mirror Conspiacy' LPs, and they've just released a new one called 'Radio Retaliation' (we'll let you know what it's like once we've got our hands on it).
We've put some of these tracks on the MemePlayer, so head to the Homepage or the Download page to lsiten right now. And...relax...
Pick of the Podcasts
Now that Meme Magazine has it's own podcast, we'd thought it would be a good idea to let you know what else is out there in podworld. These are all podcasts that we listen to on a regular basis, so all are worth a try - they're free and you can always unsubscribe if you find some are not for you. To make it as easy as possible for you, we've given you the link to the web-page and the subscription link (see our own podcast page on how to subscribe to podcasts).
We've been picking up a lot of music from France lately so we'd thought we would give you a few quick pointers. Most of the artists (or is that artistes?) are on the same pitch as that started by Air and then Daft Punk - lots of synths and 80s vibes done in a contemporary way that make it sound thoroughly now.
We've mentioned Sébastien Tellier before but worth pointing you again to his 'Sexuality' CD and his sublime 'La Ritournelle'. And, of course, there is Justice who featured in MemeMix004, and who have an excellent remix of 'Stress' available at the moment.
Then we've just come across M83 who has just released 'Saturdays=Youth'. We first listened to it during one of those recent July days when it hadn't stopped raining and it fitted in very well to the melancholic feeling that this sort of thing brings out in you. And then on Meme fave label Buzzin' Fly there is Mlle Caro and Frank Garcia with their 'Pain Disappears' LP.
Lastly, there is Tepr who has done a very good remix of Santogold's 'Say Aha'. (He's also got a LP from last year called 'Cote Ouest' which, although pretty good, is a bit like listening to Manic Miner on acid). Also, you can hop, skip and jump over to ParisDJs and Excuse My French for even more ideas.
