Phèdre (Interview)

During my research for the review of Phèdre's self-titled debut there was very little information about the band available and that kind of helped in many ways. There were no prejudices or assumptions and I had no idea what to expect. All that I knew, or was told, was that the band morphed out of an attic among summer evenings dripping with cheap wine. I didn't know their names, and I, in fact, had never heard of them before.

So when the opportunity arose to ask the band - who, in my head, were sort a myth - some questions, I duly obliged. The responses may not have been what I was expecting, but how could they be?

Firstly, let me just say how much I enjoyed the record; it made me want to do the robot in a panda suit on roller-blades.

Thank you! Maybe you could be in our next music video.

There are certain rumors regarding the formation of the band. How did it first come to form?

We found each other on the internet, on a food-appreciation chat board. There was a debate over whether dipping your chicken into ketchup was appropriate or not. We were the only ones who thought it was imperative. Our shared food perspective somehow lead one of us to ask, "So, what kind of music do you listen to?" We met up and bonded over fondue and extra-vegan-vegan steak. The combination made us sick. We wrote a song about it.

What has the process been like from the initial collaboration to having the record released?

It’s been a fantastic whirlwind. Human egos, fuelled by galactic inspiration; it has been like a wonderful drug. It can feel better than an orgasm and worse than having blue balls. We're working to collab with the hologram of Tupac, co-sponsored by NASA, Google, and The Source mag.

In terms of the creative process, how do the songs come to form? Is it an organic growth from an individual idea or are you trying to convey sounds already present in your mind(s)?

Anything goes. We like to experiment and try it all out. Most of the sounds are made from our body parts: knee-slapping, kissing, hair-brushing sounds. Sometimes we record ourselves while we sleep just to see what it sounds like.

I saw Tragique, This iz your life and Phèdre as interludes between the movements on the record. Was this your intention?

Interludes can be more important than longer tracks sometimes. They are concise works that convey the very foundations of the record. Perhaps there is a lot of hidden meaning in the background of those short songs, which might not be audible on most modern-age speakers or headphones.

Were you consciously aware of the type/genre of music you wanted to make at the inception of the process?

Not really. We let our creative energies and excitement guide the process. It’s crucial to let go and follow your enthusiasm and instincts. Inspiration came from many sources, including hundreds of bottles of affordable wine and playing Mario Kart at very high volumes, with a strobe light on.

Tell me about the music that made you want to make music yourselves, and do you see a direct correlation between them and your own sound?

Of course. Admittedly or not, everyone is influenced by the art and culture around them. We appreciate all kinds of music and art. Consciously or not, we incorporate it and pay tribute to it in some way.

Are you conscious of what you want the listener to experience when developing sounds?

No, only us as the listener. When you start writing for other people, nasty things start to take over. Considering what other people think can be helpful, but it can also be destructive. If we're into what we're creating, we put it out there because we love it. Obviously though, it’s great when other people dig on it too.

How would you describe the music that you make?

Why bother? It’s rad.

Why are you keen to remain so elusive? Particularly at a time when other musicians thrive with greater exposure.

We don’t mean to be elusive. We mean to be illuminated. Illustrative. Ill.

How many other contributors were there to the record? Arowbe was the only named contributor, why was this?

Arowbe is the illest! Cold Sunday REPRESENT. Contributions were infinite.

The record itself is only slightly over 30mins in length, were there many tracks that didn’t make the record?

We have hundreds of songs waiting to be released as singles over the next bunch of years. Each with a collection of videos by Spykkeh Jonez and Hype Willemms.

Obviously every record, person and artist is unique in certain ways but I believe your record to be particularly so. Did you try to veer away from normality to create this?

We weren't trying to do anything. Everyone is weird, man. EVERYONE.

Finally, what was your ultimate ambition when you created the record? What did you want to achieve?

We're always striving to achieve nothing. No looking back. No attachments to the future. GO, GO, GO.

P.s. Who are you?

We’re homies surfing the waves of time.

To read our review of Phèdre's debut record follow this link.