One of Denmark’s finest bands, Pinkunoizu, featured in our fresh section not more than one month ago. We liked them, and their Peep EP, quite a bit, so we asked some questions. They talk to us about go-karting, French writers and some crazy album plans:

Your name means ‘pink noise’ in Japanese. Can you tell us a bit more about where that came from?

It came from driving go-karts with some Vietnam vets in Idaho. There you could really feel the futuristic blow and the circular speed energy accumulating. The pink noise frequency specter made up a landscape of possibilities in which we felt the certainty of the band name.

You’ve cited Pavement as one of your biggest influences. What else inspires you from the worlds of art, music, t.v….?

I think basically everything makes up a sum of inspiration for us. Floating through this world, the digital one and the dream one, snatching ideas in a conscious or unconscious manner is what it’s all about. I’ve personally found direct inspiration from reading. That’s more comprehensible for me. Deleuze, Bataille, Céline and Baudrillard are some Frenchmen I like for instance.

Some of your tracks, like ‘Everything is broken or stolen’, sound as if they could go on forever (in the best possible way). Do you ever have trouble condensing a track down or is there always a clear idea in mind of the end product?

Some times we tend to play some long jammy passages that might be more fun to play, than to listen to. But hopefully it can be the other way around now and then. And hopefully some times the lengthiness is pleasing for both us and the audience. I don’t think length has been a problem for us, as in a real problem; usually it feels pretty natural when we play.

You released your debut UK release this year. Tell us a bit about that and why everyone should try their hardest to get hold of it.

It’s an EP titled ‘PEEP EP’. Three songs on there. If I hadn’t been involved making it, I think I would actually be really satisfied buying it and listening to it. It’s centered around a more layered and thick sound than what we do live. Not too noisy, but with a lot of exciting spatial dimensions on it.

Have you got any exciting plans lined up for the album release?

Yes! We’re gonna hijack a government helicopter and fly down to Syria and spread about all the LPs in Damascus and Aleppo. We’re excited to see if we can manage it.

You’re playing a one off gig in London at the end of November. Any plans for a UK tour?

We’ll be coming back to the UK in April to play, but we haven’t got the dates just yet.

Aside from your releasing your album, obviously, what are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months?

We are looking forward to recording the next album I would say.

And finally, when life gives you lemons…?

…you turn red on the inside.

From Joe Abbitt.

Sucking Lemons.

Swedish chillwave/electro troupe Simian Ghost released their seven-track EP Lovelorn on November 14th, through Hiest or Hit Records. We think they’re great, we wanted a word, and they very kindly gave us a few.

Firstly, can you talk us through your decision to produce this record yourself…

It wasn’t so much of a choice really. Lovelorn is a collection of songs I’ve made myself at home just to keep myself occupied. I can’t really relax if haven’t got some project going. I produce myself out of two reasons; one is that I want total control over what I do. The other is that I just can’t afford studio time. I think that might be the biggest reason. Not living the rock star life just yet.

It seems evident with ‘Lovelorn’ that the environment in which you write your music has a big effect on the overall sound of the album. What was the ideal location when creating this album?

I don’t think there’s an ideal place for making art. Whatever works is my rule of thumb. Our next album is produced in Mathias basement, so it’s a little more classed up production wise. We used three microphones rather than my usual set-up of one. I get what you mean though, and I really like how the environment, in a very tangible way, sometimes manifest itself within the work you’re doing. The kind of softness in “Gently Submissive” for example, comes from the fact that I recorded it at night and didn’t want to wake the neighbors. I was just trying out some melodies and the next morning I looked back at it and really liked the whispering vocals. I think the best art is 50 percent hard work and 50 percent lucky accidents. A great artist is the one who knows how to make good use of those accidents.

There have already been some complimentary comparisons in M83 and Active Child. If you could be compared to any band right now, who would it be?

I don’t know really. I feel a connection to Thom Yorke. He inspired me a lot when I was younger and I too fall very far to the left in terms of political ideas. But I really don’t know who I’d like to be compared to. It’s a great way to discover new music, to read what others compare your work to. Active Child for example, was totally new to me when people started discussing our similarities. I like that. GZA is a strong influence on my songwriting too. I’d love to be compared to the Wu-Tang Clan.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Right now I’m listening a lot to Mount Kimbie, Moderat, Pantha Du Prince, Panda Bear, Caribou, Gold Panda, Luke Abbott and other interesting electronic and semi-electronic acts. I tend to float between listening to a lot of electronic stuff and more traditional guitar based alternative music. That’s where I come from originally. I always listen a lot to Sonic Youth.

Who were your major inspirations when writing ‘Lovelorn’?

These kind of questions are very hard to answer, because I listen to so much music, and you really don’t have much insight into how your subconscious sort and rearrange the ideas you lift from others. I’d say I was very inspired by the ideas of Robert Anton Wilson at the time. And also I had just downloaded the holy Bible, the Koran and the Bhagavad Gita in app form to my phone.

Are you planning a visit to the UK any time soon?

We’d love to visit the UK. There are some plans being made right now as to how and when we’ll get there. Hopefully before the end of this year!

Was the decision to sign to Heist or Hit Records a natural, smooth transaction or did it take time to commit?

The people on Heist or Hit are great. They work from a roots kind of perspective and they’re super nice people who really cares about their artists. That’s the kind of people I’d like to work with. And I’m not just saying this, I’ve worked with some real asses in the past.

And finally, when life gives you lemons…..??

I make lemonade. I squeeze those suckers and drink their juice.

From Richard Mutimer.

Sucking Lemons.