Telefon Tel Aviv: Interview

Telefon Tel Aviv: Interview

23 June, 2009
by: Mcdean

Prime exponents of sumptuous experimental soundscapes, electro-duo Telefon Tel Aviv released their fourth album  - Immolate Yourself - in January 2009, before embarking on a European tour. Tragically, founding member Charles Cooper died a few days after the record’s release. We caught up with Josh Eustis in London after the band’s show at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen to hear where TTA are at now, what their plans are, and some of their thoughts on music.
 
MD: Since Telefon came about in 1999, has your approach to making music changed? What things have you moved away from, and what things have you become closer to?

 JE: The approach has definitely changed.  I can't sit still, and Charlie was the same way.  Why repeat oneself?  We make what we feel is right at the time, I guess.  All of the heavy edit-intense electronic minutiae fell by the wayside, I suppose... I'm just not interested in that sort of thing anymore.  Too many people are doing  it, maybe?  I don't know.  I keep moving more in a song-oriented direction as I get older.  Not that TTA will ever be NORMAL, per se...

MD: How would you describe your sound?

JE: ROMANTICISM

MD:  If you were to name the five artists who’d had the biggest effect on you and what you do, who would they be? Of those, who’s the all time great in your mind?

JE: Steve Reich, Autechre, The Cocteau Twins, Gas, William Basinski.  No all-time great for me - all of these are all-time greats, I think.  Each one is legendary in their own way.

MD: What project have you worked on that you’ve been most proud of?  And are there any projects you wish had never happened?

JE: Most proud of?  Hard to say.  Probably the Colorlist record that will come out later this year.  A "jazz" duo (I use this term very loosely) who, with some help, I recorded pretty much straight to
 tape.  At least, it was all done in one take.  Totally atmospheric, haunting, beautiful, and permanent.  It will be released on vinyl a bit later this year. Projects I wish never happened?  None, I would say.  I learned something very important every time I worked on a record!

MD: In terms of collaborations, which artists would you love to work with?

JE: Depeche Mode, Apparat (AGAIN), Ellen Allien (I HOPE), William Basinski... there are too many.  I love working with other people!

MD: What do you think of the ‘music scene’ nowadays? If you could change one thing about it, what would it be?

JE: It depends on what country, in general - so I'll speak of the "scene" in the US, which is basically a snakepit of Machiavellian  maneuvers in order to get a favorable review on Pitchfork.  I'm also becoming a bit weary of all the predictably Apollonian sun-worship that is so prevalent in the indie music of today.  It's great, but as they say in Italy: "grazie, ma basta."  That was a glorious hayride to which I was most assuredly not invited, so all these groups making happy music specifically because the world  is so shit right now seem a bit dishonest to me after a certain  point.  Just because Animal Collective is so masterfully ace at what they do, droves of other groups attempt to follow suit, and fail.

MD: What do you think is the future of electro music… what direction do you see it taking, or what direction do you feel most inclined to take it in?

JE: I have NO IDEA where it's going. Electronic music follows the technology, so it's up to a new crop to abuse it and make something original and lasting.  There are many fantastic, honest  artists out there - Burial, for example - that are completely abusing  their kit with wildly beautiful results that I believe will stand the  test of time... it's about making an effort to transcend one's  genre...  I think that the whole midrange, over-compressed, distorted  French elektro-pastiche will wane and return to the Myspace abyss from whence it came, bringing a welcome respite to all of our ears, however much we enjoyed it hitherto.  That's ONE prediction.  Again, "grazie, ma basta."  For me, I do not lead my music in any specific direction.  I let the tide take me where it will.

Telefon Tel Aviv's latest album, Immolate Yourself, was released in January 2009 and is available now.

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Mcdean