We respect each other’s ideas.
Interview: Friederike Suckert, Foto: Pressematerial. Am anderen Ende der Leitung saß: Felix Martin (Synthies, Drumcomputer) von Hot Chip.
Endlich, nach fast drei Jahren ist es wieder soweit: die Londoner Super-Combo Hot Chip (Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Owen Clarke, Felix Martin und Al Doyle) veröffentlichen am 15. Mai 2015 ihr sechstes Studioalbum „Why Make Sense?“. Und der Titel ist für so alte Showhasen schon durchaus berechtigt, denn irgendwie hat man ja doch alles durch und fragt sich nach der eigenen Notwendigkeit. Und so besannen sie sich auf ihre Teenagerjahre und deren Einflüsse, gingen mit ihrer Tour-Drummerin Sarah Jones und dem Multitalent Rob Smoughton ins Studio und haben das Elektronische mal ein bisschen rausgeschraubt. Dabei herausgekommen ist ein sehr funkiges Album. Neu klingt das nicht, aber es ist eine weitere Facette im Hot Chip-Dasein, die den Indie weit nach vorn gebracht haben. Und so hab ich mal eben ganz gemütlich am Telefon den DJ Felix Martin zum Album ausgefragt.
Das erste Video des Albums ist auch schon veröffentlicht: „I Need You Now“. Im Pressetext wurde der Song als Reaktion auf den Terror in der ganzen Welt, dem Umgang der Medien damit und die daraus resultierende Hilflosigkeit beschrieben, aber im Zeitschleifenvideo ist es doch nur wieder die Liebe, die uns fertig macht. Trotzdem ein schönes Video! Alles in allem ist „Why Make Sense?“ ein schönes Sommeralbum – tanzbar Verspieltes ist dabei, sowie Melancholisches („Dark Night“, mein absoluter Favorit!). Eine Tour ist bisher in Deutschland nicht geplant, es stehen zwei Konzerte in Berlin an, das eine davon im Heimathafen Neukölln ist natürlich ausverkauft.
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Hey! I am Rike from MUSIKMUSSMIT, a music blog.
Felix: Hey! Nice to talk with you.
Nice to talk with you. And congratulations to your album, I think it’s pretty nice.
Felix: Thank you very much.
I really like your new sound. Your first song „Huarache Lights“, which might also become your first single, has a line saying “Replace us with the things that do the job better“. Where does that come from? Why do you think that anybody would want to replace Hot Chip?
Felix: I don’t know! I’m not sure if Alexis wants someone to replace us. It’s just when you make music and a new album you need to connect with the people and that’s maybe why he thinks: „Will someone replace me?“.
Okay. You know it says something „If you want to replace us do it soon and better“. But, well, nobody wants to replace Hot Chip…
Felix: Well maybe we could be replaced by robots so that they can do the work and we could concentrate on just doing our music.
Ah, so maybe you could do the Gorillaz-thing and get holograms of yourselves.
Felix: (lacht) Yes, maybe in a few years.
You recorded the album with your Live Band, right? Was the work more intense this way?
Felix: It’s definitely more work than on the other albums. We spent more time and money on making it and it was more intense than any other Hot Chip album. We agonized on the arrangements. It’s got a lot to do with the experiences you have and you have to do what you have to do to put the album out you want to have.
And could you imagine to do an unplugged album one day? Do you think that would be possible?
Felix: Well, yes! I think Alexis already released something and we would have to find a lot of percussive instruments and musicians and a big live band. And it would take a while to unplug the songs, but maybe it would be possible.
My favorite song is „Dark Night“, I think it’s so melancholic. Where does that come from?
Felix: I don’t know. Everybody liked it. The mood is very sad and uncommon. It’s kind of unusual. Joe sometimes does that. He comes up with these songs that are kind of sad and completely different from the other songs.
After all these years: you still like being in a studio with the others or is it sometimes maybe a little bit hard for you as a band?
Felix: (lacht) No, it’s not hard! To a band rehearsing is always kind of fun because we all have different projects that we are involved with and we play in different bands and we collaborate with different visions and combinations. And coming back to the studio is always kind of enjoyable. I think we respect each other’s ideas and that’s exciting to me. To hear what ideas Joe or Alexis have – I just enjoy it. There are a lot of times where we disagree, it’s not always very peaceful and relaxing, but it is always fun and challenging in a good way.
Do you have an idea for a song sometimes, too?
Felix: No, not really for Hot Chip! Sometimes I’m adding a small melody, but no. I have another band and this stuff I do for them. I’m more interested in helping out maybe.
I think it’s interesting that a lot of bands that started with Electronica, go back to their roots and it always seems to be Funk. Can you explain that and where it might come from?
Felix: (lacht) Yeah. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the influence of playing live music together and playing with a drummer. And I think we look at the things that affect us and the music we were growing up with and what we do now. It all comes together and so we play it that way, I guess. I can’t really comment on other people, I don’t really know, so…
No, that’s right. And I think the mixture of Electronica and Funk really works, so it maybe doesn’t really matter.
Felix: Thank you.
Are you excited about how this album will work live?
Felix: It’s gonna work. We heard it while rehearsing for a couple of shows and we started to work it out with Sarah Jones, our drummer. She’s really got a good feeling for music and is very involved with the drums and knows what works.
Thank you and I’m really looking forward to your show!
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Bereits geplauscht haben wir auch schon mit Alex Clare, Gabriel Rios oder Rosie von Ballet School.
FAKTEN
Alben
• 2004 Coming On Strong
• 2006 The Warning
• 2007 DJ Kicks
• 2008 Made in the Dark
• 2010 One Life Stand
• 2012 In Our Heads
Termine
20.05.2015 Heimathafen Neukölln (ausverkauft)
12./13.09.2015 Lollapalooza Festival Flughafen Tempelhof
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