Blondes: Under the Influence

New York experimental electronic duo Blondes have just released their third long player, Warmth, so we caught up with them to find out more about the music which influenced their sound

Feature by Sam Haar and Zach Steinman | 17 Aug 2017

Martin Rev – Sophie Eagle
[Les Nymph, File Thirteen Records, 2008]

[We were] blown away especially by the music's DGAF attitude. Sitting into these loops that stream over one another, Rev occasionally drops in a breathy vocal through reverb: 'Fire', 'Blood', or 'Salt'. These guttural exclamations are a brilliant and hilarious way of connecting these human elements into the chugging upbeat tunes. But it’s not just 'cool', the music resonates on both a cerebral and visceral level. His use of phase stands out particularly, as many of the tracks have these overlapping phases that divert and come back together. Rev's music is hard to place. He's not performing genre, which is common practice in electronic music, it's really its own thing.

Black Meteoric Star – Dreamcatcher
[Black Meteoric Star, DFA, 2009]

Gavin Russom’s Black Meteoric Star has always been an influence to us. We saw Black Meteoric Star at Scala, a now defunct club in Berlin, in 2008 and it still stands out as one of the best live electronic performances [we've] witnessed. This project embodies the freedom you can have within the confines of an instrument you create – not literally as a synth you build from scratch, but more the matrix of various synths, effects, and sequencers that make one’s greater instrument. [Russom's] music has this chugging drive that is intense and psychedelic, with an allowance for a wonky feel.

David Tudor – Pulsers
[Pulsers / Untitled, Lovely Music, Ltd., 1984]

A big part of [our] perspective on sound and live electronic music comes from the more experimental and free circles in electronic sound. Discovering David Tudor’s music was a serious moment in finding that stuff [we] wanted to be listening to, that stuff that really spoke to [us]. He built all his own weird little electronic boxes with specific functions for the purpose of creating these grand networked instruments. The configurations used would end up creating the work itself through a process of improvisation. And [we]’ve always connected to his ear for aesthetics in sonic detail, there’s such beautiful complexity and evolution.

Various Artists – 3
[1-7, Chain Reaction, 1995]

This track by Torsten Pröfrock is a single but fantastic example from the basic channel sub-label chain reaction. They had such amazing output and [we] really connect with their approach to sound and music: the infinite loop, the warmth and complexity in noise and imperfection, and the expressiveness of the sonic shaping. This specific track's concept is minimal and simple but contains so much subtly and complexity in its execution – [we] could listen to it for hours just drifting along and losing time in the filter variations.

Mr. Fingers – Acid Attack
[6 Track EP, Jack Trax, 1988]

Acid Attack is a perfect archetypical acid track and [we]’ve included it as a stand-in for the entire concept of acid. Acid occupies its own special place in the history of dance music genres and, while it can’t exist without the 303, the most important part to me is the hypnotic listening mode that it requires. It presents a series of repeating patterns and just sonically mutates and twists them and takes the audience on a psychotropic journey via sonic immersion. Even though we never really use the specific sound of acid, our music has a serious kinship to its underlying message.

Surgeon – 9 Hours into the Future
[Basictonalvocabulary, BMG UK, 1997]

After being immersed in more experimental forms of music, discovering Surgeon was a great moment. He really is a master of his craft and [we] really appreciate his ability to take a simple loop and just ride the energy waves through the playing of his instruments. This track is so bubbly and wonky with the plucky melody and the groovy swung drums and it’s always changing and moving – it really takes you on a blissful ride even though it’s really just sitting in place. [We] don’t normally connect with music this fast but it somehow manages to still feel spacious because of its minimal components.

Moritz Von Oswald / Thomas Fehlmann – Schizophrenia/Schizophrenia
[Sun Electric / Schizophrenia, NovaMute, 1995]

This collaboration from Moritz Von Oswald and Thomas Fehlmann is pure and beautiful. Something that [we're] always looking for in a track is a physical space to inhabit; a place you would want to spend time and explore. It meditates in the kosmische, with watery arpeggios, and a springy and resonant bassline that grows with metallic stabs. It’s sublime and pleasing, like a simple meal made with the freshest ingredients.

Love Inc. – Life's a Gas
[Life's a Gas, Force Inc. Music Works, 1996]

A blissful 15-minute track, that revolves around a sample of Roxy Music’s True To Life. Minimal and moving, this is one of Wolfgang Voigt’s masterpieces. It's hard not to think about time and love... the track is melancholic, endearing, urging reflection; these are byproducts of music that operate on the highest of vibration. [We] love how the loop is slowly filtered, phased and dubbed out. He (Wolfgang Voigt) featured the original Roxy Music track on his recent RA podcast, a nice nod to his version which is over 20 years old.


Warmth is out now via R&S Records.

https://soundcloud.com/blondes