Grimus and Teknob also to play WOTW LIVE

Teknob and Grimus

Grimus and Teknob have been writing electronic music in parallel since 1995 (and dabbling even earlier), but only during the dying months of 2001, after several live jamming sessions in the studio did they decide to pair up. They only had one charter, and that was to make good, solid, crazy electro tracks. Unwittingly, they then proceeded to turn out a surprisingly large number of tracks, for good or for ill.

The G & T sound has been crafted by a number of factors, including their Teutonic heritage, their preference for good Polish vodka, and their decadent inner city lifestyles. While firmly electro tinged, their music runs the gamut of emotions, from sparse gloomy beats to Atari bleep evangelism and manic synthesizer diarrhoea.

Together, the two culprits have an arsenal of electronic machines to do their bidding, with the temptation being to use them all at once. Early G & T gigs saw them surrounded by a space-station console array of knobs and flashing led's. Teknob brings the analog sound to their mix, being a collector of vintage synths and drum machines, while Grimus is obsessed with digital gear, and the sonic possibilities that sampling has to offer. Imaging the collision of the old world and the new, and you are beginning to understand the mad friction that ensues. It is this friction that makes their sound unique and exciting.

Grimus and Teknob have always, both together and in solo projects, attempted to make their live sets as visually and technically interesting as possible, always working with a hands-on, improvisational philosophy. Their sets are displays of fierce tweaking and crazy modulation, but luckily this bravado is nicely offset by a cheeky disco ethic, rambunctious bass lines and strong kitsch elements.

And a little on the guys themselves from the guys themselves…

GRIMUS

Tell us about your best vodka drinking experience...
Zubrowka and apple juice last New Years Eve. I was literally legless, suffering from acute sciatica nerve pain from a badly slipped disc, and that combination filled me with a cool blue glow.

Any releases- if so what label and when-
A track on Heartland Records when I was in a techno-industrial outfit years ago.

What don't you like about Melbourne-
The nasty little sparrows and pigeons in the CBD. I hate agressive imported European birds that eat crumbs and shit everywhere. I also despise the nouveau riche who hope to buy culture with money.

Any upcoming releases-
The Grimus & Teknob album, which is going to be called Bento Box, a food reference, which is good.

What's your favourite Yum Cha dish-
Ha Gau - the tight little white prawn dumplings, and coconut jelly, which I always seem to fit in even when I am about to burst.

TEKNOB

What is your favourite sound-
Perhaps the snare in Cameo's "Word up" or the Siemens SiPlace SMD machine

What Are Your Influences-
Kraftwerk (boring, I know!), Donna Summer (the Giorgio Moroder mixes) and more recently Dutch and Detroit electro.

What recording made you interested in synthesizers-
Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene/Pink Floyd - On the run. Thanks Mum.

What is Teknob's favourite airline-
It doesn't exit yet: a joint venture between JAL and SAS.

Do you like scotch-
For about 10 years or so now I have been avoiding scotch, but presently it's very much on the cards. Its the dryness that I like, combined with the fact that it's an old person's drink, cos let's face it, we're getting old and withered.

What your favourite style of noodle-
Cold home made soba - hard to get but well worth it. Rice stick is always useful too.

Aspirations
Release more music. Learn Mandarin and Japanese

Previous Releases-
Yes, mostly with Clan Analogue.

What enjoyment do you receive from playing live-
Being so absorbed in what I am doing that I forget where I am Tags