TLC vs. Miike Snow: Behind the Masks

Miike Snow by anthoNYC 9.16.09

Last night we chatted with Jack Peñate before the 1st of 2 Jack Peñate/Miike Snow shows at Mercury Lounge, and today I sat down with Miike Snow before the 2nd.

Each brought something totally different to the plate, serving a solid set that brought even Mark Ronson and Adele to the yard. Tonight Miike Snow takes their turn as headliner and in turn will play a longer set.

Make sure you catch this dynamite tour when it comes to your town, you will not be disappointed. Check out the interview with Miike Snow below in which they discuss cults, mythological creatures, death, and even finish off each other’s sentences.

Definitely one of our most intriguing interviews. Be sure to stay tuned for our exclusive interview with Jack Peñate coming soon!


MP3: Miike Snow – Burial (Benny Blanco Remix Ft. Neon Hitch) or zShare
MP3: Peter Bjorn and John – It Don’t Move Me (Miike Snow Remix) or zShare

> Andrew, you’ve worked on a lot of projects prior to Miike Snow. I read that you met Christian and Pontus (Bloodshy & Avant) in 2000, is that correct?
AW: No actually we met in 2004. This has been misprinted a couple of times, I don’t know where it came from. But yeah, we met in 2004 at the studio on 54 Street [in New York.] There is a studio in the penthouse of what was Studio 54. Our sessions overlapped. I was leaving as he [Pontus] was coming in, I think he heard the last song of my session and I heard the first song of his session, so we stayed in touch.

‘I never really felt or considered myself to be a part of particular music scene’ – Andrew Wyatt

Andrew Wyatt at Mercury Lounge, 9.15.09

> What was your approach to Miike Snow, coming together with established producers?
AW: I don’t know. I wasn’t doing any mental mind games at the time that we started working, just went in and made it up along the way. There’s no way to know.
CK: We kinda started from a different angle, it wasn’t that we were producers. We got to know each other and we liked the same type of music and you know whatever. It wasn’t about us being producers –
PW: ..and also the sessions differed at least for us. We were just hanging out, boat trips…
AW: Taking bike rides…
PW: …and occasionally we went into the studio…
CK: …and wrote as a song.

> And you (Christian and Pontus) approached it differently as a band performing live…
CW: That’s where we’re from. Me and Pontus have known each other since we were 15 and we were in a lot of different bands together. The weird thing for us was to produce and write for other people. This actually feels more natural and normal for us, kinda like going back to where we came from.

> Are surprised by the reception and success of Miike Snow?
PW: It’s really hard to judge from inside. I think we know the least about whether we’re successful or not or where we are. You can’t really tell. It’s fun to have sold out shows, that’s the only way we can see that ‘Okay I guess some people know about us.’ Other than that, I find it hard to compare us to other bands or the level of success we have achieved.

> A good indicator is that you’re able to tour extensively. How long have you been touring?
CK: Yeah, since May.

About Cult Logic: ‘My brother used to deprogram people in Texas who were in cults…’

> I was at Lollapalooza but only got to see the end of your set BUT I did see you (Andrew) perform with Lykke Li.
AW: Cool man, that was fun. The funny thing is that you can back and see everything you do on YouTube.  So now the thing for me onstage when I’m doing something like that, performing with Lykke Li, is just to not move. She’s amazing.

Christian Karlsson at Mercury Lounge, 9.15.09

> Could you tell me a bit about the Burial video, it’s beautiful. What concept were you working with?
PW: A friend of ours came up with the simple idea of more or less going to Varanasi…

> Where was it filmed?
AW: Varanasi, it’s like this city of the dead. A lot people go there to get cremated. I think it’s in the Ganges, I’m not sure.

> Were you guys a part the actual filming of the video?
PW: No we bought him a ticket and he just went there
CK: We had some other viral videos that we didn’t’ like at all, so we took it to our friend, played the song and he loved it. He said ‘Just buy me a ticket and I’ll figure something out.‘ He talked a little about what he wanted to do, but we didn’t really know. We told him what we didn’t want, described the vibe of the song and basically just gave him the ticket. When he came back we started to look at what he had filmed.

> One of my favorite songs on the album is Cult Logic, I’m curious to hear where were you coming from with that song.
(Andrew stares off intensely for what seems like 5 minutes as Pontus fills in…)
PW: Um, I don’t know. I think it started off as an experiment with….we had some synth boards chopped up on the computer and then–
AW: My brother used to deprogram people in Texas who were in cults….seriously.

> Oh wow…really?
AW: Yeah. And he worked at a butcher shop at the same time. He would come home from his job at the butcher shop and then go to these centres where a lot of people from cults were being brought. He would try to talk them down, get them to figure out the facts. Someone like David Koresh was not Jesus.

‘I think it’s a lot of fun to hear the ideas that are created from the brains of these talented people’ – Christian Karlsson

> Wow, were you around at that time?
AW: I wasn’t around. I wasn’t living in Texas. It was fascinating.

Pontus Winnberg at Mercury Lounge, 9.15.09

> I would have never known. Now onto something lighter, where did the idea for your logo come from?
PW: Christian’s tattoo artist. We sent her some music and told her that we wanted something with antlers. She didn’t know anything about the jackalope…I mean she’s from Sweden.
CK: We don’t have jackalopes in Sweden (laughs.)
PW: No, I don’t think we have but there might be. I’ve heard stories…

> It’s your trademark now.
PW: The funny thing was that she just made that up not knowing anything about jackalopes; she didn’t know they exist.  We were like ‘Cool a jackalope.‘
CK: She didn’t like that, she still thinks she invented it.

> You’re used to remixing for other people, how does it feel to have your songs remixed now and remixing your own now? A lot of hands in there…
CW: I think it’s a lot of fun to hear the ideas that are created from the brains of these talented people.

> Last question for Andrew. You lived in New York for a while before Miike Snow, do you feel removed from the Brooklyn scene and if not has there been a backlash?
AW: I was never really a part of that stuff. I had a lot of friends that I think are closer to that…and I maintain alot of those friendships, but I never really felt or considered myself to be a part of particular music scene.