Freezepop

Boston's Freezepop are definitely not your conventional pop band. Just look at them playing live: a guy plays keyboards, a girl is singing and another guy has a square little box in his hands that from a distance look amazingly like a GameBoy. It's not. It's a Yamaha sequencer called QY-70 on which all of their songs are based. Their music is fun and ass-moving, they dress in style, give freezepops to the audience, smash guitars and eat stuffed bunnies at the and of some gigis to show they can be mean. "Fancy Ultra*Fresh", their latest album, is still driving us all mad, so we took the chance to email The Duke of Pannekoeken, The Other Sean T. Drinkwater and Liz Enthusiasm with some dumb questions they were kind enough to answer.

This album is more varied in sounds and style compared to your earlier works. Did you feel you had to improve somehow the sound of "Forever" and FIF? Did you set any goals for this new album?

Duke: No real goals were set but there has been a continued "complexifying" on freezepop songs, that even started way back on Freezepop Forever. Most of it has to do with the early recordings being very simple 4-8 track mixes and by the end of Forever the mixes were up to 8-10 tracks. For FU*F, the mixes were almost all 24-48 tracks with tons of fx processing, automation, and real time control over the mixes. The song-writing I think has also matured a bit and we're striving to still write catchy pop songs while straying from the pop-arrangement and instrumentation norm. I think there is always drive for us to out-do the previous recording, to add new challenges and try to push the envelop a bit.

Sean: I think the goals remain the same, if there are any: write great songs and record them in a progressive manner within the context of Freezepop. More attention was paid to the overall sonic picture this time, as we wanted to have a record that really sounded universally good, as opposed to one that sounded "good for Freezepop." The Duke specifically is having trouble listening to our older material now, comparing it to how this new record sounds. One added element was that most of this record was transferred to analog tape during mastering, whereas our previous recordings were all digital. This record sounds punchier and warmer as a result, and the sound of tape is appropriate to the kinds of synth and drum machine sounds Freezepop has historically utilized.

Liz : Lyrically, I wanted to move away from things that were overly dorky (i.e. robots and science). I think I've achieved a new, more subtle dorkiness.

Maybe the real novelty of this record are the slow-pacers like "Outer space", "Chess King", "Emotions and Photons", songs that seems bound to some past electro-soft-pop european tradiction. Do you think the sound of Freezepop is more european than american?

Duke: I think the sound of Freezepop comes from a pretty even mixture of European and American musical influences. I think musically obviously there is a lot owed to many of the early european synth acts, while arrangement-wise I hear a lot of crossover with pop-rock bands in the US like weezer who strive for the perfect unconventional pop song, and lyrically I think we really have something pretty fresh and different with topix way of the beaten path. I think that songs like "Tenisu No Boifurendo" and "Plastic Stars" also have the same sincere qualities that "Outer Space" and "Emotions & Photons" do.

Sean: Certainly the groups initially influencing Freezepop sonically are European, especially British, but the overall picture is harder to nail down. Songwriting-wise I think there are a lot of other influences at work, from American rock to Japanese pop. I think we are all creatively open to many possibilities, from different genres to different time periods, let alone geographical influences. I am a big fan of a lot of '60's and '70's pop and those are kind of unconventional influences on my writing. With regards to the new material, I think that Freezepop is at it's best when the songs are a bit more varied, and with each release it has been important to grow.

I believe "Forever" had stronger moments, but this album works best from start to finish. Do you think "fancy Ultra*fresh" is more accomplished than Forever?

Duke: Well, from my perspective, Forever has pretty "primitive" quality to it from the production point of view and I'm always itching at the idea of going back and re-recording and mixing all those songs, just because I know a lot more about how to make and produce music better with each album. But part of me knows that Forever is a unique album because of that, and the potential of "over-producing" those songs runs the risk of ruining their joie de vivre!

Sean: I do. It is a more challenging landscape to travel. There are some great pure-pop moments on Freezepop Forver, but this record is a bit more, dare I say, mature? I think both records reflect what was going on in our personal lives in a weird way too, and the new record has a very different mood for that reason.

Liz : Well, I'd certainly hope so! We've evolved a bit in the years between the albums.

Please name three (or even four) electropop tunes you couldn't live without. And the best song you've written so far.

Duke: my 3 songs would be "Never Let Me Down" by Depeche Mode, "True Faith" by New Order, and "Superheroes" by Daft Punk. Currently my fave fpop song would be "Boys on Film" but that changes like every week.

Sean: define "electropop." "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode , "Secret Oktober" by Duran Duran, wow, this is hard. "Blind Youth" by Human League, and "Souvenir" by OMD. I guess the best songs I've written would be "Sound" and "Tony's Porsche" by Lifestyle, although I guess I am still partial to "My Favorite Song," (also by Lifestyle). Props to the Pets and New Order.

Liz: How about five?
Last Chance on the Stairway - Duran Duran
Seconds - The Human League
The Sun Always Shines on TV - a-ha
The Number One Song in Heaven - Sparks
Space Age Love Song - A Flock of Seagulls
My favorite song of ours is "Stakeout."

Style is an important element of your music, and of all electropop music since the eigthies. Are you attracted by these aspects of your music niche?

Duke: yes, very much so. I feel strongly that the image you present both inspires and reinforces the music and overall experience of the band.

Sean: Style has been important to us in the sense that we have been set apart from a lot of our peers, especially in the States, where being 'stylized' is still a nasty term (even though almost all successful bands here have stylists. ..oh wellŠ.). Having our own look has been pretty helpful in setting us apart. Luckily I think our overall image matches the music to perfection.

Who is more stilish, you or Ladytron?

Duke: being stylish is kind of a tough one to ask and is very subjective. ladytron have a more unified look to them that works very well with the music and plays up their kind of sterile and bleak views and kraftwerk aesthetic, while each member of freezepop really has their own look which to me plays up the eclectic and fun aspect of our music. a bit like apples and oranges for me.

Sean: Do you mean outward style? Fashion? I think we're very different from Ladytron in that regard. We're a bit more like the Spice Girls (Spacey Freeze, Tokyo Freeze and Fancy Freeze?). Ladytron are a bit more like a dour collective with uniforms. Style has been important to us in the sense that we have been set apart from a lot of our peers, especially in the States, where being 'stylized' is still a nasty term (even though almost all successful bands here have stylists...oh well.). Having our own look has been pretty helpful in setting us apart. Luckily I think our overall image matches the music to perfection.

Liz : Well... Ladytron do have those nice uniforms. But I could never do that again, I went to private school and had to wear uniforms every day from ages 5 thru 18. I'm clearly overcompensating for that now.

The Stakeout video and the site design are amazing. Is Liz a graphic designer/animator or something? How was the video made?

Liz : Hey, thanks! Yeah, that's my day job, I'm a freelance designer. I made that video in Flash. It took a really really really long time, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

One of the best things I can say about your music is that it makes me happy and wanting to dance. Do you have these things in mind when composing? Are you aware of the happyness-bringing quality of your music?

Duke : hell yeah! having fun and dancing and going super-party-crazy is what we're all about. One of the things that I wanted when forming the band was to keep the music on the positive tip and offer a uber-fun experience both on the records and live.

Sean: I think a lot of the great early '80's dance music that has been a big influence, especially early on, has a great euphoric quality to it, even when the lyrical themes are a bit sad. "Ecstatic" is a term often applied to early new wave 12" singles. Being so heavily influenced by that stuff (and stuff like Abba I suppose) puts you in a certain category. We could say something kind of terrible and not very uplifting, but there's quality about sequenced bass riffs, fast electro-tempos and tons of synthesizers that kind of makes things seem uplifiting. When you combine this with the fact that The Duke especially likes major keys, you have some pretty good times on your hands. I think we have been pretty aware of the fun-quotient, especially when we perform.

Liz : Sure, there's plenty of depressing music out there already, we don't need to make more. And I'm generally a pretty happy person, so I don't think I could even write something that was convincingly depressing if I wanted to.

What's with the guitar-smashing and bear-tearing apart at the end of the show? Are you punk-nihilists at heart? And how can you smash a guitar if you don't use one?

Duke: yeah, that's a bit of a fluke for us I have to admit. we have a song on Forever called "Get Ready 2 Rokk" and it "borrows" some licks from some famous rokk songs so when we play that live I started wearing a guiltar during the song, tuning it and stuff, but it's not plugged in and I dont play anything on it. the leap to smashing it seemed like an obvious thing to do next. it really helps create that big rokk ending doesnt it? I think the funny thing though is that after each time it gets smashed, it gets glued back together and re-smashed all over again. it's hanging in there.

Sean: Smashing anything is actually pretty easy. We don't incorporate the sound of the guitar, no, but picking it up and smashing it can still be done it turns out. Yes, we are punk nihilists at heart. Some nights.

Liz : Well, there's a back-story on that one. We were playing a battle-of-the-bands type show, and we definitely stuck out as the wimpy electronic band. So we decided we'd have some fun with it... but then I actually felt sad about biting the head off the stuffed bunny.

I read on AMG that you often downplay in interviews your 80s influences. Is that true? And why would you want to do that?

Duke: considering ourselves an 80's band has been both positive and negative for us over the years. sometimes we're cool with it and other times there prolly has been some distancing. we know what our roots are from and who paved the way for our music, but to dwell on the 80's angle overlooks some of the progressive and new things we are bringing to the genre.

Sean: This was one interview in particular. In the US it hasn't been particularly smart to emphasize '80's roots until recently, because you get sort of pegged with the meaningless shallow fluffy "'80's thing." I am probably responsible for that quote in that particular piece, and it isn't so much that we have been ashamed of our roots as it is trying to kind of push the public relations machine in a different direction so our other influences ( and the things that we are doing which are new) are not overlooked in exchange for a cute '80's soundbite. Plus we are in denial.

Liz: Well, people latch on to the 80s thing, but it's not what we're entirely about. We're bringing in some other influences, and we also hope we're bringing something new to it ourselves.

How do you react to the fact that your songs are driving people crazy on the other side of the ocean as well? Don't you feel an obligation to come and thank us all? (plus, I think we all want to see Liz jumping on the stage in white stockings)

Duke: it's so amazing we cant even tell you! knowing that our music resonates with fans from all over the world and also with people who come from different backgrounds and like varying kind of music really means a lot to us. I think that that happens through the songs and lyrics and that fans dont care that we happen to use synthesizers, they just like the songs.

Sean: It is really the only reason we do this at all. I couldn't put into words how important and meaningful this is to us. It really means everything. If we could be on tour and meeting people all the time we would try.

Liz : We've made it over to Europe a few times, and it's always been fantastic. Of
course we want to go back! (Anybody reading this who can book us some shows
there... let me know!)

How does it feel living in the same city of Juliana Hatfield?

Duke : it would be better if she was sleeping in my bed a couple nights a week. if that happens, i'll let you know then...

Sean: Does she still live here? I'm happier to live in the same city as Chris Ewen.

Liz : Um, I've always been pretty indifferent about her, actually. I've never seen her around, either.

Last question: do you know who Sandy Marton is? (No? I thought so.)

Liz : Nope.

Duke : ah yes, sandy morton. wow, that takes me back! we used to sit together on the bus going middle school. he had this kind of creepy way about him so no one would sit next to him, except for me. we used to set things on fire a lot. man, those were good days! I wonder where he is today?

Sean: Someone once put "People from Ibiza" on a mix tape for me and I dug it. You don't run across his records very often in the States, it is true. I've been exposed to a bit of the Italian 'italo-disco' scene and it's all pretty enjoyable from what I've heard. He is certainly not a household name around these parts, but most good things aren't.

Salvatore

Links:

Freezepop website: www.freezepop.com
Freezepop@indiepop.it: bands/freezepop.htm