Hey Joplyn, great to speak with you today, how are you doing?
I’m doing good. Got 8 hours of sleep and on a plane to Zurich to play a gig tonight. Couldn’t be better, if you ask me.
How has 2022 been for you so far?
So much has happened in 2022 that it feels like an eternity already. I hopped on a plane to Ibiza January 1st to work on my new Album. For 2 months straight I was writing, recording, producing every single day, got COVID in between, but ultimately had 11 brand new songs in my hands on my flight back to Berlin. That was a really inspiring time and looking back I am a little proud that it worked out the way it did and can’t wait to get the new songs out there. After that it was LA, NYC, and London for meetings and gigs and now I’m finally back home in Berlin again more or less. I still need to get used to traveling so much.
We understand you are a big fan of Damian Lazarus and the Crosstown Rebels imprint, what does it mean to be making your debut on the label?
I met Damian and his crew not too long ago when I played at their Rebel Rave at Watergate in Berlin. I’ve always been a fan and looked to them for pushing the envelope sonically. As you can imagine, releasing on the label myself now feels almost unreal. Damian has definitely been involved in shaping the track into its final product, giving the feedback I needed and keeping the conversation going at all times, which I’m very grateful for.
The EP is titled We Will Forgive Ourselves and comes with a poignant message. Can you tell us about this message and the inspiration behind the release?
I wrote “We Will Forgive Ourselves” out of a feeling of frustration in a world where excess and hedonism often come at the cost of integrity and empathy with one another. Our chosen ignorance towards topics that go beyond our own little bubble and consequent polarization of society. “One day, the snow in our hearts will melt. […] Teach us, and we will forgive ourselves.” – Still, “We Will Forgive Ourselves” ultimately is a song about hope, that calls for a future of healing and accepting, and eventually forgiving the faults of the past.
What was your creative process like with this project, did the pandemic make things more difficult?
I usually start out my songs with writing melodies over a simple beat in Ableton. In this case it was a 122bpm kick and bass synth on the root note. I remember wanting to write something that felt big, almost choir-like and uniting. I wanted the lyrics to reflect that same feeling. The ascending “oh” chant that echoes through the song repeatedly is a symbol of togetherness for me, it sounds almost tribal. It was also my way of giving the song a melodic backbone. Production-wise it was all about finding the sounds and harmony that transport the same emotion, to translate it into a musical language. I think the airy voice chops and pulsating bass create the dark and driving atmosphere of the song, but add a touch of eeriness and absurdity to it. The pandemic did not really influence the creation of “We Will Forgive Ourselves.” It feels like things are looking up and I was able to road-test the track quite a bit in many different clubs all around Europe. Every single time I perform it the build-up to the chorus feels like I’m taking the people on a journey, building it up slowly and letting the final lines of the chorus drop into the fiery lead bass riff that succeeds them.
What pieces of equipment did you use most in the studio on this release?
I work very much in the box, so my physical equipment is super minimal. I have an Arturia Keystep keyboard to play midi and I run Ableton on my computer. For vocal production I use the Roland VT4 to add voice formant/pitch FX. Talking about plug-ins: On the synth side it was mostly the Arturia synths – the classic Minimoog for basses and the Prophet for pads etc. Sometimes I also use Diva for lead sounds but I actually work a lot with audio samples and sounds that i create from my vocals… For example little vocal chops that i pitch, then loop, add FX to and then add a sidechain filter to make them move with the groove. I use KICK2 and BigKick on the kick. Those are the usual suspects.
Heavyweights Damian Lazarus and MK have also done remixes which are being released in May. What’s it like to have two iconic names remixing your work?
Damian’s first response back after hearing the track was “I want to remix this.” Which is the biggest compliment of course. When I found out MK wanted to add his touch to the song too – I was the happiest girl out there. I’m in love with both remixes and think they each convey a unique vision of the song. Damian’s remix carries me to a party inside a hidden pyramid right in the middle of the jungle while MK’s remix feels like a dirty, sweaty London basement filled with house music.
What’s in store for you for the rest of the year?
First of all of course the release of the album, preceded by a bunch of singles, towards the end of the summer. Then it looks like I’ll be spending quite some time on the road with my calendar filling up more each day. I’m playing my first shows ever in America too, which I’m very excited about and even have a mini Ibiza residency lined up that I can’t talk about yet – but will be able to very soon. All in all I couldn’t be more excited to share my music with the world and make lots of special memories along the way this year (and those to come).
