ZIBRA are not your normal group of young guys in a band, in an age of growing new forms of technological advancements, they look back and take the best parts of the good old days to make their unique sound and style. Sam took the time out to answer some of our burning questions…
Hey guys! So first up, how did you guys come to form ZIBRA? And is there any significance to your name…
We like the fact ZIBRA sounds like zebra if an American was saying it.
People these days try and box artists into genres when it’s not really possible, how would you describe your own music?
Boxes suck but I’d call us ‘glitch indie’. I’ve heard a fair few people put down different things… someone once called us Krautrock which I think was one of the odder references, but amazing all the same.
You’re known for the use of ‘obsolete’ equipment, what does building a synthesiser from scratch give to your music that making beats on a MacBook simply can’t?
Super accidents. These ‘accidents’ feel completely unique to us. It’s a different and limited look on making the sounds, they might sound similar by the end but sometimes they really don’t. There’s no preset either. For example, I used to open up a preset on the computer beforehand and kind of work backwards… trying to adjust the sounds, but realised that if you went from the bottom up instead outside of the computer, the chances of doing something a bit different sounding is a hell of a lot more frequent. We think it sounds worse, which I think is a good thing, you get a bit of background hum, bit out of time a bit out of tune, but to us it just seems more real.
Your sound is pretty unique, your use of synths and drums in ‘Heartache’ is pretty spectacular – what music has influenced your own sound?
‘Heartache’ was an experiment that wasn’t really influenced (at least consciously) by any other artists. We were influenced more by the instruments we made the track on. I would never have said to myself “let’s go mess up a wire that clocked the synths to make it go weird in the verses”- these I was just glad that these glitches just happened.
The video for your new single ‘Heartache’ is like a bad trip but in a good way, how do you come up with and produce videos like this?
We always wanted to make VHS videos or something obsolete. I think if everyone is using all the latest shiny new gear, then it’s harder to stand apart from other videos out there. We stepped back and went for something more obsolete because it’s easier to think of fresh things in the contemporary world of music videos… its kind of like taking your gran to the school disco. We found the most amazing annie eve video online which released by a crew called YOUTH HYMNS. The video was basically what I was doing, but better so we got in contact with them, bounced some ideas around and- boom- the video for Heartache happened.
I hear live dates are soon to be announced, is there anywhere you’re particularly looking forward to playing?
There are a fair few after Christmas we are really looking forward to, but we’re looking forward to playing a London Dingwalls show before that on the 27th of November. Playing live has been a roller coaster for us over the last few months, as we’re still working out how best to play our songs live.
Gigslutz think you guys could be the next big thing, does that kind of talk make you feel pressured or excited?
Well thank you. It’s a big expectation to meet, but we’re up for trying.
Are there plans for a debut record any time soon?
More music coming real soon.
Any bands or albums that have been floating your boat this year?
Elli Brazzill
@littlelionelli
Elli Brazzill
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