New Band of the Month: Lunar Twin

The gods that be, which is to say you our dear readers, have once again spoken and given the gift of a month’s ownership to the artists you deemed worthy. Yes, it’s New Band of the Month and I’m over dramaticizing again. The competition for December’s winners was another tough pool, but you lot came out in droves to let it be known that Lunar Twin were the pony to bet on.

As you’ve come to expect, and as we always aim to deliver, we’ve managed to snag your winners for a quick bit of getting to know them, getting to know all about them. I mean, they are your new favourite band, and your official New Band of the Month for December, you obviously want to learn more about this pair called Lunar Twin.

December is obviously a cracking month for them to win too, what with their icy cool minimal electronica and house mixing in with a warm, soulful, and blues heavy heart. It’s the perfect soundtrack to this ol’ end of the year winter month, when it’s cold outside but you’re keeping it toasty warm inside. Anyway, get Lunar Twin playing in the background and get to know the band a little better while you do.

Congratulations on being voted Cultured Vultures’ New Band of the Month! How’s things, and who are we talking with today?

Thanks a lot, we are grateful to your readers. Things are good, how are you? You’re speaking with Chris and Bryce.

Having voted for you as their new favourite band, our readers would probably like to get to know you a bit better. How’d you guys meet How’d Lunar Twin come together?

We met through a now defunct band called Nightsweats, which Chris played in as a multi-instrumentalist. When they disbanded, Chris started writing material on his own and Bryce soon joined in. That was around Halloween 2013.

You take your band name from the idea that Earth’s moon once had a twin before being swallowed up and the two becoming what is our moon today. What about that idea struck you particularly?

The idea of duality, of connection and separation. Plus, we felt the moon is a theme that is raw and primal. Distant yet close, etc.

Aside from that aspect, do you take a lot of inspiration from space, astronomy, and the planets in general?

A tiny bit. Not to single out astronomy/space. But we are influenced by all the elements of the natural world, and its human and animal inhabitants.

We are influenced by love, growth, decay, re-growth; the cycle of life. The juxtapositions between them intrigue us.

With regards to the music you make, Lunar Twin has a pretty distinctive sound that seems to touch upon a number of familiar musical milestones, but manages to sound quite unique. Where, musically, do you draw your influences from?

A lot of stuff. To name a few, in no order: Joy Division, Massive Attack, Motown , classic soul music, Bowie, Velvet Underground, gothic music , MIA, 13th Floor Elevators ,Ronettes, Leonard Cohen , Wu  Tang Clan, Crash Worship.

Your approach to the moods and instrumentation feels almost at odds with one another. For example, how you could be technically viewed as a predominantly electronic act, but then your songs have this soulful blues quality. Is this is a conscience thing, or just something that comes naturally from the way you approach songwriting?

That’s a good question. We try to shut our conscious minds off during the writing stage and go with a gut/subconscious vibe. It’s an accidental juxtaposition, but we have been exposed over our lifetimes to a lot of diverse artists and we think beyond genre in regards to great art. Hopefully what we do is our own, but they in some ways are the blueprint.

Speaking  of blues. Love the Skip James song ‘Crow Jane’.

You recently released an EP of remixes, including some you did yourselves, what brought that about, and how did you go about choosing your remixers?

We know that some people actually like remixes. We are very hands on when we make our own music especially in the editing stage, so we thought surrendering the songs to remixers was both a terrifying and exciting idea. So we went through with it.

We met Emerald and Doreen Records founders Eric Schmerskian and Markus Scheider from Berlin, Germany, through a band we know called Ummagma, and they picked the remixers and released the EP.

Speaking of the EP, are there any plans on the horizon for any other releases, any new material?

Yes, we are recording the next release now. It is coming out in spring 2016.

How about gigs? Are you playing at the moment? Any dates coming up? Where can our readers come catch live?

No dates at moment. Hope to tour in the UK and Europe next year.

Now, seeing as you’re New Band of the Month for December, and it’s almost round the corner, what do you want for Christmas?

First We just want to say thank you to your readers, and to you for having us in this feature and hope you have a safe and fun holidays season.

We hope for peace.

Oh, and most importantly of all, if you had a vulture that was especially cultured, what would you call it?

Beautiful.

Thanks again and Aloha. Chris & Bryce.