Comanechi… Make some noise!

Interview: Comanechi

Published on July 24th, 2012 | Jamie Steiner

London-based noise-rockers Comanechi recently dropped their thrilling new single “Major Move” – click here to read what Rocksucker thought of it – and a follow-up to 2009’s debut album Crime of Love is set to follow later in the year.

We fired over some questions to the Comanechi camp in the hope of finding out a little bit more about it…

What can you tell us about the new album? Feel free to be as abstract as you like…

Simon: No need to be abstract really. We learnt how to play in time with each other. Also – the new songs have more vocal melodies so it’s not 100% screaming. About 50% screaming and the rest melodies.

Akiko: Still emotional, honest and heavy though!

Would you say it’s more of a follow-on from or reaction to your previous album? Do you have a release date for it yet?

Simon: We’ve definitely developed!! The Crime of Love songs were written to play live and we just mic’d up and recorded them. The new stuff we wrote thinking about melody, bass lines and overdubs, so they’ve more depth. Aiming for 1st October 2012.

Is Akiko aware that The Big Pink’s “Dominoes” was featured in the Justin Timberlake/Mila Kunis monstrosity Friends With Benefits, and how does she feel about getting her music featured in a Hollywood rom-com?

Akiko: No, I never knew it. I think it’s really cool – although I’m not in The Big Pink anymore, I’m really happy.

Will Pre and Comanechi ever tour together?

Akiko: Touring with my two bands is kind of an ego things to do – “Akiko Tour!?” I’m not interested in doing it either.

How did Part Chimp, Comanechi and Melt Banana end up on the same set list? It was the kind of concert that should have been scheduled to coincide with the start of the apocalypse. Is there any chance of a collaboration between any of the groups?

Simon: We’ve always had a good friendship with Tim Part Chimp and he’s been super supportive. He guested on “My Pussy” on drums on our last album.

Yoko Ono: musical pioneer or tone deaf, crappy artist?

Simon: I read an interview with Jack Douglas, an engineer that recorded her in the mid-’70s. She asked him to mic up a dead rat in a shoebox for a guest solo. He said it took two takes to get it right…for which I’ll respect Yoko for her perfectionism.

Akiko: When I read her autobiography (Tada-no Watashi – Just Me!) I changed my opinion about her – before I thought she was just pretentious. Also it’s easy to slag someone off, but now I really respect what she does.

I notice Akiko has started playing guitar recently. What was the first song she learnt to play and has she been playing long?

Akiko: Why do I want to play somebody else’s tunes anyway?

Simon: She can’t play anything anyone else has written yet, but she’s really good at writing and improvising discordant noise.

How has learning and playing guitar changed the songwriting process in Comanechi?

Akiko: Actually I’ve always played guitar for writing.

How many songs has Simon written by himself and which ones are they?

Simon: We write together so it’s a collaboration.

What does Akiko look for in a drummer for Comanechi?

Akiko: Someone to push about.

Simon: His [Charlie’s] uncle Trevor has a VW camper van and helps us with transport.

How did the recording of The Crystals’ “He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)” come about?

Akiko: I really love the lyrics, also I knew it would sound really good if we did a punk version of it.

Akiko is seen by many to be integral to the Hoxton/Brick Lane scene. What are her personal feelings toward hipsters and the Vice magazine scene?

Akiko: Brick Lane salt beef and mustard bagels are the most integral part of my Brick Lane scene. Especially the cheesecake – 70p. Hipsters? I don’t get invited to anything!

Are there any up-and-coming and/or obscure bands that you’d like to recommend or give a shout-out to?

Akiko: Skinny Girl Diet. They are 3-piece riot grrrl style band. They supported us at our single launch on Thursday 19th July at The Lexington, London.

Charlie: Gross Magic.

Finally, if you had to spend the rest of your days with the back catalogues of just five different musical artists, whose would you choose?

Simon: Can, Mayhem, Felt, Hank Williams, Tad.

Akiko: Noise Addict, Make Up, Liars, The Stone Roses, Trencher.

Charlie: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, House of Love, Smashing Pumpkins, Teletubbies, BRMC.

Comanechi, thank you.