DIGITALISM
In the lead-up to their sure-to-be-epic shows in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, Digitalism reveal to Pagesdigital that they record their indie-tinged electro goodness in an abandoned WWII bomb shelter in Hamburg. The “don’t mention the war” phrase springs to mind when you talk to these Hamburg locals.
Jens Moelle laughs it off as he explains how the band – which is rounded out by Isi Tüfekçi – purchased the space for a pittance, despite it being “in a very posh neighbourhood.”
“It’s a civilian bunker, from during the second world war. They couldn’t just blow it up because they would have had to blow up the whole street to get to it,” he says of their makeshift recording studio.
From this military-themed discussion, it takes only the easiest of segue ways to get to ‘Blitz’; the German word given to a lightning fast military attack, and also the name of Digitalism’s long-awaited EP – their first original release since 2008’s Moshi Moshi EP – Jens says that the name of the record actually does derive from the military usage.
“Blitz… is a German word for something really quick,” he says, explaining that Blitz is “like a little snack for in-between albums,” rather than being representative of what their next album will be like. “It’s a quickie!” he laughs.
Quickie or not, it’s a release that signals the duo’s immediate intentions. With almost four years since the release of their album Idealism, and a two-year gap since their last live show, Blitz is an indication that Jens and Isi are keen on getting back to what the do best; creating the indie-influenced electro tracks that set dancefloors alight in the middle of the 2000s. ‘Dance punk’ is a bit of an awkward classification, but in terms of strict description, it’s probably pretty apt for these Germans. With an obvious electronic base, but with an undeniable infusion of rock and indie, it’s music that appeals to fans of both genres; showcasing enough rock elements to sway the indie crowd, but retaining enough electronic sensibilities to not scare away their dance-music contemporaries.
“We like the garage rock attitude, which is where the indie element comes in,” Jens says. “But we come from a DJ and techno background, so we started there; started being a bit cheeky. That’s how we ended up living in both worlds.”
That’s not to say that they’ve entirely abandoned their DJ roots, however. Digitalism are packing their bags and (assuming that the European snow doesn’t completely engulf Germany’s airport, as at London’s Heathrow) leaving winter behind to spend New Year’s Eve headlining Harbour Party at Sydney’s Luna Park. Far from being just a token ‘guest DJ’ set from a prominent band, as has become more and more prevalent in recent times, Jens says that Digitalism was formed from a DJ background; and that the club scene has had a massive effect on the very nature of the band.
“We started the band because we wanted something good to drop in our DJ sets; something we made ourselves,” Jens reveals. “We throw in some new stuff that we’ve just finished,” he adds mysteriously, hinting that some new material for their sophomore record may be making its’ way into their Sydney set.
“When we DJ, we have a few main songs that we want to do… but we don’t think about it at all. We just go there and start playing. It’s like how you go on holidays on a round trip; you book a few main stops, but everything else is flexible.”
Josh Butler for Pagesdigital.com
