Getting To Know... Telemarkk

After spending the last couple of years releasing a wave of bright and euphoric offerings, Southampton-based duo Telemarkk recently returned with their latest gem 'Reflection'.

Channeling the same bold and textured electro-pop aesthetic as acts like Friendly Fires, 'Reflection' sees the pair return in stellar form. Jam-packed with a luxurious atmosphere, pulsing production, and a shimmering feel throughout, this new delight will wash over you and leave you feeling calmed and rejuvenated with its soaring direction.

So with the new single impressing so many right now, we sat down with them to find out more about their background and what has been inspiring them most over the years.

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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?

For Asad learning the bass guitar growing up idolising bassists such as Jeremy Pritchard, Ed Nash and Colin Greenwood for their leading bass riffs and creativity with sounds. Self-teaching bass guitar Asad grew into expanding interest with bass sound design and synthesis as he discovered his appreciation for electronic music when moving to university.

Max on the other hand, began playing piano from the early age on 4 and has trained in it for all of his life thanks to a very musically driven and supportive family. Later inspired by more leading synthesizer artists such as New Order and Tame Impala, Max transformed his interest from the piano to synthesizers which led to a new interest in production. Max was particularly influenced after seeing the artist Bob Moses play live at a UK Festival in the summer of 2016, which progressed to hours of developing his abilities for music production.

What was the first song that inspired you to make your own music?

Listening to a variety of musical genres growing up it is hard to pin a single or select a few songs that inspired interest to make our own music however, what really caught our attention and interest was watching live bands and the energy and excitement they can fill a room with. Some of our favourite live performances include The xx, Tender, Everything Everything and Aphex Twin.

What kind of music did you love as a teenager?

The music leading up to and around 2010 saw lineups in the UK centred around Indie bands who had electronic elements and production incorporated into their songs. Bands such as MGMT, Foals and Bombay Bicycle Club were favourites but Asad and Max also grew admiration for other genres such as Jazz, Synth pop, Ambient and of course electronic music.

What do you find is the best environment to find inspiration for your music?

Majority of our music is written through long sessions of writing together in our home studio-like setups which means inspiration usually is collected throughout our day to day lives and then released when we are writing together. Some of our favourite environments range from busy loud nights with friends listening to live music together to quiet walks wandering around different parks and coastlines nearby. Growing up in Southampton, a dockland hub of the UK, the captivation with the sea is a particular environment that draws inspiration. Additionally, analogous to their exploration of sound design the duo enjoy drawing inspiration from space and astronomy.

Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?

There’s so many! Our favourites whom we are raring to see live again one live gigs in the UK get kick started again are Haelos, Tender and Chvches. Also songs such as ‘Daydreamer’ by Aurora and ‘Underwater’ by Rüfüs Du Sol have sparked inspiration for new ideas and the ever diversity of creativity within electronic music.

How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?

The themes of our songs usually centre around common experiences and relationships with friends. We enjoy writing songs ambiguous in meaning and open to individual interpretation to allow anyone to connect with our songs.

What has been the most unusual moment in your career so far?

Our band experience has been quite fresh as we began in late summer of 2019 so like many our more notable unusual situation is the current pandemic. We had enjoyed playing a couple live performances towards the end of 2019 however were completely voided of being able to perform in the whole of 2020 which saw us get back into developing our sound and interests and continue to write new songs and develop new ideas.

If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?

Maybe TENDER or Tame Impala, there is something intriguing about playing atmospheric sounds and textures to a probable psychedelic induced crowd as well as playing alongside artists who have inspired our admiration for electronic music.

And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?

Enjoy what you are making and be patient. We have the luxury of time. It's best to enjoy making music we love and sharing it with as many people we can communicate with.

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Telemarkk's new single 'Reflection' is out now. Have a listen to it in the player below.