aaamusic | On 14, Nov 2010

AAAmusic chats with Belgian revelation Absynthe Minded. Here’s what we found out!

AAAmusic: Hi guys, how you doing?

Absynthe Minded: Fine, thank you. Right now we’re in Cologne, Germany to play a show at a great club called “Luxor”.

AAAmusic: Are you looking forward to your London date at The Garage on the 16^th? How often do you guys get over here to play?

AM: Of course we are!! It will be the third time this year.

AAAmusic: Your songs are renowned for their infectious blend of jazz beats and pop groove infused guitar-led harmonies. Do you think the wide variety of influences you have is important to the success of your music?

AM: I think that our music speaks for itself. So I believe what you say is true, but you can’t control it. Succes, I mean.

AAAmusic: How would you describe the bands sound to someone who has never heard you before?

AM: It’s pop-rock music, influenced by gypsy jazz. Urban gypsy music, if you like.

AAAmusic: How do the songs come together, who writes what?

AM: I write the songs, and we put the arrangement together as a band.

AAAmusic: You guys can play an impressive array of instruments, how important is that dynamic to you?

AM: It’s really interesting to have this “palette” of sounds, you can compare it with a painter who has all these colours that he can use.

AAAmusic: How did Abysnthe Minded get started?

AM: We started out as an acoustic quartet, without drums. We played in piano bars with a violin, double bass, guitar and our voices. As the Absynthe Minded Quartet we frequented the bars of Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp, we jammed, and played a lot. It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing :-)

AAAmusic: How does the scene in Belgium and Europe differ from over here in the UK?

AM: UK bands have a legacy that is huge. You had the Beatles and the Stones and so forth… the Belgian scene really started doing well abroad from the nineties. So that’s one difference. Belgium is like a crossing-point, we are open to all these influences from all 360 degrees around us.

AAAmusic: What musical trends are really kicking off over there at the moment?

AM: I don’t care too much for musical trends.

AAAmusic: Any other local Belgian bands you guys would recommend?

AM: dEUS, Millionnaire, Soulwax, Balthazar.

AAAmusic: You have been performing and recording for over 10 years now. What changes in the industry have you seen and so you have any tips you have picked up along the way for budding musicians?

AM: Try to be original. If you, for an example, happen to know a great saxophone player, start a band with him. It gets so boring when everybody tries to sound like the “Arctic Monkeys”. Which is a great band, but we never tried to sound like anyone else.

AAAmusic: Congratulations on ‘Envoi’ reaching no.1 in Belgium by the way, what can se expect in terms of future releases?

AM: We’re working on some new material, but we got still a lot of touring to do in France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain. (And maybe even some more gigs in the UK?)

Author: Lauren Down