kool thing are the Berlin-based band of Julie Chance and Jon Dark. Their sound and aesthetic are comparable to a recent wave of female dominated acts indulging synth-heavy soundscapes with a nod to the dark side. Fitting then that they should be named after a Sonic Youth song inspired by Kim Gordon’s interview with LL Cool J for Spin magazine, which boldly and captivatingly raises questions about women’s place in music; highly recommended if you’ve not yet come across it (read it here).
Theirs is a sound split between simple grungey / wave guitar melodies and layered washes of voice and synthesiser, described by one critic as “fog-drenched art rock” (Silence is Boring). Having played alongside contemporaries MEN, Light Asylum, Maria Minerva and LCMDF, kool thing were last year invited to support Canadian band Austra with whom they recently toured Europe and will soon embark on Australia. Though relatively newly formed – having only met in 2010 – kool thing are quickly gathering speed as an exciting and popular new act, leaving their sonic stamp on a number of remixes.
This Friday they will present an exclusive screening of the brand new video for the forthcoming single ‘Light Games’ at Sy&M from 19:00, see event details here.
We ask kool thing a few quick questions about music, Berlin and the past year:
Would you mind giving a brief description of the music you make..
Mmm always a hard question…dark synth proggy pop.
What music did you grow up on? And have you always been musicians yourselves?
JC- I grew up on music my dad listened to – so traditional Irish music, Bruce Springsteen etc then I got into Nirvana. I’ve played in loads of bands.
JD- I grew up on a mixture of classical, I was obsessed with Phantom of the Opera when I was 8. I was in a choir before I was in school!
What’s the idea behind the new video?
The idea for the music video came from the premise of seeking to re-find a sense of wonderment lost.
What brought you both to Berlin?
Berlin offers cheap rent and a creative atmosphere unparalleled in other cites so for an artist, that’s very attractive.
How do you find the band scene in Berlin? Any local acts to recommend?
The band scene in Berlin is very open and eclectic. There are lots of different styles going on here.
We can definitely recommend Molly Nillson, we also love aMinus.
You’re named after the Sonic Youth song, why that particular track?
Apart from Sonic Youth being the best band in the world and this being a great fucking song; I guess for us the themes in the song struck a particular chord. For us it is a statement about substance over style, feminism and a male dominated music industry.
If you got the chance to interview someone of LL Cool J status right now who would it be and what would you want to ask?
Yeah, John Williams and we’d like to ask him why he writes the same music for EVERY FILM and what he thinks about the uncanny similarity between his music and the late romantic classical composers.
Do you have any highlights from the past year?
Probably playing in Berghain with Austra. The venue was amazing, all our mates were there. It was pretty special.
What are your plans for 2012? Any new years resolutions?
We are off to Australia in a few days!! Release an EP, finish our album and just keep gigging and writing.