Written by: Jen Dan
With the release of their new EP titled Aphasiac, the German electronic pop duo We Will Kaleid have proved that they are experts at crafting riveting iterations of dystopia.
Like an assemblage of collage-art, their songs reframe turmoil and carnage, both at personal and societal levels, to produce singular songs of perverse beauty.
Each sonic creation is full of unresolved contrasts (dark and light, noisy and melodic, soothing and disturbing), which makes for an engaging listening experience.
It’s as if Jasmina de Boer (vocalist) and Lukas Streich (drummer) approach their songwriting the way a screenwriter writes a script, piecing together unexpected twists to generate compelling drama.
Aphasiac is a fitting soundtrack to the current state of the world, and a chat with Jasmina de Boer reveals more intricate details. To find out more about what it took to write this material and how the band has been dealing with the pandemic-related circumstances, read on:
Stereo Embers Magazine: Hello Jasmina! Is if fair to say that the process of writing and recording your new EP became your life-support system during this year full of lockdowns?
Jasmina: Every creative output feels like a little parallel universe these days, and we are beyond thankful for the privilege to still be able to work on our music. But we also realize that art and music, among other things, have become a huge support system during the lockdown.
SEM: When the recordings were finally finished, and you handed them over to your label, did that feel cathartic at all?
Jasmina: Definitely. We’ve been working on Aphasiac and the previous release, Tongue, for a while now, and it was time to let these songs go and make room for new ideas. We mostly tend to plan new music and projects almost seamlessly with the releases we just created. But this time, we wanted to take a little time to reorganize and reconsider everything before we start writing again. So, maybe, this will also allow us to sink into that catharsis a little more.
SEM: So, with all that’s going on in the world these days, most of which seems to be negative, do you feel that there’s reason to be hopeful?
Jasmina: Depending on the day and the second. The pandemic has taught us that it is very unreliable to plan too far ahead. So, who knows? Right this second the sun is up and we just released some music that is dear to us, so I would give it a solid yes.
SEM: What is the current situation in Germany?
Jasmina: I feel like even though the situation sucks and our lives have been turned upside down, we are still very privileged and lucky with the slowly growing numbers of vaccinations and the drop in infections. This, of course, differs from city to city. Some stores are reopening and some venues are starting to plan events.
SEM: Do you think you will be able to tour anytime soon?
We sure hope so! Right now we are planning for April/May 2022, our official tour and the support tour for our dear friends from the Hundreds. We will be doing eight shows with them, all over Germany, in May of next year. And we also might play a few shows this year that haven’t been confirmed just yet.
SEM: If this disruption created by the pandemic could be harnessed to implement positive change, as we go back to some sort of ‘normal,’ what would you like to see happening in the music scene and in society at large?
Jasmine: In some ways, we are experiencing new level of cooperation between bands and venues. Everyone is trying to help out where they can. In a way, I feel like we grew closer together with our friends and colleagues, even though we’ve haven’t been seeing each other that much. And, also, I feel like a lot of people around me are questioning their choices and the direction they chose in regards to creating. In a way, the pandemic helped us to get a better view on the dynamics in our world, our environment, and within ourselves. Even though this can be pretty painful, I think all in all it’s a good thing for us to keep doing this.
Find out more about We Will Kaleid:
