Hi Steve and Toby, great new album just out. Analogue Synthesizers, space age pop and electro fusing with 70s rock n’ roll. Talk us through it, what are your favourite tracks…
“Hi DMC, just Steve here today to answer your questions…I really like Major Blitzkrieg…I was listening a lot to Harmonia as well as begining to renew my love of dance music and thought it might be an interesting experiment to see if I could fuse the two…then Toby got out his guitar and played the insane Scott’s bagpipe meets The Byrds via Miles Davis guitar solo over it… and that somehow fused the whole thing together. I also have a soft spot for “Moto Neurono’ as that was the first track that came together for this collection and is a true example of me and Toby bouncing of each others ideas.”
You site your musical influences as such diverse acts as La Dusseldorf, Eno, Spacemen 3, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Devo and Faust. Who though musically has influenced the most and why?
“Devo was a big influence on this album…maybe not completely the sound but I tried my best to get some of the playfullness and excitability that is so prevalent on their first album.”
So the idea behind the band, all created by a meeting of musical minds at one very lonely Christmas three years ago? What’s the story?
It was a sad lonely time…the streets were cold…empty…frozen tumbleweed was all you could hear for miles around…we got very wasted and listened to Kraftwerk, 50’s Rockabilly and Tangerine Dream for dessert…it went down surprisingly well at the time…but we were both very sick in the morning…”
What are the top ten tunes on your i-pod’s at the moment?
‘Honey Hush’ – Johnny Burnette Trio
‘Metal Fingers in my Body – Add ‘n To X
‘Space Age Ballad’ – Acid Mothers Temple
‘Big City’ – Spaceman 3
‘Pop your Funk’ – Arthur Russell
‘Garbageman’ – The Cramps
‘Big City Lights – Canyons
‘Black Silk Stocking’- Chrisma
‘Dino’- Harmonia
‘6.4=Makeout’ -Gary Wilson
You have both recorded under different guises over time – The Black Neon, The Squire of Somerton and Fort Lauderdale – what tunes are you proudest of?
“Probably this album that’s about to come out, I do like our psychedelic epi Fort Lauderdale’s -‘Pretty Monster’ though…”
What’s with the name?
“At the turn of the last century the philosopher William James after experimenting with nitrous oxide he thought he had discovered the meaning of life, before passing out he manage to scribble it down on a piece of paper, when he awoke the next morning he found that he had written the word “Higamos Hogamos’.”
Why do you think there is a link between techno and rockabilly?
“They’ve both got a strong primal rythm and the way the guitars are treated through those ancient ‘splap back’ reverbs makes rockabilly sound really ‘electrified’-also they are both minimalsit and full of space. When I listen to a track such as ‘Honey Hush’ – Johnny Burnette, the guitar picking is so crazy it reminds me of a 303…listen to ‘Garbageman – The Cramps’ and the backing could be ‘neu’.”
What can we expect from your up coming live shows?
“Well we’ve done a few and they were pretty raucous and noisy…which I liked…but they are on hold at the moment as we are looking for a new lead guitarist.”
North East London boys, what have been the best clubs / live gigs you’ve got splattered at over the years?
“My favourite gig was probably the ATP Stooges performing “Fun House’ – I was really nervous as I am a massive fan and didn’t want it to be dissapointing, It was mind blowing!”
What’s next in the pipeline after the album and gigs in 2009 for us?
“I’m deep into writing a new Higamos album at the moment.”
Thanks a lot for the interesting questions Dan…
