Hailing from Denmark instrumental band Røgsignal is showcasing their new track friday, part of their 3 track EP titled weekend. Expect some dreamy analog synth elements wrapped in an ambient, indie rock infused soundscape. Read our discussion below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Indie jazz noir
Tell us a few things about your new work weekend. What is the story behind it?
The new EP ‘weekend’ is produced in collaboration with an old friend, Filip Dybjerg, who runs a studio in the outskirts of Aarhus, DK. The songs show a more upbeat side of Røgsignal, and mark another expansion of our rich sonic universe. Where the latest full length album ‘Bodies’ was a massive production with hundreds of layers and with Anders Boll (Lowly, Ganger, Takykardia etc.) at the desk, the new recordings are more of a return to the roots for us.The songs are recorded live in the studio and presents the raw, melodic nerve between the old school keyboards and ambient guitar sounds.
Considering you focus on instrumental music, what comes first in your music? The main theme, the groove or ..? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
It differs, but it usually starts with either a demo from one of us or a jam where a groove is built around a few simple chords. We can jam on the same simple idea for A LONG time, which sometimes makes the process both really time consuming but also extremely meditative and inspiring to be in. Lately weve also been adding different instrumental dogmas to the songwriting process. On ‘sunday’ the drum machine was one of the driving forces in the creation and our new (old) Juno 106 made a massive difference to the overall sound of the new songs..
When it comes to promotion, is instrumental music an extra challenge?
In some cases, yes. In Denmark we’ve been lucky to be played a lot on national radio and that definitely helps in combination with gigs and the usual SoMe stuff.
Is the Rhodes we are listening to in your tracks a real Rhodes or a synth/vst?
It is a good old Fender Rhodes from 1974 combined with a few effect pedals to experiment with different flavours to the iconic sound of a Rhodes. And it is assisted by another old friend of mine, a Fender Twin Reverb Silverface, from the 70s, contributing both with the warmness of tubes and a solid hum from an old amplifier.
What should we expect from a live Røgsignal gig?
You should expect the compositions that you might already know to be presented and played around with in new ways thus creating a landscape of sound to step into and explore together with us. We really enjoy transitioning from one mood to another and combining the openness we have from our heritage in jazz to the more tight and composed passages of our music. To us a live gig is an invitation to the audience to go with us on the meditative journey which is also part of making our compositions.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
A lot of different stuff. Really a lot. We have spent so much time listening to music of all sorts – on our own and bringing inspiration to each other. It ranges from Bandapart, a Danish contemporary jazz quartet from the mid-zeros, over Air to Queens of the Stone Age. So our musical influences come from many places and many time periods.
How do you relate to the music scene of Denmark?
There are a lot of great bands and musicians in Denmark, many of which we have been fortunate to share the stage with.
What does your name mean?
Smoke signal. Doesn’t have a higher meaning, but it tasted good at the time and we decided to stick with it as we moved along.
Thank you!
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