Get ready for ‘Frogging The Cosmos (Act 1)‘, a rare blend filled with rich grooves, sweet psychedelic undertones, and masterful improvisations that defy easy categorization. Read our discussion below.
Describe your sound in 3 words:
Bizarre, Dynamic, Visionary
How Did You Meet?
At the VMI modern music conservatory in Vienna. We were students and teachers. We started jamming during lessons and some of us found musical connections and shared sense of vision.
The title, Frogging the Cosmos, is wonderfully bizarre. What is the story or concept behind that phrase, and how does it relate to the music on the EP?
We were seeking for artwork ideas.., and somehow, suddenly, there comes a frog in the cosmos.
In the end, everyone – on Earth or anywhere else – is just frogging the cosmos. Wandering through time, doing the things we love, and trying to make sense of it all. The title captures that feeling. playful, curious, and a little absurd.
The name, Plants That Grow At Night, is also evocative. Is there a connection between the name and the “crossing boundaries” approach to your music?
Name was invented by our friend JP who is also a guest on the next Ep (Act 2), after listening to our unconventional sound experiments.
I suppose we are like avocados in Norway – weird, but somehow it works.
You cite a wide range of influences, from the groove of Anderson .Paak and Snarky Puppy to the compositional boldness of Frank Zappa. How do you ensure that all these distinct sounds blend naturally without pulling the music in too many conflicting directions?
It happens pretty naturally. We come from different backgrounds, musically, culturally and generationally, but we all approach creation with an open mind. The songs came from improvisation, that’s true, but each perspective and detail brought us to shape them in a cohesive direction. When we improvise, we just follow what feels right and let the song decide where it wants to go. Somehow, our styles merge seamlessly in that process.
I think creating music from the heart without thinking in which category it would fit is the only fun way of living music.
As a Vienna-based collective, how much does the city’s musical history or current scene influence the music you create?
Vienna is incredibly inspiring. I suppose it does a good deal of influence. For its cosmopolitan character, more than its musical history. Our sound might be worlds away from the city’s classical roots, but the energy, diversity, and openness of its music scene definitely fed our musical ideas.
As a “collective,” how is the core decision-making handled? When you have multiple musicians and producers involved, who ultimately decides when a track is “done”?
It’s a very organic process. Filippo took the lead in producing the project and made many of the key decisions, always in dialogue with the rest of us. Everyone’s open-minded – some even a bit nihilistic about the idea of “perfect” – which makes it easier to move forward and finish songs.
If the music of Plants That Grow At Night was a film, which film would that be?
Terry Gilliam – Brazil, Terry Pratchett – Going Postal, Everything Everywhere All at Once..or something too weird to get funded.
If you were arrested, what would it be for?
Joyfully disobeying the laws that haven’t been passed yet: outrageous musical self indulgence, growing strange plants at night.
Thank you!
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