Interview with Colouroid

This interview is long overdue!

Fresh as January air in 2013, Colouroid, a Swedish electronic duo, combine crisp electronic beats with distant-sounding, extrasolar female vocals. Listening to Colouroid, I imagine staring straight into a stroboscope, having pulsing colored lights pour into my optic nerves for lush sensory overload. For Todd Radio Party #3 last October, Colouroid completed an email interview with us:

Colouroid Website

Todd Radio Party #3

Todds: “Gang” was the first song of yours I remember listening to. I remember listening to the music build in the beginning, and when the vocals came in I was a bit surprised. The female vocalist¹s voice sounded delicate and frosty, above the music. It was a great effect. Can you describe what the song “Gang” means to you?

Colouroid: We did Gang just after watching “Warriors,” so I guess it’s a wee bit like trying to capture the feeling about going on an impossible journey from point A to B. But as the lyrics say as long as you are together you are always safe or as it actually goes “we can hide.”

Todds: Describe your songwriting process. Do you start with a beat? A lyrical concept? Do you have any special processes or “rules” that you use when composing music?

Colouroid: Well, we usually start our projects off with me sketching up a rough outline of the tune. Starting with an easy drum loop from which I usually sketch up a baseline and melody. Then I pass it on to Ella who writes the lyrics and puts some rough vocals on. Then it goes back to me again where I start structuring the tune and make a lot of edits to the rough sketch, and it usually sounds nothing like when we started. Then back to Ella again for more vocals and overdubs, and then in the end we sit together to finalize it.

Todds: What do you think sets Colouroid apart from the pack of other synth pop and minimal synth acts out there?

Colouroid: Hmmm. I cannot speak for other bands about what they have done or not done. But I come from the underground modern side of electronic music and have been writing music since 1997, releasing records, and touring all over Europe. Ella has a background as more of a classical singer and has been in a lot of different projects. So, perhaps our background and the combined obsession about the old Flexi-pop compilations makes us unique.

Todds: What is the story behind starting the FlexiWave record label? What is the connection between the club night you do of the same name?

Colouroid: Well FlexiWave basically started out as a small night here in Stockholm since Ella and I wanted to go out and have a laugh and listen to the music we like. There are very few or perhaps any obscure synth clubs/bars here. While playing we were always on the search for new music and stumbled upon some great stuff that was never released or just too new to be released so we thought, why not start a label. And hey, here we are…

Colouroid Website

Todd Radio Party #3