05/20/09
Text: Max Read
Everybody’s got that springtime tipping point—the moment when you throw up your hands, grit your teeth, and beg whatever you believe in to just let it be summer already. For some, it’s waking up to the sixth consecutive cloudy morning; for others, it’s sobbing at the sight of another sub-sixty-degree day. For me, it was putting the Meanderthals’ Desire Lines on for the first time. Five seconds in and I was rushing to pull my shorts out of my closet; three songs later, I was looking up flights to the Baja Peninsula on Kayak. In other words, you can stop looking for this year’s summer album: I found it for you; it’s called Desire Lines, and it fucking rules.
The Meanderthals are two London DJs named Dan Tyler and Conrad McDonnell (known professionally as the Idjut Boys) and Norwegian producer-about-town Rune Lindbæk; between the three of them, I think they’ve fucked with every echo effect ever made. Desire Lines, filled with fuzzy guitars and woobly basslines, is deeply in touch with the dub-disco pioneered by the Idjuts and Lindbæk and his fellow Norwegians, and it certainly isn’t shy about using echoes and delays. In fact—and this is saying a lot—this might be the spaciest record ever made by either the Idjuts or Rune. You’re welcome to play it out, but I think the only people dancing would be the hippie chicks in long skirts on heavily-cut E.
“But Max,” I can hear you ask, “if I can’t play this record during my hot new Bushwick loft party, when can I play it?” Ah, my friend, there are many appropriate times and places for Desire Lines: while rolling a joint, while driving your car to the beach, while smoking a joint, while bullshitting with friends around a fire pit, while finishing a joint, while drinking a beer at sunset, during that time between finishing a joint and rolling the next one. And so forth. In fact, between the months of May and September, there is literally no wrong time to be listening to Desire Lines.
So in order to do my part in helping usher in the sticky season, I tracked down Rune and asked him a few questions via email (the Idjuts, unsurprisingly, don’t seem to be checking theirs). Read on…
How did you guys originally get together?
Idjuts missed a flight from Oslo after a gig, and we were hanging out in my studio, and just started on a track that became Andromeda off the album. But we’ve known each other for years through late nights and early mornings in Oslo and London.
What about each other's music made you want to record together?
I’m a big fan of them except one track, “Roll Over And Snore” on Nuphonic. Absolutely all the rest they’ve ever done I’m a massive fan of!
I know you had known each other for a while—why wait until now to make a record?
General uselessness! We’re not the most held together persons, let alone trying to be in the same place at the same time..
What was the recording process like? Were you in-studio together at all times, or sending tunes back and forth before heading to record the live tracks?
We were working in Oslo and London. Recording in both places, piecing the bits together in London at Idjuts HQ in Hackney. At the actual mixing down bit I just watched and learned by the masters. It’s pure 4-hands-on-the-mixing-table-and-the-FX-instinctive-oh-my-god’ness going on when they’re at it.
Why did you decide to record the tracks live? What was that experience like, as opposed doing it digitally on a computer?
We just recorded stuff live, then chopped it to f..!
Who did what? Did you all have different roles in the studio, or were you switching positions?
I was mostly reading The Guardian and eating salad. Then whipping the others to do the hard work!
What's the difference between working with each other versus with other people whom you've collaborated with in the past?
I’m glad I’ve worked with some musical geniuses before, preparing for our record. It’s a black belt 10th Dan thing.
Balearic-sounding music seems to be undergoing a revival—do you guys consider yourselves part of that, either with this album or with your individual careers?
The combination between melodies, cool basses and rhythms is as old as the mountains. I have never felt it has ever been away.
"Meanderthals" is the name given by the philosopher Matthew Tiessen to oblivious people who obstruct the flow of foot and car traffic—gawking tourists, cell-phone talkers, etc. Why name yourselves that? Where did you come across Tiessen’s theory of "Meanderthals"? Do you consider yourselves "meanderthals"?
We heard about his theories when the album was finished. We thought neanderthals without sense of directions was the meaning behind it. Comedy really.
What about the title of the record? Why did the idea of "desire lines" appeal to you [“Desire lines” are “organic” paths, usually representing the easiest or most direct route between two points, created and used by pedestrians in lieu of pre-planned or official walkways]? Are you guys big social theory/architecture fans?
We kind of like the idea of paths people have made in the grass in parks. Its about going were you wanna go, not were someone else has decided for you. I can’t speak for Dan & Conrad, but I’m into Communist-era architecture. Don’t know anything about it though. Just like the look of it.
What kind of records were you listening to while writing the album—both older and contemporary music? Who would you consider the biggest influences on Desire Lines?
Dan & Conrad’s fantastic record collection. No specific records, but I stayed at theirs for the months it took to make the records, and I went to bed and woke up to the best records known to man.
The record makes a great soundtrack—what do you think is the perfect time/place to listen to it?
Thanks! Not sure. But my girlfriend, who makes independent documentaries, has made a music video for the track Bugge’s Room filming in Uganda, Russia, Jerusalem (east and west), Nicaragua, northern Norway, New York, and Berlin. Quite filmic stuff that hopefully send you on a journey. And improves your inner visions. And ultimately leads to peace between all mankind. Nothing less I hope.
What's next up for you all? Do you plan on recording together again? Or touring as the Meanderthals?
Were working on putting on a three-day tour around eastern Siberia performing "The Highlights From Desire Lines" a cappella. The best show in town!
