trippin' the rift can you trip like i do?

Flunk Q&A session for trippin’ the rift

Flunk doesn't need to be introduced to anyone. In fact, you have to introduce yourself to Flunk's music, and once you've done so, it will become your closest friend. I'm not sure what their secret is. Maybe it is that there is no secret, just pure honest melodies and Anja Oyen Vister's enchanting vocals. Flunk's producer Ulf Nygaard kindly agreed to answer a few questions for the readers of trippin' the rift.

tipkin - You've been kind of staying off the radar since This Is What You Get came out last year. What has Flunk been up to in 2010?

Ulf - Not much, and a lot. Well, guitarist Jo [Bakke] got a daughter in February. And Anja got a son just a few days later. So I guess that means they've been busy bees. Myself I'm working on my Norwegian Folk & Røvere project, making album number nine.

t. - To me TIWYG (which I absolutely loved and it was on Repeat in my player for a good couple of weeks, and still is in there, just mixed with other stuff) seemed like a bit of a departure in style: more acoustic, "live" sound. Other highlighting Anja's magnificent voice, what was the idea behind it?

U. - Well, I guess the album was very influenced by me being way into dubstep by the time - and for a couple of years before the album was finished. Burial totally changed my production preferences. Like Massive Attack did back in the very early 90's. But we also like to make typical Flunk tracks, like "Love Hearts" and probably "Speedskating". And then again we also fancy acoustic stuff, some of our songs fits guitar and voice best, I think, like some of them we play live.

t. - Covering "Karma Police" was a risky step. Who came up with the idea and what was the reaction of the fans - both yours and Radiohead's?

U. - As most covers, it tend to be my idea. And we love to do very 'risky' songs, like "Blue Monday"... I'm not sure if we scored hundred percent on "Karma Police", in fact I think that is a track that is more beautiful and 'gripping' with just Anja's voice and guitar. We didn't get too many reactions - most were like 'that was interesting'...

t. - Many of your songs have very, I'd say, abstract lyrics. I couldn't stop singing "Common Sense" and "Down" but... well "I don't know what it means" What was the inspiration behind those songs (and what inspires you the most, in general)?

U. - A lot we do are love related. I guess my lyrics are more 'story based' than Anja's - who tend to be more abstract and odd. The songs you mention are my words. The first has a direct link to Seattle. I wrote the whole song when we were there on tour in 2005, walking the streets half past four in the morning with a gigantic jet lag... The second also has a Nirvana reference ('don't know what it means'), and is - possibly - about living and loving, and not taking it serious (enough?). Like, being part of the world a hundred percent.

t. - Many refer to your music as "trip-hop" (and this blog is dedicated to trip-hop). What do you think of trip-hop? Would that be the right term to describe your music? What would you call your style?

U. - We are probably trip-hop or chillout, but I feel those tags doesn't really apply any more. Trip-hop as I see it was a way of producing music, a technique - which was OK to use until almost everybody started using Pro Tools or Logic. But for the last decade and more it's not very precise, I think. And chillout - when you listen to a lot of that stuff today - is pretty flat and boring, and became a pointless term the moment it started to include folk singers anyway...

Our music? I find it hard to tag it - it's indie music, leftfield pop, alternative pop.

t. - What are members of Flunk listening to? Any contemporaries that you like (would recommend)?

U. - Not sure about Anja and Jo these days. Jo has always been into americana and singer-songwriters, you know Bon Iver kind of things - but also La Roux. Anja has a hang to quite odd female artists, like Norway's Hanne Hukkelberg (Anja's vocal teacher, actually) and Rockettothesky. Myself, I listen to a lot, and all kinds of music. The last months I've been listening a lot to Cohen, Tom Waits, Florence & The Machine, The XX, dubstep generally and my favourite of this year is probably the Major Lazer & La Roux mixtape. Almost as good as the one (Top Ranking) Diplo made with Santogold last year.

t. - When and where will your fans have a chance to see you (I would die if you came to the US. Well, went to your show first, then die)?

U. - Well, we MUST get back to the US. The West coast mini tour we did in 2005 was quite 'mini', but it is by far the most memorable thing we've done. But it won't be this year. We're putting together a 'best of' next summer - with a new track or two, an album which will get a better push in the US than the last two proper albums, so let's hope we can put something together next autumn!

t. - My blog is in two languages - English and Russian. I know you have a big following in Russia. Anything you'd like to say to your Russian fans?

U. - Well, we were supposed to play up in St Petersburg some time last year, but it was cancelled. Which was a pity. We would love to go there!

Flunk on Amazon.com

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Read my fellow trip-hopper's SPINBANK's Personal Tribute to Flunk on TripHop-Blog