Interview with Analog Pussy

Introduce yourselves. Who’s Analog and who’s the Pussy? Jiga: We're Analog Pussy, Jiga and Jinno - an Israeli band now living in Germany. I'm the Analog part naturally. Fill me in on some pussy history. How did you start? Where does the name come from? Jinno: It started when Jiga phoned me one day and asked if I had five minutes to speak to her. Jiga: I held him on the phone for seven hours. I was looking for someone with more equipment than I had. I was such a slut back then. Jinno: Actually, this was when we met, the actual Analog Pussy band, started some time later. We were producing other stuff together and then we decided to make our first psychedelic trance track and this is when Analog Pussy began, which was in 1998 A love story? Jinno: Yes for sure it was, from the first phone call. Jiga: I would call it a sex story from the first phone call. A lot of people think you're married. Is that true? Jinno: No. Jiga: Marriage sucks. I’m glad that we cleared that out. What sort of stuff did you do before Analog Pussy? Jinno: Before we met I used to do different kinds of experimental electronic music. I was doing it since the mid 80's. Later on, in the beginning of the 90's, I started making techno and trance music, as well as ambient music. At that time I was working under the name "Art Indust". Jiga: I was a bass player in several punk metal bands. I had been in so many of them and moved to a new one every three months. The most memorable band I had was "The Puke", our best song was "I'll be dead tomorrow, yeah”. We were so bad. Where did the name come from? Jiga: It was Jinno who made it up. Jinno: We were looking for a name for our new band. We wanted a "female motive" in the name, and also to convey our love for analog synthesizers. Jiga: I thought of something like: Analog Goddess but then Jinno said... Jinno: Analog Pussy, straight to the face, blunt, direct Jiga: And funny in a way. Jiga, weren't you nervous to some extent? (Because the use of 'pussy' in the name) Jiga: Good question. Absolutely not, when he said that name, there were two seconds of astonishment in the air, and then we both laughed so hard. Dirty words are only in a dirty mind. What sort of stuff did you do together before Analog Pussy? Jinno: We produced different kinds of dance music, mostly trance and trance-house, but not psychedelic. We had several releases but it went nowhere really. Jiga: Back then we were starving artists. One day we received an offer to make trance/dance covers for old Israeli songs. We said yes because we needed the money and our condition was to stay anonymous. The project name was "Sabres". It did pretty well on the Israeli charts, but doing music for money was so disgusting and time consuming that when we were offered to do a third release under Sabres we said no and found a job in telemarketing. But now you live off your music too. What's the difference? [answerJinno: It's a dream come true, to be able to live on our own music; to have the freedom to make our biggest love in life, music, our work too. So, you released one album (Psycho Bitch from Hell) and moved to Germany. Why did you do that? Jinno: It happened naturally, we didn’t think about it beforehand. We were touring in Europe, and wanted to be close to our record label back then (Hadshot) which was located in Germany. We found a great little peaceful town on the Dutch boarder and that was it. Jinno: Eventually it didn’t turn out to be so close to that label, but this is were we found ourselves living. Jiga: I say: my home is where my studio is. I will always be an Israeli in my heart, but I have no problem to live anywhere Jinno: My home is where my hard disk is. Does the situation in Israel interfere with music making? Jinno: No, we were living in a peaceful town in Israel as well Jiga: Yes, in the occupied territories. After you moved to Germany you started your own label - AP Records. Why did you do it? Jinno: we started AP records mainly for Analog Pussy releases, we wanted to feel completely independent and free with artistic and schedule decisions. Jiga: We knew enough on how the industry works and we felt we could handle it. Looking at it now, do you think it was worth all the effort? Does it interfere with your music making? "> Jinno: For sure it was worth the effort. We learned so much, made new contacts with new artists, it Turned out quite productive. Jiga: Yet it is hard to handle AP records and Analog Pussy the band at the same time, both time-consuming-wise and energy-wise, we slowly learn how to keep them both in shape but we have a long way to go. Between filing contacts, managing payments and listening to demos we are struggling to find the time to sit in the studio and do what we love best. I hope we can work more efficiently soon. You've released 3 albums so far. Most people would agree that they are very different in terms of musical styles. Can you describe each of them? Jinno: "Psycho Bitch from hell" our first album was full-on melodic psychedelic Goa trance, "Underground" our second album was dark tech trance, and our recent album "Trance N Roll" is full-on psy-trance with rock influences. Why is each album so different from the others? Jinno: It is more interesting to make new stuff each time, we have many ideas and we want to be free and do what we feel like doing. It’s fascinating to make psy trance from different angles, like being born again each time. Jiga: Sticking to one style only because it works/sells does terrible things to your soul as an artist: You get bored, stuck and uninspired. So if I write a song on my bass guitar about my street (Osterstrasse 3), and it's in German I can say: “Hey, why won’t I put a beat on it? Who's gonna tell me not to?” However, in 2001, when minimal trance was dominate you released the “Underground” album and now, when full on and guitar trance is taking over, you released a fast, high energy album with a lot of guitars. Do you go with the flow? Jinno: Maybe. The fact that we are independent and like to do our thing doesn’t really mean that we are disconnected from the scene and unaware of what's going on. Jiga: Still, we started making "Trance N Roll" two years ago. The first track was "Future" .I remember playing it back then to some DJ's and they said: “It's a good track but it will never work on the dance floor, are you crazy? Psy trance with vocals?” Still, we decided to go for it. You went for it indeed and released "Trance N Roll". What can you tell us about the album? Jinno: Around 2 years ago, we decided that we want to make something special with a lot of different influences. We didn’t know exactly what we wanted, but we knew we wanted something which will be assembled of different aspects that are out of the norm in the regular, formulated psy trance. I know it sounds too general, but this is how it really was. Then, we started to experiment with all sorts of different combinations: recording vocals, recording different instruments and mainly combining genres in the musical aspect, trying to assemble a new mixture from elements that are usually unrelated music-wise. From that point things just rolled on their own, we started learning from what we were doing, from what resulted of these experiments, and we continued to develop what we thought is working best. Now I must add something: When we say trance, rock, rock-trance or psy-trance with rock motives, we don’t mean it in the simplistic manner of psy-trance tracks with samples of guitars, that is not the point. It’s reflected in the style of the actual music. For example, there's a track that can be called psychedelic trance with rock influences that contains no guitars at all. So… you say it's not only the guitars. What is it then? Jinno: It's the feel, the energy and the composition. Jiga, are you alive? Jiga: Yeah, but when Jinno starts with the philosophic discussion I'm falling asleep. My mind is much simpler: I have less brain cells but that's ok, I’m a sexy girl. About “Trance N Roll” - For me it was very simple: I woke up in the morning, drank some hot coco, played the bass and wrote tracks. You’re famous for your ostentatious live acts. When you made the tracks for the album did you think how it would sound live on stage? Jiga: Sure, I couldn’t wait for the moment I will play it on stage breaking guitars and hotel rooms. Do you think the music itself has a "live" feeling? Jinno: Some of the tracks have, some don't. Jiga: For example, "Psycho Punko" has a live feeling. I had this crazy guitarist in the studio and I recorded him in one take. I also had four Israeli guys in my studio singing to one microphone on this track. I recorded them as they were, with almost no manipulations. About your live show, is it only the music or THE SHOW too? Jinno: When we come to play a live show we play live and we show. Jiga: I don’t show my underwear though, no matter what rumors you’ve heard. Jinno: Live shows are not only about showing, it's about being in touch with the people who come to the party. Jiga: Yes. It magnifies the human experience. You are standing on stage, exposed. You can do some really embarrassing stuff and people might not like you. Sometimes they do, sometimes they love you back. That's what's the show is about - how you feel. And technically, how do you do it? Jiga: We have two laptops running. One with the basic tracks, with additional audio samples that we mute and un-mute during the show. To the soundcard of the second laptop I connect one analog synthesizer (normally moog or CS5), a Shure microphone and a MIDI drum pad. The drum pad is connected to a VSTI plug-in on Cubase where I can play different sounds. Then there are external synthesizers that we connect directly to the mixer, the bass guitar is connected to a bass zoom effect. We use the second laptop to output effects (reverb, delay, distortion, and flanger) to the vocals Do you have any special experiences from your trips around the world that you feel like sharing? Jinno: For me playing in Argentina was a special experience. I was born in Montevideo, Uruguay which is quite close geographically and culturally. I felt I was playing for my brothers. Jiga: We played in Kibbutz Matzuba about 5 years ago. It was one of my best. I don’t know why, there was something so fragile about it, the thin limit between sheer fun and insanity. Some girl came to me to the stage with a half eaten papaya and said: ”This is for you”, and she started to cry. Jinno: Basically I enjoy playing in Germany. German parties are hot but not too hot, you know what to expect and people are warm and educated about trance. You could say electronic music runs in the German veins. Jiga: There is one country that I want to explore more: India. We stayed there for four days, playing in Bombay and New Delhi. I still didn’t get the feel of that place. I really want to go back, stay for more and learn more. I think I missed the good parts there. How do people react to your music on stage? Any stories about that sort of stuff? Jiga: You mean like when this girl came to Jinno on stage and forced him to drink water from her mouth?! Jinno: That was one incident. Come on!! People are reacting normally to us. When they like us they clap their hands and smile and when they don’t they just don’t react much. Here and there we find some people who have a strange reaction but that's not every time. Jiga: True, but we tend to remember the unusual ones better, don’t we? There's one thing I like to do on stage: I spot the hottest girl in the audience, doesn’t mean that she has to be beautiful, she has to be good vibes kind-of beautiful. Jinno: Liar! Jiga: OK, never mind. So I wave to the girl to come on stage and I let her play a synthesizer with me. She plays it, I turn the knobs and it's a real turn on, for everyone! Jinno, were you thirsty, by the way? Jinno: (laughing) no! Jiga: At least he says so now because I'm in the room! What's the nature of your relationship? Are you co-workers, lovers... what? Jinno: We're everything Jiga: I don’t know what we are anymore, we are one big creature. There’s a lot of singing in your tracks. Is this the future of trance music? Jinno: The singing aspect isn't necessarily the future. The good thing is that psy trance listeners and artists are more opened to different things that weren't there before. Jiga: Taking the limits off is such a relief. So much freedom to have a say and do more interesting stuff. I think psy artists who use vocals do it in other ways, other effects than what you hear on a pop song, for example. Do you use your lyrics to convey a certain meaning or just as any other instrument? Jiga: Definitely to say something. We talk about the music industry, MP3's, even the actual street we live, located in a former Nazi town. These are subjects that we deal with daily, subjects that we talk about, think about. It's a part of our personality. It would bore me to death to sing about blue skies or baby baby shake that booty. Though that could be a nice psy song: shake your booty. “You can rip this album to MP3, but don’t forget to make promotion for me” from Psycho Punko. Do you really mean it? Jiga: Of course. I am actually talking there to the people who listen to it and are present in the room. It’s very clear - if you don’t have the money, dude, at least make some promotion in return. What do you mean by promotion? Put a big Analog Pussy sign on your car? Jinno: That's a good idea. Jiga: Or give it to your friend that doesn’t know our music and tell him about us. Jinno: And come to our live show Jiga: With your mom. That’s quite a statement coming from established artists like you. How do you pay the bills? Jinno: From album sales, and there are people who buy albums even if they can download it for free. Live shows are another source of income. Jiga: I don’t mean to say that you can download our music for free and that I don’t want you to buy it. I want you to buy it but if you can't then you have the permission from me to download it free and copy it. The money comes in other ways. Like live shows, for example? Jiga: Yes, and T-shirts, compilations, licensing, music travelers video that we sold, etc. Jinno: If someone wants to copy our music he or she will do it regardless of what we say or do. If they want to have the actual album with the original sleeve they will buy the album. Jiga: Which reminds me something: last month we played in Mexico and one day before the party we had an autograph signing session in a big market. There were like 200 people there, waiting for us to sign. Some of them came with cheap copies of our album with a scanned cover. I signed them with no problem thinking “Well dude, at least you listen to my music. Good for you, good for me”. How did you feel about signing autographs? Isn't it more like a mainstream sort-of-thing? Jinno: I was afraid before we did that. I didn’t think about the commercial side of it, I was afraid I won't know what to do, that it will feel stupid. But it was very nice. People were coming with flyers and our CD's, though not the originals and we signed them, that's it. It was a nice gesture Jiga: This 12 year old kid came and asked me to sign on his shirt. I thought that was a bit tasteless because I don’t think he can really understand psy trance but all the others were beautiful people, coming in, chatting with us asking questions. It was a friendly event, not a Brittany Spears thing. Eventually, I did sign his shirt. Do you miss Israel? Jinno: Yes and no. We naturally miss Israel because we are Israelis. We like the food, the weather, the jokes, we miss being able to feel at home. We don't miss the stress, the "situation" and the problems. Jiga: I miss Israel very much, but not that much. I brought my sister from Israel to Germany to work for us in the label. She stayed here seven months and then she said: “That's it, I need the SUN”, and she took off. That was two weeks ago. I’m not at that point. Even when I miss the sun I prefer staying and working in a quiet environment. Suppose you come here to visit, what’s the first thing you’d do after you leave the airport? Jinno: Eat humus. Jiga: We are coming to Israel next month (July) and that's the first thing we're going to do indeed: eat humus. Jinno: Preferably mesabaha. Jiga: With olive oil and Israeli vegetables salad. Jinno: And lafa. You didn't mention your real names to me or... anyone. Why do you choose to remain anonymous? Jinno: Jinno is my family name Jiga: Well obviously I got a real name but I prefer to make a separation between Jiga the musician, performer artist, and the nerd shy girl which is my other side. In my private life I’m too embarrassed to have my photograph taken. On stage I would do outrages things; I need that distance to keep my sanity. Do you think an analog pussy is better than a digital pussy? Jinno: Of course. Jiga: Digital pussies might have an advantage. You can reprogram them, format them and download them. Jinno: for free on eMule Forever ANALOG PUSSY? Jinno: Analog Pussy will stay forever but we may do other things at the same time. Jiga: We have some projects/collaborations/bands in mind. Like what? Jiga: Perhaps a solo album for each of us, expressing other kinds of feelings that cannot be worked out in our mutual work Jinno: Working and collaborating with other people, artists and DJ's. Jiga: We have an album planned which is a surprise, something with poems and poetry and psy trance, it might be released under a different band name, depends on the results. As for the music, will it always be ANALOG? Jiga: There will always be the analog motive, always some poly 6 or moog or matrixA 1000, but also a Virus (which is semi analog), VSTI's and reaktor - the love of my life. Jinno: The temptation of using software is immense. Basically all you need is a strong computer and a good soundcard and you sort yourself out with soft synths and plug-ins, but you can definitely hear the difference. Analog sounds are naturally fat and expressive. You have to work harder to make a VSTI plug-in sound rich and fat as an analog synth. Anything else you'd like to say? Jinno: Wait, we're thinking. Jiga: Meanwhile, I can tell a dirty joke. Jinno: No, not your jokes, not again! Jiga: So say something intelligent. Jinno: I'm thinking. Jiga: Say one of your philosophical aspects about neuro-programming or what was it? Jinno: No. Jiga: So now what? We say goodbye like this? Jinno: Yes. Jiga: Maybe we tell them to visit our website www.analog-pussy.com. Jinno: No, don’t! Jiga: Maybe we can say something about the status of women in the psy trance business model? Jinno: I'm hungry. Jiga: So we say goodbye? Jinno: Yes we say goodbye.

Interview by TiMMY