Interview: Five Minutes with Jaffna
Image credit: Camille Dampierre
You may have noticed that we have a soft spot for both shimmering organic electronica and Parisian electronic artists, as the two manage to portray some of the most colourful and unique sounds. Naturally, when we discovered Jaffna, the duo creating fresh percussive rhythms with their upcoming single, ‘Oslo’, we felt like we hit the jackpot. Comprised of wanderlust pianist Bravin and professional chef Stan, the two were inspired by a Christmas trip to the capital of Norway for their latest single. ‘Oslo’ is a stark and cheerful turn away from their previous single, ‘Headlines’, which made waves with its unique video showcasing the talents of BMX riders in their home city of Paris.
‘Oslo’ is slated for release on tomorrow, on the 23rd of June via Enchanté Records but you can be one of the first to hear it, and gain insight to the creative duo in the exclusive interview below.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
Growing up in a big cities such as Paris and London, has a huge cultural influence. Without doubt, arts has a major impact!
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
It changes on a regular basis – sometimes it can start with a simple chord progression and at times, it’s a particular rhythm/sound that interests us.
Does your material feature any collaborations?
We have worked with other singers in the past like Dylan, or created remixes for artists such as Thylacine.
What’s on your current playlist?
Too many things! 🙂 – Somewhere in between french rap (Damso) and Max Richter. There has been a huge absence of music and suddenly, everything is coming out.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
People have always told us that we have a great connection on stage and that transcends with the audience. We love engaging with our audience and it’s always a delight to receive messages asking us how we are doing.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
Harmony and sound design is of utmost importance! A good harmony translates into a good melody, which is vital. In electronic music, there is also the endless possibility of creating a unique sound. Together, we try to make something of our own. You’ll let us know if we have succeeded 🙂
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
Bravin sits at the keys/computer and Stan usually by the mic. We try things out and experiment with melody and sound. We put things together step by step. Sometimes, we may start straight away with a rhythm and build a harmony on top of it.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
We all had a moment quite different but with Jaffna – the thought was unanimous once we created our first track “Oslo” for fun!
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
A water bottle – it can get very intense and we must stay hydrated.
Any emerging artists on your radar?
There are many – Poté, Dhee and Godford just to name a few.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
A nice warm cuppa 😉
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
A yamaha piano, 49 keys midi keyboard, a sennheiser microphone, Korg minilogue XD, Ableton live with many many plug-ins.
Any side projects you’re working on?
Bravin will be touring as a pianist with Thylacine this summer and autumn.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
We have all learned to be persistant and patient. It’s the most important quality to work in this field. With regards to music, the skill to improvise has been extremely helpful to create music as well as performing our music live.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
Our first album in October this year!
Famous last words?
Que sera sera
Follow Jaffna:
Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify
By Sarah Britton
