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Artist Interviews
Q&A: FM Belfast
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 13 January 2010
Formed in late 2005 by Arni R Hlodversson and Loa H Hjalmtysdottir, FM Belfast are an electronic band from Reykjavic, Iceland. Initially a studio project, their first recording being a deadpan cover of Techtronic’s ‘Pump Up The Jam’, they soon enlisted Arni Vilhjalmssona and Orvar T Smarason to begin performing live. The group release their debut album, ‘How To Make Friends’ (which, as well as the Techtronic cover, features an outstanding version of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’) via Kimi Records on 22 Jan and are heading to Eurosonic Noorderslag for a showcase gig on Friday. We caught up with them to find out some more.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
Most of us were in other bands before, and some of us were sent to music schools when we were children. FM Belfast started out as a joke. We made a song that turned into a Christmas present (‘Pump’), and then we turned into a proper band.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Different things, some things were inspired by something we read, others by someone we met.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Most of our tracks start out as a basic song made on the computer, which we then work with and record over. Some are based on lyrics or melodies we get stuck in our heads. The cover songs are, of course, influenced by the original songs. But even they sometimes pop up in what start out as original melodies, and then we turn them into cover songs.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
All kinds of artists – Pavement, Gary Numan, Smog, Flaming Lips, Cocorosie, and… Tito Puente. We are very open-minded towards music. Sometimes we are influenced by the people that make the music, even if we are not fans of their music.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
It would be very wise to put on shoes or take off your socks, so you won’t fall on the floor while dancing in your living room. Unless your apartment is carpeted, then ignore this and press play.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
We hope that people will like it and that it makes them want to come to see our show. For the future, it’s best not to think about it too much. It would be better, though, if the future turns out to be more like ‘Back To The Future’ than ‘Brazil’.
MORE>> www.fmbelfast.com
