Telefon Tel Aviv
Insistent and atmospheric voices, beats filled with romanticism: Immolate Yourself may be the ending point of Chicago’s electronic band: Telefon Tel Aviv.
Two days after their 3rd album’s release, Charlie Cooper was found dead. Telefon Tel Aviv’s European tour was definitely compromised. However, Joshua Eustis decided to continue and play in Exit 07 on June 12th. The sky turned grey but we still can find hope in music.
Where does TTA’s atmosphere come from?
It comes from dreams, a lot of the time, from a small obsession with the supernatural, what we would think the music of the future could sound like, with our own tragedy wrought throughout.
Sadness seems to be present in any moment of your last album Immolate Yourself…
For sure. Charlie, in life, was a bit of a sad guy, and I am much more a type of sad soul… Also, for electronic music, it’s very much in vogue to be kind of “fun” or “upbeat” all the time, for instance Cut Copy, Justice, Hot Chip, etc. We never wanted to fit in with anything that might be a trend of the times. Luckily, for us, as long as being happy is in vogue, that will never be a problem for TTA.
Then Immolate Yourself sounds different from TTA’s other albums
Indeed it does. We get older but what’s more important is that the common thread is there, even if it is hidden: Romanticism, harmony, melody, emotional content, truthfulness.
Is it difficult to be considered as a live band when using only laptops?
It’s more of a problem in the US, where people go to a live show for the full entertainment and spectacle… European audiences are more open to other methods. For the new show, I’m working on images that are tied in with the feelings exhibited on the record, a sort of “road map” to that kind of nostalgia that I’ve been trying to lock down throughout my entire musical career…
What is your state of mind now, after the tragedy and before the upcoming tour?
I’m trying to keep my feet moving in the right direction. Life threw a lot of terrible things at me, all at once: Charlie, my girl leaving me, my father being very ill. I’m staying busy, writing music, working on the video. If I’m not busy, I’ll be miserable.
After Charlie’s loss, what made you decide to continue?
I’ve decided to see the record through, to see it to the end. We put so much work into it, I believe it would be a shame to let it just slip through the cracks. As far as another TTA record is concerned, further down the line, I haven’t made any decisions about anything. I’m working on new music, maybe it will sound like Telefon Tel Aviv to me, or maybe not…
Phrase en exergue: If I’m not busy, I’ll be miserable.
