Syntaks the interview

Syntaks has been crafting crystalline soundscapes since their 2006 debut album “Awakes” under Benbecula records. Hailing from Denmark, the group is spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist Jakob Skøtt who creates the perfect sonic backdrop for Anna Cecilia’s ethereal voice to wallow and play in.  They have forged a distinct sound for themselves, a collage of undulating electronics, programmed beats that’s topped with live percussion, bathed in atmospheric guitars. Like the sound of a thousand cranes that’s ready to take flight, the music can take you in a vast land of endless possibilities. Jakob stopped by and was generous to give some answers to the Rooms inquisitiveness.

Room:  I believe that a bands moniker is a precursor as to how the music would sound, how did Syntaks came about?

Syntaks: Well, the syntagm is something progressing over time. Whereas most electronic music works as a paradigm, exploring repetition, I wanted to do the opposite. That was the original idea - making electronic music, where the pieces just weren't repetition and grooves, but actually having drama and stuff evolving in a unique way through time. Not just good textures, but interesting songs and structures as well. Since then, it seems the name has added to the project in unforeseeable ways - it's beginning to make sense on other levels as well. This latest album is inspired by a character in a book - sort of creating it's own 'syntaks' spiraling outward into something new. I think it's a very open term, and hopefully people will fill in their own idea of what it is and means. 

Room: When did you know that you were interested in music?

Syntaks: If you're thinking about me being interested in music in general, that's always been my passion. Nothing ever excited me more than good music - stuff that makes you breathless and want to loose youself in waves of sound. I always wanted to recreate that, ever since I was a kid. We had guitars and a piano where I grew up - but I always wanted to play the drums. When I started playing the drums, I wanted to record those on tape. Then I wanted to add effects to those and manipulate the tape - next thing you know, you're making music every day

Room: What is the difference between Syntaks and Limp musically?

Syntaks: Limp was a band that me, Jess, Jonas (Manual) & Rasmus (Aerosol) started up when we were about 11 years old - what ended up as the mini album Orion was recorded when we were about 18 - and released a few years later. So it's the starting point of many of our ideas - a place from which we all grew. We're basically a group of people playing together, getting together still to do different new things. We have our electronic concerts, where we usually play together no matter which name is on the bill. We have a free jazz / kraut rock / psych band as well. Also we're recording a folk record. So we're basically touching a lot of bases just the same 4 people. The names are just a way of separating it, so we don't mess up the audience too much. I guess this answer just did, huh?! 

Room: Who are your main influences that made Syntaks what it is today?

Syntaks: The things that have stuck through the whole thing is stuff like Brian Eno, The Cure, Slowdive, etc. All kinds of things that have these amazingly original combinations of sounds and a unique vibe. Most music today leaves me pretty cold - I prefer music from the 60s or 80s where everything had thick, recognizable textures and originality. 

Room: Where do you draw inspiration from when writing music for Syntaks?

Syntaks: Both me and Anna are deeply into literature - at the moment we're heavy on stuff like André Gides, Rainer Maria Rilke and Knut Hamsun - this stuff where the language and words themselves just sucks everything into a huge vacuum - leaving the storyline behind somehow. We're also very inspired by movies - especially italian genre films, where the images take over and sort of drift - like the Gialli movies of Mario Bava & Dario Argento. We're hoping to bring a bit of that transformation of shape and form that these works contain somehow into music. People are taking everything for granted these days - making the same sounds and recycling the same tired ideas. We're trying to put something together that's different - powered by our own subjective way of approaching music and art. 

Room: Kindly describe the sound you create on your own words?

Syntaks: Hopefully it sounds like the labour of love this album is - it's something that me and Anna have worked on together for years, playing with it, being serious with it, noodling with it. Now it's like a bond between us - it's very physical in that way, and hopefully some of that finds it's way into the experience of the listener. 

Room: Kindly name a few artists that you find interesting and that I should check out?

Syntaks: I will just give one: Popol Vuh aka Florian Fricke - just start at the beginning and work your way through. 

Room: Thank you so much Jakob! Should you have any messages to the readers?

Syntaks: You're welcome. Thanks for listening, everyone.

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