Music Interviews

When Ameli and Paul’s paths crossed in 2016, they immediately felt the urge to fuse their approaches of making music – the succinct productions of Paul, with Ameli’s inherent songlike musicality and sentimental voice. Constantly evolving their live performance over the last few years, the duo stands for a stirring electronic sound that ranges from cinematic excursions to pop-like song structures.

Synthesizers, field recordings, vocals and guitars join forces across their musical playground as the pair creates thrilling dance tunes to dive into and get lost in. Playing live in renowned clubs and festivals, Ameli Paul are increasingly known for casting a spell on their audience. It’s this unique, multifaceted sound that is effortlessly melting genre boundaries and listeners’ hearts around the world.

Now Ameli Paul conjures up a full-spectrum EP that showcases their distinct musical variety, with the brand new three-part package Beyond Reason on MEIOSIS. We had a chance to sit down with the guys from their home city of Cologne to find out more.

Hi guys, great to have you with us for the first time. How are you both doing?

Nice to meet you! We are doing great, hope you too!

Where are you each based at the moment and how has the past twelve months been?

Paul: We are both based in Cologne, Germany. The last twelve months have been quite a rollercoaster. First I was psyched to spend more time in the studio, then I missed touring and meeting new people a lot. But at the end I think we made the best out of it and created a lot of stuff that will see the light of day soon.

Your latest EP ‘Beyond Reason’ has just dropped on MEIOSIS. What are the main influences and creative inspirations behind this record?

Ameli: First of all, our ups and downs of the last year have been the main source of inspiration. So it’s a mixture of melancholia and hope, regression and now-more-than-ever. Besides that, in these times we didn’t think so much about producing music for the dancefloor and felt more freedom in our creative process.

How did the remix from Aera come about?

Paul: We love Aera’s sound for quite some time, for instance his track ‘Terra’ he did with TERR or ‘Running hot’ are amazing. When he joined the same agency the idea occurred to have him on the EP. The remix is a real banger!

When did you two start making records together?

Paul: It was in 2016 that we met for the first time at a festival and arranged a session in the studio which turned into a four hours jam, two months later we uploaded our first track on Soundcloud.

Do you have similar approaches to the way you produce music? 

Ameli: We have quite similar taste in music, but our approaches are totally different. That’s maybe one reason why we feel inspired when playing together. I just love jamming together with synthesizers, effects and my voice in an intuitive way. Paul can sit for hours dealing with Ableton, creating beats. We constantly find new ways to fuse our different ways of creating music.

Can you talk to us about your production set up? What instruments and bits of kits were used in the creation of the new release?

Ameli: I used the Prophet Rev2 for chords and melodic elements. My vocals go through a Line6 Delay, DD3 and a Polara Reverb. Paul operates Ableton Live, a Model D, there is a tiny bit of guitar in Beyond Reason and both tracks have pieces of his field-recordings for beat elements and atmo.

How do you spend your time when you’re not making music?

Paul: Besides music, I am working as a psychologist. Since quite some time I have been interested in connecting these two things.

Ameli: At the moment I spend a lot of time hanging out with my flatmates and cooking delicious food, for example with our new pasta machine.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

We very much enjoy listening to Men I Trust and Lous and the Yakuza at the moment.

Once the world can dance together again, where are you most excited to play?

Ameli: Oh I can’t wait to play in little sweaty clubs, people dancing full of joy. But I am also super eager to play on an open air festival stage with great lights.

Paul: I couldn’t agree more!

Where did ‘I Don’t Cry’ first start for you – how does the song resonate with you now?

The first part i wrote was the opening guitar line. Usually I fall out of love with stuff i’ve written shortly after releasing it, but this track has stayed in a pretty positive light with me which is unusual.

Your sound is super intricate and developed; can you remember your early sonic influences and do you think those influences have stayed the same now?

I was really into a weird mixture of Neil Young and hip hop as a kid and still am. I think you can see those influences in my song structures and drum sounds.

Who is inspiring you now (think of this as a bit of a recommendation question for readers)? 

Dan Auerbach’s ‘Waiting on A Song’ and Lewis Coleman’s ‘Method of Places’

Can you tell us a bit about where you recorded ‘I Don’t Cry’ and who you worked with? 

I Don’t Cry was recorded entirely by myself in three different bedrooms I have lived in over the last 12 months, one of which was a shed in Brunswick. The only other hands and ears to touch it were those of Mastering Engineer George Georgiadis @ Little Wing Sound

Were there any particular highlights of the creation process for you?

I didn’t plan on having any drums in the bridge but on the day I recorded the drums I kind stumbled upon a drum part while i was setting up the kit and fell in love with it. It the drums you now hear in the bridge!

The pandemic hit a lot of artists, and hit them differently – how has lockdown affected the way you approach music?

Lockdown hasn’t so much changed the way i approach music, but it definitely threw out most of my plans for 2020. I moved to Melbourne in hopes of finding band members so I could play live, but instead we were told not to leave our homes or socialise for 10 months 

Do you think you work better – as in songwriting – alone or with others?

I find myself making quicker decisions when im working with others. Instead of debating with yourself for sometimes months, you can just ask for their opinion. I feel more confident when writing with other artists.

What are you looking forward to the most about music – yours and others – moving forward into 2021?

Every year Australian music is getting stronger and stronger and i can’t wait for Australian artists to receive more of the recognition they deserve. Australian artists are definitely making the best music in the world right now.

‘I Don’t Cry’ is out now.
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Where are you currently based?

All four of us are based right here on the Gold Coast within about 20 minutes of each other. 

How did Chutney form?

Chutney formed in late 2019! We all had our own separate musical projects that we had been part of. I (Matt) wanted to try a different sort of genre from what I had been focusing on at the time and wrote a few indie-rock numbers. I had brought these songs to Cal (Guitar) and Pat (Bass) and we decided to form this little project. Andy (Drums) came on board after a few of the first songs were written out and the rest is history.

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?

We were only really just starting out as a band when COVID first bared its teeth so our mentality was to use that time to get all the structures in place for a successful post-COVID world. We tried to work on refining our sound, building a brand and creating an image… as well as write lots and lots. As things opened back up we snatched up any and every gig and it’s honestly worked quite well.

Our focus recently has been writing the years worth of music out and getting ready for our Invisible tour. 

Your new single Invisible is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I wrote the basic chord structure and lyrics after watching Elton John’s Biopic “Rocketman.” I was particularly taken aback by one quote – “Real love is hard to come by. So you find a way to cope without it.” I thought it was kinda sad that there are those who feel they aren’t worthy enough to be loved. I thought it was a pretty heavy notion, however its those sorts of ídeas/moments that I love writing about. 

How did you go about writing Invisible?

My little moment of inspiration came halfway through the movie so I made a little voice memo and got to it later. I had some pretty chords I was playing with so I wrote the whole song that afternoon. That same week we came together and played it as a band and pretty much had it 95% complete, it was one of those ones that just falls into place I suppose. 

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

We recorded with our long time collaborators Scotty French from Love St Studios and Paul Blakey for Mastering. We’re always happy with the sound we achieve with these two and honestly recording with Scotty is such a good experience. 

You have a tour coming up this February, where are you headed?

The tour is just a small one to showcase our single so we are doing 2 shows in Brisbane and 2 shows in our hometown. You can find us at Black Bear Lodge (18th), Elsewhere (19th), Vinnies Dive Bar (27th) & Greaser Bar (5th). 

How do you prepare for live shows and what can we expect?

It’s pretty much just about getting into a rehearsal space a few times before a gig and making some noise. We have an array of music, from faster numbers to ballads, but I think for the tour we are gonna keep it as energetic as possible. We also have a bunch of new music to test out which is exciting.

Any new music on the way?

Yes yes! We have around 10 tracks done; it’s just about choosing the right ones at this point if you know what I mean. There’s about 3 of them that are worthy of being the next single… time will tell which one we pick. 

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’ve been getting around the local scene ALOT recently. Beddy Rays, Sycco, Girl and Girl and Local Safari come to mind. I’ve also been absolutely smashing Fontaines DC recently. Absolutely love their sound. 

What do you like to do away from music?

We are all quite a close group of friends; so just hanging out on weekends and playing any sport we possibly can or having a bit of a drink. We also love checking out any of the local artists that we can. There’s so much good music coming out of the Gold Coast, you don’t need to leave the city to enjoy an amazing show. 

What’s planned for 2021?

The next thing will be our follow-up to Invisible and the tour. We want to get out to a couple of the major capitals of Australia (COVID pending) but really we just love playing shows and writing music – so we will continue to do that. 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Definitely our local pub the Lonestar Tavern in Mermaid – or perhaps Options for Andy 😉 We may spend a bit too much time there. 

Where are you from and where are you currently based? Born and raised Australian, from Western Sydney. Sacrificed the sun and moved to East London, 8 years ago!

How did you first start playing music?

From a young age I was given a “thing” by my parents, something to keep me preoccupied and out of trouble. Some get sports, others dancing, it was singing for me.

What’s been happening recently for you and how has your Covid experience been so far? I  managed to put out a record through the pandemic, so most of 2020 was based around that. Kinda think it was a good thing, kept me busy in what was a really difficult year. Always trying to see the silver lining, I learnt a lot last year and was forced to think outside the box creatively.

Your new single ‘Revolution’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Revolution was written in 2019 about the person who brings out the best in you, encourages a change within. I love the Woodstock era, empowered female singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin. I suppose they inspired the sound in many ways. Some songs go on to have more depth as they exist in the world, the more I lived with Revolution the more meaning it had. In light of 2020 and the shift in global conversation about equality across race, gender, environmental justice – Revolution was that song I put out to help face the days with.

How did you go about writing Revolution?

I took in the concept, I’d seen a street sign in capitals saying “Revolution” on the way to write. Small things sometimes funnily inspire songs. I wrote it with Paro Westerlund and Professor P in Sweden. Professor P specialises in lyrics predominantly, I was working on my storytelling at the time and it really helped to have those two to bounce ideas off. To take such a grand concept and make it into something relatable and close to home – that was tough. So happy with how we managed to make it work though!

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

Revolution was written in Sweden, but produced over in LA. I’ve always been really lucky to have people believe in my songs and get on board because they’re excited by it and wanna see me win. Onree Gill produced the track and got the gospel choir Ella + Q to record over it. Onree’s worked with Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Gwen Stefani and Ella + Q with Prince and Whitney. I mean, I’m just a small town girl from Western Sydney so pretty mind blowing! We then had additional production done by a Maestro The Baker, a Grammy award winning producer here in the UK.

How did you approach the recording process and what did you find most challenging and rewarding?

I executive produced my album “Hunger” alongside Joe Garrett and my managers, I think getting 12 songs and bringing them into the same sonic world proved to be our biggest challenge. Even now there are a few different sounds across the album, but we managed to get them all sounding like they lived in the same world. No one ever prepared me for listening to 7+ mixes per song, but it was so important for me to be a part of that process.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’ve started to rehash some 2000’s power pop women Robyn, Gossip, Florence. Also I’m always listening to Bon Iver, James Blake, Ólafur Arnalds.

What do you like to do away from music?

I spend a lot of time away from music walking in nature, which helps me to clear my mind.

What’s planned for 2021, what other projects / releases do you currently have in the pipeline?

I’m taking this new found down time to focus on writing songs for other artists, I have a few features I’m excited about coming up! I’m also working on a side project in the dance world which is nothing like anyone’s heard from me before called AR/CO, so watch this space.

Instagram.com/Malikoa

@Malikoa

Where are you currently based?

I’m currently based in Bergen, Norway. I moved here 10 years ago to study and ended up moving here permanently. It’s actually one of the cities in Norway with the most rain. Guess that helps out if you want to sit inside and make music 🙂

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been so far?

Oh, where to begin. The past year has been pretty special. I’ve had sessions over Teams and been at home for the most part. Really looking forward to start playing festivals and shows again!

How did you first start playing music?

I started as a DJ just for fun in 2009, and after a couple of years I decided to try out producing. A lot of YouTube tutorials and so on. I still perform as a DJ, but my main focus is producing at the moment. 

Lovespeake and yourself have a new single ‘Me In The Middle’ on the way, how did you come to collaborate with Lovespeake?

We first met at a songwriting camp hosted by Sony Music in Oslo. Made a quick demo together and decided to work again later. So, when I heard his draft of “Me In The Middle” I was sold! 

What influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?

We want the listener to feel energized and listen to the track when they try to achieve a goal. At the gym, studies, work etc. I think this motivation helped us shape the track to how it sounds today. I heard our first demo over and over at the gym and came up with new ideas every time.

How did Lovespeake and yourself create Me In The Middle? 

I heard his vocal draft of the song in the end of 2019. We sat a session with Jesper Borgen in Oslo and met up to write new verses and start to set the arrangement. Later we worked over Teams and sent ideas back and forth. We tried to set a couple of sessions in Oslo during the pandemic, but every date we planned landed on a new quarantine, so we finished it with online sessions. Luckily, we had similar ideas for the track, so this didn´t slow us down.

What programs/instruments did you use?

I work in Ableton Live, and on this project I used a lot of Serum and Kontakt for the “future bass”-sound with decapitator/devil-loc to crush the synths a little extra. For the verses and pre-chorus Jesper Borgen played piano/guitar over the synths to get the human feel, and then we fooled around with different recordings of stuff in the studio to make the percussion unique.

How did you approach the recording/production/mastering processes?

We did the vocal recordings at Jesper´s studio in Oslo, and I also presented my first draft of the drop there. After that I continued the production at home and we sent the files to each other. The master is done by Chris Samson at Propeller Mastering in Oslo.

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creative process?

The distance is of course the biggest challenge in this situation, and I think the most rewarding is that I learned to do online sessions. Have a few really nice ideas ready.

What do you like to do away from music?

Now that we have a lot of snow here in Norway, I like to spend time skiing in the mountains. It´s one of the few activities we can do and still keep the social distancing.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I´ve been listening to Seeb´s new album lately. It´s so good.

What’s planned for 2021

I do have some festivals planned, but we will have to see how the pandemic goes and hope for the best. Other than that, I´m very excited to release some new music this year!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I love the food at Fly Chicken in Bergen. Fried chicken burger with jalapeno fries. Best there is!

Where are you currently based?

Gold Coast, Australia.

How did you first start playing music?

I first picked up a guitar in grade 4. I had just moved schools and pretty much everyone I wanted to be friends with played in a band together. I actually started playing bass first because they needed one for the band – but before long migrated to a 6 string. I began writing songs for the band and it pretty much went from there.

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been so far?

I feel pretty guilty about this answer, but it has literally been an excuse for me to hermit in my studio and make music all day every day. It sucks that live shows had a massive break, but we’re getting back into it now.

You’ve teamed up with Namaste with your new single ‘OneNotTwo’; how did you  come to work together?

Namaste reached out to me after hearing one of my tracks on TripleJ Unearthed and sent me a few beats. They were obviously talented producers so I started sending them every song I would write. They heard the chords for OneNotTwo and instantly jumped on board.

What influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?

I’d be lying if I said anything other than my fiance. The song is pretty much the story of how we met, and a sticky situation that came up super early in our relationship. 

How did the creative/songwriting process take place?

I wrote the full story out one night, then spent probably the next 2 months going back and forth with Namaste tweaking lyrics. We added instruments, took them out again, fiddled with structure, changed melodies etc. but we finally decided to keep it as simple as possible, and let the story of the song do the talking.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

Hahah, I recorded the vocals in my closet with a mattress flipped up against the wall, in an attempt to mute out all the cars that were driving by. Guitars were literally just plugged straight into a Scarlett Solo that I bought from a Cash Converters for $80. Quality investment. 

What programs/instruments did you use?

FL Studio till death. Not 100% sure on what Namaste uses, but they definitely have secret sauce that they dribble on everything to make it sound fucking mint. They pretty much took my ratchet demo and converted into what it is now.

What did you find most challenging and rewarding throughout the process of creating

OneNotTwo?

Honestly, getting everything ready in time. I set a ridiculous timeframe to get it sorted by and it was an absolute miracle it worked out.

Please tell us about your goal to release a new track each month of this year?

I just want to give more music to the people who have been supporting me. I think albums are the ideal way to consume music, and it’s definitely my preferred way to listen – but I just don’t feel I have the resources to properly promote an entire album of songs. When, say Drake, drops an album, he can tour the world for 6 months to a year promoting it. I cannot! Also, at this point in my career, I’m still figuring out my sound (and my life) and can’t pinpoint a musical sonic that I can stick to for an entire album. I want to just put out my favourite songs month by month, and see what happens.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I listen to a lot of different music, but Anderson .Paak, Frank Ocean, J.Cole, Kendrick, James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, JK-47, Dave; are all in my recently played.

What do you like to do away from music?

I fucking love cooking, I find it very similar to making music – in a weird way. Making handmade pasta, pizza, bao buns etc; I just love making dough ahah. I also love skateboarding and have been doing that since I was like 14 too.

What’s planned for 2021?

I’m fully independent and plan on staying that way, so this year I want to make as much music as I can, and learn as much as I can from every release. I’m bound to make mistakes but that’s all part of it.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I make a pretty skitz pizza? So I would probably just want to eat that in my little apartment with my girl.