The other day, Green Banana had the pleasure to speak with Kenneth Rasmus Greve from the band Melt Motif. Here is the interview in full:
Please tell us about yourselves?
Melt Motif was born during the pandemic and functioned as a creative tool in a locked-in time. The first song I wrote was "Blood." I invited Rakel to sing, and I found Joe Irente to be the perfect mixing engineer. We uploaded it to SoundCloud, and it got a lot of love. That inspired us to create more, and soon after, Apollon Record offered us a label deal. After the release of "A White Horse Will Take you Home," we found the collaboration with Joe so good that we invited him to join Melt Motif.
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| From left: Kenneth Rasmus Greve / Rakel / Joe Irente |
How would you describe your music?
Some reviewers wrote stuff like "sound of their own" and "impossible to label," and I can see why. We are often linked to trip-hop, mainly because of Rakel's vocals. I remember one listener describing her as an evil Goldfrapp, haha. We find inspiration from art and movies, especially David Lynch, which I guess is reflected in our music
Why are you called Melt Motif?
In the beginning, we had no real name for the project. I began creating combinations of words based on how early listeners described the music, and "the sound of something melting" was said. Cinematic and gaming references were often mentioned, too, leading me to the word "Motif." A motif is a repeating element in art and movies to support a bigger story. So, Melt Motif it was!
Can you give us an insight into the creative process for your recordings?
Well, with me and Rakel in Bergen, Norway, and Joe in São Paulo, Brazil, it's not straightforward. We share sketches between us. It can be a simple bassline or something more complex. Then we add structure to it, and I write the vocal melody and lyrics at the end. It is probably the opposite of what most songwriters do, but for us, it works perfectly.
Which track has received the most positive reaction so far?
We have received excellent reviews for all of our releases, but "Mine" is the one that sticks out most regarding streaming numbers. We also released this awesome hard techno remix of it by äbvsd, and it's being streamed a lot in Germany, especially in Berlin.
Which formats do you offer for your releases? What tends to sell best?
I love physical formats, so we decided to release the album in all possible. Vinyl, CD, cassette, and even a very limited MiniDisc. Vinyl is the format that sells most and will soon be sold out. The Cassette and MiniDisc were instantly sold out but were super limited.
You created the video for Warrior using AI, can you explain what that involved?
I'm interested in technology and am fascinated by how images can be created with tools like Dall-e and Stable Diffusion based on text commands. So I wanted to create a video where AI was used as a tool to develop moving visuals for the music. I collaborated with some guys named The Dor Brothers, and we ended up with the video for Warrior. We will also release another AI-generated video in early 2023, and it will be extraordinary and disturbing!
Do you play live shows, if so, what are they like?
No, nothing yet. But, in the future, we will, and it will be very visual!
What can we expect from your forthcoming album?
You can expect to hear a band evolving and exploring new directions. We are super excited about it. Singles will be released during the following months until the album is dropped during spring 2023.
Please tell us your 5 all-time favourite albums?
It would be easier if it was 500 all-time favorites, haha, but here are 5 from the top of my head that have meant a lot to me:
Portishead - Third
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Alzheimer/Silverspurs - Og Mysteriet med den glemte sangen
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Which song would you like to nominate for the Green Banana jukebox and why?
The Green Banana playlist is an excellent list for discovering new music, so I will nominate a band and track that not many have found yet:
O Future - And You're Mine.
O future creates unique music, and this song makes me sit on the edge of my seat.
Green Banana would like to thank Melt Motif for taking time out to answer these questions.
Discover more about Melt Motif here.
Interview by Skreen B