5. Fuck ButtonsSlow Focus
Fuck Buttons were very high on my wish list for the album. They’ve got one of my favourite sounds, maybe of all time, I’d say. It’s very rare that this kind of maelstrom of sound has this instantly recognisable sound. You listen to 30 seconds of Fuck Buttons, you know it’s Fuck Buttons and nobody else. This approach of projecting a distorted wall of sound, full of vapour and hazy smoke is actually unique. It’s mysterious and energetic at the same time as well, but also in your face. It’s something very special. I know that they did two LPs prior, but as for Slow Focus, it’s always more difficult to make a third album, because you ask yourself how you cope with the success of the other records. Then they went and did the opposite of what was expected, it was like yin and yang. Slow Focus is more grounded, more earthy. They are as efficient when dealing with space as they are dealing with more grounded values. I think that’s so rare with musicians of their age group.
For me, I think they should be getting a whole lot more recognition than they are already.
Absolutely. For me it’s a massive sound and they are very, very important artists in the UK. I totally agree with you that they should have much more recognition, but it will come. Funnily enough, I was with Andrew Hung yesterday and I love them because they are such humble, modest people. I love the fact they’re on stage with such tiny microKORGs and Casios! They don’t fly with flight cases, but rather suitcases. When I first met them I introduced them to Teenage Engineering synths and the OP-1. It’s fantastic. It looks like a cheap Casio that was made by NASA. And then with their micro equipment, they’re able to produce a micro wall of sound that sounds amazing. They also use a lot of what I used to use on stage, like distortion pedals, to produce a certain sound.
