Photo of Pompeya by Sergey Rogov
A day before releasing their Domino EP, Russian pop-funk outfit Pompeya is giving Variance an early listen of the new project.
The new material marks their first in two years, following their 2015 album Real. They also ventured into new territory this time around, teaming up with French house producer Fred Falke, who remixed the band's early single "90" and made a name for himself working with the likes of Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey and Sia, while also remixing for Justice, Lykke Li and Selena Gomez.
The irresistible four-song collection, which can be heard above but is officially out tomorrow (July 14) on Mishu Records, includes the previously released standout title track, as well new single "Somebody Else" and two additional cuts, "Slaver and "Last One."
In addition to sharing the EP, the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Daniil Brod chatted with us about the new music and working with Falke. Check out the Q+A below, followed by their behind-the-scenes mini-documentary, which is also premiering on Variance.
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It’s been a couple years since your last release. What was the inspiration for the new music?
Other bands' music is always an inspiration for our own music. Our happiness or frustration in life are also a big motive to sit down and start writing. Making music is a self-inspiring process. There are many other factors that might force us to work. We always write demos—on the road, at home, in hotel rooms. Just like any other normal musicians.
It’s one thing to do a remix, but how did you decide to do a full project with Fred Falke?
We realized that his interpretation of "90" is not just a remix but a new version of the song. Unlike most remixes that had been made for Pompeya, his work opened the song from other perspective. The track also became very popular in the clubs and online with more than 250,000 streams on Soundcloud. For us, this is good numbers. Let alone, the great production and sound that he made! So we kept him in mind as a potential producer/co-writer.
What is the biggest difference between your previous material and the new EP?
This is first time we gave our music to the hands and decisions of the producer. Of course we [have] been involved in the process, but at the end of the day, he made what he made. In all the previous albums we were more specific to push our own view on sound and mixing. We also meant to make these songs more dance soundwise. The dance side is a common thing for Pompeya (listen to the bass lines!), but we never worked with a dance/electronic producer [until] Domino.
What motivated you to release the mini-documentary with the music?
This is a very short film, more like a diary of the record day in the studio. We want to make more material in the future to do a whole YouTube series or long documentary, which could include this film as well. It's important for us, in the first place. And if it also can mean something to fans, we're happy to show them some of inside of our life.
Pompeya's upcoming North American live schedule:
Aug. 22 — Salt Lake City, UT — the Kilby Court
Aug. 26 — Des Moines, IA — Vaudeville
Aug. 28 — Minneapolis, MN — Amsterdam Bar and Hall
Aug. 31 — Boston, MA — The MiddleEast
Sept. 2 — NYC — The Mercury Lounge
Sept. 3— Philadelphia, PA — Kung Fu Necktie
Sept. 4 — Raleigh, NC — The Pour House