Brisbane-New York indie electronic duo Capre are back after a three-year gap between releasing new music.
The tandem of Pat Costello and Patrick Hameon have been split between New York and Brisbane as well as Amsterdam following their debut EP 'Cassette Mixte'.Their latest offering is the single 'Snow Walk', which would easily fit as part of the soundtrack to Ryan Gosling's 'Driver' as it would the original 'Blade Runner' or re-imagined 'Tron'; think futuristic beats blended with a minimal soundscape perfect for a date with a set of headphones.
With producer Konstantin Kersting (Tones & I, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat) assisting on production duties, Capre explain the process that brought about 'Snow Walk'.
"The demos were made over a period of about 2.5 years by sending each other ideas over the Internet between Brisbane and Amsterdam. We would go back and forth creating the song slowly by adding ideas.
"Once Hameon was back in Brisbane, we met up with Konstantin in his studio to finalise the three tracks. It was an interesting way to work born out of the love of making music together.
"Because of our short timeframes we had to smash out the three songs within a two-day period at Kons studio while also hanging out for the first time in two years. The best vocal [was] taken on day two after a night out. Moral of the story, drinking the night before the takes can sometimes be good."
How did the song 'Snow Walk' come about?
It started out as an experiment with blending similar sounds together, but really took shape after getting caught at work in a blizzard in Amsterdam. I decided to walk home instead of getting the train. It was so intense, but also peaceful.
Hameon and I share beats all the time through dropbox. I received a couple from him, and I loved the darkness of this beat and felt like I wanted to sing on it instantly. It was a difficult track to get vocals down. We decided to use the vocal hook as more of an instrument than a typical verse to chorus situation.
What makes the song different to your previous work?
When we make music, we can do it two ways; either sharing beats we've made or creating it together, which can take 40 minutes of random chords and drumbeats until we find one we both like. That process sort of happens naturally and we don't discuss anything which is cool. We just kind of keep repeating one progression out of various different melodies and it just becomes the one.
It's different when we share beats from opposite sides of the world. It's not jamming, it's like a stalled track and can be a slow process but it's cool sending something back and getting a reaction. We had to learn to be patient and work very differently to previous tracks.
Made over a two-and-a-half year period, how did the song change from its inception to its finished product?
We didn't have too many revisions on this one. It was sent back and forth a few times, each time adding a new layer or element and it formed somewhat naturally; although quite slowly seeing as though we had to wait until the other person had time to check it and digest it.
The song reminds me of a dark room with strobe lights in it and naked people and that has never changed.
Living internationally, does where you live have impact on what you're creating at the time?
To some extent. Amsterdam is very electronic music orientated and this definitely influenced the music. The weather, people and the music/ art scene all affect your mentality, so it affects creativity as well.
To be honest we had totally different influences for this track and we let that European influence take over a bit here rather than embodying Brisbane vibes. To clarify, still love Brisbane vibes.
How has Capre evolved since your debut EP 'Cassette Mixte'?
Capre has evolved to compensate for the distance between us and the fact we had to split our time between two things, music and the other requirements of life.
There came a time where I (Patrick Costello) had to finish my science degree and Hameon had to move overseas. This track almost represents us completing the things we had to do and finally getting to come back to making beats again. . . We are more confident in who we are as artists. We have been making music for almost ten years and we're still here because we love it and can't stop.
What have been some of the challenges involved with songwriting via long-distance?
The waiting. When you are stoked on an idea and you send it away and the other person is working/ living their life and you just have to wait.
Also not being able to jam. That was a major part of how we made songs together in the past. It was also a kind of meditation. We would just jam on the same beat for hours and not have to talk.
With COVID-19 pandemic, what are you stockpiling?
I actually wigged out yesterday and bought all these non-perishable food items because it has literally been deemed a pandemic. We are worried about what could happen. Hameon has stockpiled yoghurt. I will be stockpiling popcorn and wine.
With the release of 'Snow Walk', what's next for Capre?
We have a string of releases coming out including some dope new tracks and a music video for 'Snow Walk', which is imminent.
