Interview: Yonderboi

Hungary’s hottest music export Yonderboi has closed the circle by finishing the final part of his album trilogy. After six years, Passive Control came out a few days ago on Mole Listening Pearls. We caught up with the talented producer to talk about his new release, which is already hitting the German, Dutch and Hungarian iTunes electronic music charts. After his indie-influenced second album he dives into a more synthetic mood again, something deeper, slower but still danceable.

Many people were surprised that it took six years to release your third album. As your second album Splendid Isolation came out, did you think that the third one will take so long?
Not exactly, I wanted to finish this album a little bit earlier… I wished to keep myself to my Soviet Union style system of five year plans and come out with Passive Control in 2010, but it turned out differently. You know, having the freedom of crossing a deadline is very important for me, as after a while the musical material takes over, claims control, and decides when it is ready.

Yonderboi – Come On Progeny

Is there any music out there having a similar mood as the album has?
As a musician I compare my own work less and less with others as the years go by, and I don’t really listen to music which is usually mentioned together with my name. But as a listener I’m a long term fan of godfathers of sample based music, like The KLF, M.A.R.R.S. or the Dust Brothers.

For this album you collaborated with the German-born Charlotte Brandi. Did you think it was a risk; were you afraid of it a bit?
Oh yes, I was. But having an unknown factor in the system suit the title and the concept of the album very well, and at the same time it had a refreshing and thrilling effect on the whole process. It was also a good feeling to provide opportunity to a previously unreleased young talent.

Were there other candidates as well? How did you choose the right one?
I found more than one potential singer back in the myspace era, I was emailing with several, and later I even met a few of them personally. It is hard to say what I was looking for, but when I met Charlotte I simply felt in my guts that she is the most suitable for the job. Besides the character of the voice it was also an important factor to find someone who was willing to be formed a little bit to the role.

Yonderboi – She Complains

Does Before You Snap off Splendid Isolation have any connection with After The Snap, the last track off Passive Control?
After The Snap is a musical variation of Before You Snap. Only the first part of the original melody appears in the new version, and also its rhythm became three-quarter. Regarding the topic and the mood, the original version was the tense state before the storm ready to explode, and the new version is the relief after the storm, the moment when the clouds clearing out.

How was your music production process evolving during the three albums?
My second album, like the first, was mainly built of live recordings and sample programming, with very few synthetic elements. I still recorded a lot with the mic, but on the new album I have used many virtual instruments, sound libraries and synths too; this area was new to me and I really enjoyed exploring it.

Which elements have been added to your sound?
The new element is mainly the sound that I have always stood for as a DJ, which is the softer, slower but at the same time danceable electronics. I always felt that this direction of mine was not represented on my previous albums enough. I am even more glad, that this missing piece has joined the overall picture, because before the time of Yonderboi, as a kid I first started with heavier electronic dance music. This was way back in time, in the middle of the 90’s.

Yonderboi – Brighter Than Anything

How does the international market perceive your origin? Does it have any influence on your career?
It is often mentioned where I come from and it gives a different treatment, sometimes maybe in a bad way as well, but more often it results luckily in curiosity or surprise. But I believe that these days it becomes less and less important where anyone comes from. We all read the same blogs and watch the same series.

You were also doing the live band format on stage. Do you have any plans how to present the new album to a live audience?
There is no fixed plan about the live-show yet, but certainly there will be no big band this time. It requires a lot of time and effort to build a live show and bring it on tour, it sets me back years in making new music, and there are more ideas forming in my head now. It would be so tempting to start one of them right away.

Listen to the album for a limited time here.

Published October 05, 2011.