INTERVIEW WITH THIS IS THE GIRL

This Is The Girl are a new band from Belgium, Bilzen to be precisely.
Due to the Andrew Eldritch-voice they are categorized over here as goth and they surely are, partly.
That other part of them rides the electronic train from the 80's and then we're more talking about composers like Steve Reich, Peter Principle or the early Tuxedomoon.
Reasons enough to have a chat with this band!

How difficult it might be, please describe your music....

That’s quite difficult to explain. We know each other for a long time and what’s great about it, when we met at school we already knew from the beginning we probably would end up rehearsing with each other.
Our tastes our different, but when we’re working together we always seem to know what musical direction we’re heading.
We usually have the tendency to experiment with more darker passages in our music. We never like to place music in categories but if we really have to, we could say that it’s some dark-minimal with a trip-hop undertone.

To be fair for me the band is new, so are you new in the scene?

We’re still in an early stadium with This Is The Girl. Begin January of this year, if we’re not mistaking.
So actually we’re not really in a gothscene yet or a new wave scene for that matter. Before that, we were briefly in a hard rock-metalscene. But of course, you can’t compare that.

Some things about your music...
You hear goth influences voice-like, I mean there's the Carl McCoy and Andrew Eldritch-factor, but in the end, it's not so gothic for me....

We’re addicted to music. We’re always philosophizing about music.
So we’re really open-minded when it comes down to genres.
We’re also craving to be more than just a ‘goth’ or ‘new wave’ band.

I also heard some Steve Reich and Wim Mertens in your music....

Now that I think of it, these artists had a major influence on my work.
I start making music with a certain amount of feelings and how I develop the music is based on my influences.
With piano elements I’m hugely inspired by Ludovico Einaudi and with electronics it’s Simian Mobile Disco, etc.

Your mini-album is an own release, I guess you had no other choice then....

We took credit for that decision, because we hope to find a record label with it.

Let's face the facts...
The traditional press despise the gothscene over here which is more than a shame....

I guess we could say that.
You’ve got dark albums such as Sunn O))’s Black One.
But an album such as Mezzanine from Massive Attack has got more success but that one also contains some dark elements.
However the underground scene has to stay underground.
Because perhaps in there, you’ll find the biggest music lovers.

How are the reactions till yet?

Most of the time, we hear that lovely word: Strange.
Which we accept as a compliment.
Probably people seem to like us or seem to dislike us.

Songs like "I can't see anymore pink" says enough...I mean it seems you're not the happiest people around....
Is it an artform or does it reflect your life too?

I think it’s a little bit of both.
Robin perhaps is more of a happy misanthropist than an artist, but I see everything what I do in some sort of art-form.

Are there possibilities outside Belgium?
I'm thinking at Holland in particular.....

Of course. We’d love to do that.

What's your fave record of all time and please state why...

Ramon: The album ‘Wish you were here’ by Pink Floyd. Why?
Every time I hear that record, I forget all the other music.

Robin: ‘Kind of Blue’ by Miles Davis because it’s an absolute masterpiece.
To me, it’s the most honest album ever recorded.

With who wouldn't you mind to be alone with in an elevator and what would you do then?

Ramon would like to talk some day with Richard D. James.
And Robin would like to do the same with William S. Burroughs.

What can we expect from This Is The Girl in the future?

Who knows, none to less, lot’s of music!

And your last words are....

I’ve got a bike!

Thanks!!!!

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