Popsimonova / Zarkoff: Electronic music, as the way of living
Rarely you have both–woman and man in the working and loving condition. But, here’s the exception. Croatian artists, Lana Popsimonova and Zarkoff, seem to get along just fine. They keep on touring the most part of the year and promoting their releases. Zarkoff have just announced his new album Departed (2012), and Lana published her own release Yellow Lamps in February. We know them after performing on Exit festival (Elektrana stage) and from many Belgrade clubs. Between their international bookings, I asked them how they manage to keep the balance, professionally and privately.
Zarkoff: Well, let’s say it’s dynamic. It can be full of tension and misunderstandings, as obligations are changing, but we don’t live that accordingly anyway. In studio, Lana usually process some of mine ideas, or other way around. Sometimes I can help her only with the technical details, for the final mixdown. Or, I am there as a song writer, and that’s the part of my role. Outside the studio, it’s a completely different situation. Having on mind that she’s more striking on stage, I let her be in the spotlight, and me more invisible. That is completely fine, she is a girl and I can not envy her. I’m just doing my part as well.
Lana: Definitely, there are some disputes, but we don’t work together so often, so everything can be described as normal. We have a couple of common songs, but we stay as an individual artists. Saša (the real name of Zarkoff) helped me many times in writing songs, and he always helps about those technicals. So, we can play together, we live together and manage all other things working properly.
They have just finished the concert at Medika in Zagreb (underground city spot), and leaving to Berlin. Tell me, did the concert went well?
Zarkoff: After a longer break, we have decided to organize something for ourselves. It went very well, people had fun, although we started a little bit earlier, so some people missed the beginning of the concert. (Sometimes I forget that many of us are going out after 2AM!)
Lana: It was good. Medika is a very suitable place for us.
How are the things in the past few years on the Croatian electronic scene? Do you have any new name, somebody worth of attention?
Zarkoff: It’s a tough question. I must admit that I’m not much updated with the Croatian scene. Information I have are mostly about the new projects from people who I already know. So, I can tell you, for example, that Ivan Antunovic has a new project 1/2, How Convinient did some changes and they are having solo projects now. My colleague, Jasmin from Florence Foster Fun Club is very active with his project Le Chocolat Noir.
The next concert activities are guiding you to Berlin. What are your plans?
Zarkoff: I have the project waiting on me, and it is about industrial architecture. The idea is to make series of local artwork about the abandoned industry. I am mostly interested in influences industrialization made on natural environment, but also think about psychological influence on people, which I am going to put together, as both very important. It is the unbreakable bond, between people and machines. You can ask a lot of questions, and think about the aesthetic part of it, for instance, why are the factories build like that, why their appeal seem arrogant to humans, do they stay against tradition, are they destructive somehow…?
Beside that, the new album of FFFC Assymetric is coming out. We did ten new songs, for the Brazilian Wave Records, and, of course, new Zarkoff self published CD, for which I don’t have the name yet, but the material is done.
Lana: I am planning to stay in Berlin.
Lana, you have realised in February album Yellow Lamps, for the publishing records Romance Moderne (they also publish Florence Foster Fan Club). How this collaboration started?
Lana: I stayed in contact with Victor Lenis (from Romance Moderne) since period of Dekolaž (the previous band she had), and with whom I’ve planned the longer collaboration. After he moved from Columbia to Bruxelles, he started with his new label, so we have finally realized the album.
You are also very interested in having your own fashion line. What about that?
Lana: I am at the very beginning, but I have something done. For now, I do my own things for the concert appearances, and its development is still unpredictable.
Saša, you are publishing for Home Made Electronica label and Adriatiko Recordings. Can you tell me more about it?
Zarkoff: Collaboration with Home Made has faded, because we couldn’t realize the last issue on which we were working on, se we decided to quit without any objections. I still work with Adriatiko Recordings. They’ve just published the remix of Sneak Thief, who has shown on the scene after long few years of pausing, with the album Mixed Feelings. He also published the digital EP Stray Cat Boogie on his own label Neuroplayer. Before that, we did Hazardous Material EP with Selecto. I am planning to work with Croatian label 0.5, but nothing precise yet. The whole publishing and distributing system is worth avoiding, so we’re working on that!
You guys live in Sisak, the most industrial part of Croatia. Can we recognize the impact of that kind of environment on your work?
Zarkoff: Absolutely, I’ve already mentioned my new project. It’s not that industrialization is my main inspiration, but definitely the important part of it. And it’s just pushing us to spend more time in studio, working.
Lana: Totally. Industrial landscapes made me, as a person, and had inspired me since childhood. Moving to Sisak only strengthened and defined that influence, from which I gain the inspiration and for my music projects.
This interview is done in July, 2012
Popsimonova's photo courtesy of Slavica Veselinović
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