An Evolution of Sound with Tundran

Blurring the lines between indie, new wave, and disco, the duo of Felix and Jakob, better known as Tundran, have been gearing up for the release of their two singles, ‘Still Afraid’ & ‘Last Drive‘, out now on PRMD Music. Using real instruments whenever they can, and MIDI to fill in the gaps, the Swedes have nailed down a sound that is danceable, yet soulful, falling somewhere between Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories and The 1975’s I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful, Yet So Unaware Of It.

Interview by Andy Gorel
Images by Marcus Lindgren

Andy: Growing up, what drew both of you to music, and do you feel your home life encouraged the growth of your passion and understanding for

Felix: I remember being fascinated by music at an early age, it had a strong effect on me. My family have always been very supportive and encouraged us to keep going and doing our thing.

Jakob: I used to listen to my parents record collection all the time, which mainly consists of old 60s and 70s music. I have older siblings also, who turned me on to the whole grunge thing that went on in the 90s.

Andy: Were either of you involved in previous projects before forming Tundran?

Felix: Jakob is playing in a band called Vita Bergen at the moment, we are all good friends so it’s cool to have people to exchange ideas with and be inspired by.

Andy: Do you feel the music scene in Sweden provided enough opportunity and the right setting to naturally grow as artists and performers, and has it in any way influenced the music you make?

Felix: Sweden has a really cool music scene right now with loads of great bands! We think people of our generation are more liberated to make up their individual musical preferences due to the vast availability of everything online.

Andy: Are there any Swedish artists, past or present, that have inspired or influenced you a lot as artists and/or people?

Jakob: Too many! We like everything from the complete freedom in Dungens music to Max Martin’s way of mastering his craft. Two completely different things that are very inspiring to us.

Andy: And I read online that all of the music you record is done using real instruments. So no MIDI?

Felix: Most of our studio setup consists of real instruments. We still use MIDI for drum machines and some of the synth stuff, but otherwise we really try to use as much ‘real’ instrumentation as possible.

Andy: In a world where everything is turning into MIDI, do you think there is more integrity to a recording that is done with real instruments?

Felix: Not at all! There’s a lot of incredibly talented artists that make music with completely different methods. It’s true that we have chosen to make our music sound a certain way, but we also try not to limit ourselves. We’re into loads of different kinds of music and we always try to evolve and keep an open mind. There’s no one ‘right’ way of being creative, it’s all subjective!

Andy: Your music is a really tight blend of alternative, synthpop, and disco. Were there any artists or experiences in particular that made you want to go in this direction, or is it simply just what happened when you began to write?

Felix: We have always been into disco/funk so that has been a foundation in our productions. Our sound has sort of evolved during the past years. Nowadays we usually find ways to package different genres and influences in one song with our sound being the common denominator. On paper it’s always hard to explain but when we play it people tend to get what we are trying to achieve.

Andy: Your latest double single features two new original tracks, but we first hear your original sound with ‘Kimono‘ back in 2015. Have you been noticing any common themes or sources of inspiration among the songs you write?

Felix: The three differ somewhat. ‘Kimono’ and ‘Last Drive‘ were inspired by the kind of simple and funky softrock tunes of the 70s. ‘Still Afraid’ is sort of an experiment were we’ve got a more modern groove going that merges with different genres like pop and house. They are all essential to a bigger picture for us.