Upclose with Telepathe
Brooklyn electronica duo Telepathe (pronounced “Telepathy”) talk to Penny Zhou about their debut album “Dance Mother,” syncopated rhythms and vintage synthesizers.
HK Magazine: What’s the story behind Telepathe?
Telepathe: We used to be in a math/punk band but we got really bored making rock music, so we started Telepathe.
HK: Why did you decide to make the transition from playing rock to experimental avant-pop?
Te: We wanted to make beats and compose music instead of being limited to one instrument.
HK: We know you’re big hip-hop fans. Does it influence your music?
Te: We love syncopated rhythms. The production of Timbaland and Mannie Fresh is awesome.
HK: David Sitek from the band TV on the Radio produced your album “Dance Mother”—what was it like working with him?
Te: He is a mad scientist! It was extraordinary. We love him. He’s very fun to work with but very focused. He has a huge collection of vintage synthesizers and drum machines and we used every one of them on our record.
HK: Is there a track that most represents “Dance Mother?”
Te: I think that would be “So Fine” because it’s the last song we made and the closest to our vision for the album. We also made a music video of it, which was shot in one day.
HK: You sing about death, the afterlife, devils and deism—where do you get your inspiration?
Te: Mainly the Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov who wrote great works such as “Lolita.”
HK: You girls are flying around the world this year. How are you finding it?
Te: Being in a new place almost every day is both exciting and hard. Sometimes we fall in love with a city and then we have to leave right away.
