SUBZERO FUN (France): The gritty and warm noisegaze from Paris
Subzero Fun is a Noise Pop outfit from Paris, France. They propose beautiful and refreshing music that caressed our ears from the first time we heard them. The sound is raw and direct to connect better, without artifices.
Talented, they have released 3 EPs to date that you can listen on Bandcamp and the usual streaming platforms. They are also part of the Noise Artists Bandcamp collective. We love their music.
Discover the band and their music in this article with a great interview and some great music for your expert ears. Of course, do not forget to support the band by buying their music and sharing the love on social media.
THE MUSIC
Regarding the EPs, we scheduled from the start that we would release 3 EPs in 12 months, then an album. We don't want to release 4 titles every 3 years, even if it means we can't spend as much time, effort, money in order to make everything perfect. The point is for our music to reflect our state of mind of the moment. So far we have stuck to the plan, and we are very happy with it. Our third EP will be there in May 2020, and the plan is then an album for later this year.
The music work to date is:
2019: EP1, EP; SF2, EP
2020: Space Drone 3, single; ON3, EP
On each of our first EPs (and also on the one which we released in May 2020) there's a different song called "Space Drone". Some people actually think these songs are linked in some way, they are linked by the fact that they are based on a Drone. Apart from that, they are very different songs with very different themes, keys and related to very different experiences.
THE INTERVIEW
Who are the group members?
Rémi : There is Hakim who plays the drums, JB at the bass guitar and vocals and myself at the guitar and vocals.
How did you meet?
JB : Via zikinf.fr, a French website about music ; it is kind of our tinder for bands. We met with Rémi in 2015, and with Hakim last year. He gave some musical influences that were cool and said that he wasn't interested in people playing shit-pop music... as this is not what we do, we got in touch and it worked!
Rémi : We have in fact played under the name « Chemtrails » with our first drummer for quite a while. We met JB in 2015 in a bar called Sputnik in Paris. After some Deliriums we got along. Then around end 2019 we started to look for a new drummer and that’s when we met Hakim. We got along as well while drinking beers (beers are key it seems). We did our first gig all together after just 3 rehearsals, opening for Dead Horse One. It was awesome.
How did you come up with your name?
JB : It was a long process, just to find a name that we like and that is not already used by 100+ bands. So we ended up with the good old choose-a-name-from-a-song-you-like: Subzero Fun from Autolux.
Rémi : The process of finding a name was endless, we first struggled to come up with “Chemtrails” which is quite an obvious one for a shoegaze/psychedelic influenced band like us. Then after a while another band came up with the same name in the UK and they had an album released so we thought: “oh no, we need to change”. People contacting us on Facebook to tell us we will let world know the truth regarding planes+chemicals conspiracy theories was fun. Only at the beginning though. So yeah, Subzero Fun. We get compliments for it too, but for different reasons.
What is your music about?
Rémi : Alienation caused by modern life in big cities and mixed feelings about the past. Mainly.
What are your goals as an artist artistically/commercially?
Hakim : Do as many concerts as possible. Make money with our music.
JB : And to play music that I like, to start with.
Rémi : I guess the point for me is to make music I’d like to hear, that nobody is making at the moment.
What are you trying to avoid as a band?
Hakim : Doing boring stuff.
Rémi : Music that wouldn’t have a memorable melody, a special atmosphere or some kind of tension.
Why do you make the music you make? Is it in you? Is it your environment?
Hakim : Because we love it...I guess.
JB : I mainly play music because all the bands I listened to made me have the will to. I don't really feel what i do is connected to my everyday life or my environment, it is more about being able, while playing, to get the same sensations and emotions that i got when i listened to music i like.
What inspire you for the music or for the Lyrics?
Rémi : 99.99% of the time, lyrics are a chore for me. It’s always the instrumental parts first, until the song is almost done, and then I struggle to finish it with lyrics.
One thing that I do like though, is to write randomly or even sing randomly, until something comes up. Then most of the time it starts making sense to me, as if I’m discovering what’s in my mind and that I was singing unconsciously.
Tell us what you are looking when trying to achieve your sounds. Do you experiment a lot or have a clear idea of what you want?
JB : I guess that having a clear goal or idea is interesting, also because sometimes unsuccessful attempts can lead to interesting ideas.
Rémi : I have a rather clear general idea of the direction. Then for guitar sounds I like experimenting to find the main riff of a song for instance.
Explain your songwriting process.
Rémi : Either I have a guitar & a singing part that go well together and I try to develop it into a full song. Or (more often) it starts with a guitar riff, then a harmonic context around it, then a fully orchestrated demo shared with the band. If everybody likes it we start working, everybody on their part. If someone doesn’t like it we don’t.
Describe your palette of sound.
JB : On bass side it is quite simple, i like to keep the low end of it and blend it with more fuzzy sounds to get it a bit dirtier.
Rémi : On the guitar I always try to find the nice ethereal sound that is going to complement the heavy bass riff. Could be with reverb or delay.
Who would you want as a dream producer, and why?
Hakim : Steve Albini for sur. Because I like his work suit.
JB : I personally don't have enough culture about music production.
Rémi : Butch Vig. Because I love so many records he’s been working on as a musician or as a producer. Or Mark Gardener for the same reason.
If you could guest on someone else’s album, who would it be and why? What would you play?
Hakim : Genesis because it's the worst band ever. It would be a great experience to play..nothing. I definetly hate this band.
Rémi : I’d add that drone/fuzzed guitar part on the next Cake album.
What musical skills would you like to acquire or get better at?
Hakim : Playing at the same BPM from the beginning to the end of the song.
JB : I would like to improve my playing in general, and to be able to keep things very simple but exciting and interesting.
Rémi : Everything around mixing, mastering and recording process. I’d like to be able to do very minimalist music.
Which other musician/artist would you date?
Hakim : Taylor Swift because she's cute.
You are from France what are the advantages and inconvenient?
JB : The main inconvenient that pops out is probably that there is not really a big indie scene compared to other countries ; but it might make it easier to be part of it. We recently played a gig opening for Dead Horse One, it might have been more difficult for us to play that night if there was plenty of indie bands available?
Also being in Paris means a lot of distractions outside of music, and this is maybe not the best place for playing live music. But it forces us to be efficient, creative, to find DIY ways to create and not to rely on anybody if we want to move forward quite fast.
What are some places around the world that you hope to play with your band?
Hakim : Wembley. I love big stages.
JB : Brussels.
Rémi : SXSW
When is the next album/EP due?
Rémi : Our plan from the start is quite simple: one release 1st of May, and one 1st of November, every year, forever. So see you 1st of November 2020 for our fourth EP.
Some artists you recommend.
Hakim : Foreigners Society (ok it's one of my bands).
Rémi : Tapeworms, So Many Lines, Dead Horse One.
JB : Bank Myna.
MORE ON THE BAND
Some good interviews on other sites:
Social Media & where to find their music
