Dry-pulsing beats, hyper-literal lyrics, and ethereal female vocals… it’s hard not to imagine oneself driving down Mulholland when you listen to Minimal Schlager. Fran Parisi develops minimal beats with grinding bass synths; as his sister Alicia whispers, screams and chants on top. Together the music becomes something that blends industrial, psychedelics and confessional storytelling.
FACTS:
1: Space-time tells matter how to move; matter tells space-time how to curve
2: Loved doing the Fireworks video with Eddie Argos. There was no color correction on his face. Here’s my appreciation for his absolute dedication to the craft.
3: “Black as midnight on a moonless night.”
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Anything that makes me feel something extreme. Even when the music sings things I totally disagree with, I cannot conceive music without a feeling that takes me to extremes.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I guess I always was into music. Sounds always made me feel that they carry you to a certain place or moment. I bought my first guitar when I was 15 and learnt all the Oasis songs and played them terribly.
Then for some years I barely played, and after a few bad decisions in life I started playing again and decided to do this full-time.
3. What are 5 of your favourite works of all time?Vivaldi – The Four Seasons
That’s a hard one, my taste changes everyday. Right now I’d say:
– Kid A by Radiohead
– LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem
– Clics modernos by Charly García
– Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
– Omega by Enrique Morente and Lagartija Nick
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
The feeling I had my first time in Berlin is that I could breathe freedom. That feeling has vanished a bit away since all these lockdowns started, but I believe it’s still there.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
Right now, the sunsets at Tempelhofer Feld.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
I would be a chef. Christ, I love food.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
Musique originale de films by Ahmed Malek.
He was like the Ennio Morricone of Algeria, but groovier and sexier. Great to listen to with dimmed red lights.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I just like to work and play with people I can learn from, people that can help me search more into it. And this not only applies to a studio environment.
That’s why I write songs with my sister Alicia, why I asked Olga Karatzioti to join us live and help me with producing videos or why we are releasing our songs on Duchess Box Records.
The whole idea of Minimal Schlager is based upon collaborating. Where’s the fun if you can’t share it?
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
The gig we played last year at Kesselhaus for Synästhesie Festival was the one I’ve enjoyed the most, we were on fire.
As a spectator, one of the most intense gigs I’ve ever experienced was Yann Tiersen in 2009 in Barcelona. That’s one of the craziest music I’ve ever seen live.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
It helps, but without it I think I’d still be working almost the same way.
I have zero technique, never studied music. So I just follow my intuition and taste with whatever I have available.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
She sings with me ;)
Photo © Klara Johanna Michel
