On Sunday we met up with Simon Littauer from Broke, and talked about music, desires and a boat party.
Mads Bergland and Simon Littauer found each other in 2010 and started their band Broke. They came up with the name because they where at that time both broke according to money and education like so many other of their crisis-torn generation. Now they are playing their music, which is said to have “electronic beats brewed from kraut rock, disco and post punk in a steaming acid bath full of unhealthy fumes.”
Broke is inspired by dark punk and rock ’n’ roll. They listen to a lot of modern music to keep developing and finding inspiration in new music. When they write new music in their studio, they prefer writing at night in the darkness, where they feel creativity has the best flow. Their music is based on what they currently are experiencing and feeling in the studio together.
1. How and why did you start playing music?
S.T.: Simon and Mads knew each other from Aarhus, where they both grew up. After they had moved to Copenhagen, they met at a party in 2010 on Simons’ houseboat. Simon played the number: “Sunday Morning” by Stimming who is an artist from Hamburg. They both loved the sound of the number, and wanted to start a band together that could capture the same magic as this number. In the beginning they played rock, and from then they went on developing their music into a mix of rock and electronic club sound.
2. What would you like people to feel and think when they listen to your music?
S.T.: We want the listener to feel something. We want them to have a reaction to the music. When people listen to our music we hope they can let go, loosen up and maybe open up for some things they normally would not. We want them to feel inspired and see the world from their body’s point of view.
3. Which one of your own songs are your favourite and why?
S.T.: I like all we have released and are playing. The most suitable song for Roskilde this year was “Let the youth go mad” where Mø is co-starring.
4. What does Roskilde Festival mean to you?
S.T.: Roskilde is my favourite festival. We just played at Fusion festival last week, which is the most beautiful festival. But at Roskilde you are definitely there for the music. They are very good at booking for the festival. There are always so many great bands I want to see.
5. What is your favourite festival memory?
S.T.: Last year on the last day of the festival where I really had been looking forward to see Santigold and Björk, we went to search for air mattresses and found around forty. We decided to make a big air mattress castle and throw a huge party. So many random, funny people showed up. I didn’t get to see the concerts but still I had the best night and a great memory.
6. What are you expecting from your Roskilde performance this year?
S.T.: This year we played in bright daylight, and that was a bit odd because we are inspired by the night time, the instincts and secrets which are related to the darkness and twilight. But the audience went crazy, and that totally made up for the daylight.
8. What band are you looking forward to see the most at Roskilde festival this year?
S.T.: We saw Sigur Rós last night, and it was a fantastic concert. We both love the new album.
Exclusive Video Premier for Brokes’ new music video “Some Evening”:
http://noisey.vice.com/de/you-
Text / Interview / Photos: Christina Kousgaard / Nanna Rosenfeldt-Olsen
