You may not have heard about them before but their music is going to make it to your hearts. They are slowly taking over the British electronic-pop scene; we are talking about the talented duo that is ready to make some noise in India, Cherrie and Hal, best known by their stage name Ooberfuse.
The duo will be performing in India at the festival that is famous for bringing in the emerging artistes of Asia on one platform, New Wave Asia 2017. Interestingly, Ooberfuse happens to be the only non-Asian act to perform at the festival.
In conversation with Radioandmusic, the duo talks about their musical journey, collaborative plans with Indian artiste, NWA and more. Excerpts.
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Tell us something about Ooberfuse. What is your music like?
Ooberfuse is a fusion of electronica and electro-acoustic with an east-meets-west feel. Our songs are audio footprints left behind by people impelled towards invisible things.
BBC 6 Music describes our sounds as ‘classy well-made pop’ and Guardian Music says it’s ‘odd and disquieting’.
Why the name Ooberfuse?
We initially called ourselves Fuse but found that friends and fans could not find us on the web. We were un-google-able. So, Cherrie thought of adding the word ‘uber’ in front of the word fuse, and change the ‘U’ to ‘OO’. It’s meant to convey an intense fusion of east and west, electronic and acoustic, heaven and earth.
When did you seal the New Wave Asia (NWA) deal? What is your idea of concerts in India? Have you been a part of any Indian festivals before?
Earlier this year we were in Mumbai as part of an official UK music mission. During one of the events, we met the organisers and that’s when we heard about the festival. This will be our first experience of an Indian festival and we are so excited to listen to the newest sounds from India and Asia.
Tell us a bit about your NWA set?
The set journeys through a wide range of human emotions from the sacred to the social. We will be performing some of our latest songs like One Reality, Why oh Why and also some older tracks such as Vanish The Night and Freedom From Fear. We really hope people of India connect with our music.
You released Never Give Up last month, how is the response? Will it be a part of your NWA act?
The response has been fantastic so far. We were in South Korea last month where we performed a concert for Sofar Sounds and Amnesty International to help highlight the plight of refugees. We also did a show for a great charity called Teach North Korean Refugees. The single has been voted as a Fresh Fave in one of UK’s leading music blogs so that was a nice surprise. BBC 6 (Tom Robinson) called our music video “moving” and “lovely”.
Yes, it will be a part of our NWA act and we can’t wait to perform it live for the first time in India.
How does the process of making a song work for you as a team? Who writes the lyrics and who composes the song?
It’s different for each song; there is no set rule for us. We both compose music and lyrics. For example, for Never Give Up, Cherrie came up with the melody, words and the first verse of the song immediately. This was last year when we were on tour in Seoul, South Korea. For our song, We Are One. Hal came up with some music one morning, and Cherrie ended up writing the top line and all the lyrics to the song all on the same day.
Are there any acts at NWA fest that you are looking forward to?
We have been checking out the music from the acts that will be playing and there’s so much exciting music. We like iblinkwhenithink, Dr Eggs, Hibari, Enkore and many others. We have played with JVNR already in Korea and are collaborating with him on a new track so we are looking forward to playing that live in India.
Also Read: Experience some of the emerging Asian sounds at New Wave Asia 2017
You are a duo but, have you ever felt the need to add more members and create a band?
The latest innovations in music technology have allowed artistes to do many of the things. In the past, only a band with an army of sound technicians could achieve those things. Who would have thought 10 years ago that an Ed Sheeran could captivate a stadium crowd with just a battered half-size acoustic guitar? Looper stations, drum machines, harmonisers and more have empowered musicians to breathe life into their creations without the need to conscript a large entourage.
A lot of international artistes have been collaborating with Indian artiste. Do you have any such plans during your India visit?
Yes! Absolutely! We will be in India looking to collaborate with Indian artistes.
Will you be in India only for the fest or you’d be extending your stay to explore the country musically and culturally?
We will be in India only for the fest but will be back again very soon, hopefully for collaborations, gigs, and also to do more exploration.
Is there anything that has fascinated you about India?
We love the people we’ve met and the spirituality, big hearts and generosity of new friends.
