Forged in 2014, Tinfoil is the collaborative moniker from Irish artists Sunil Sharpe and DeFeKT which, initially started as a studio project but has since gone on to perform live shows across Europe. Over the past four years, Tinfoil have released a string of 12″s on their self-titled label and have gone on to release their debut album ‘On A Roll’ – a cohesive collection of 10 tracks, pulling together their unique blend of techno and electro to form a relentless body of work. The album also features the first appearance of Sunil’s role-playing, haunting lead vocals on ‘Beads’. Ahead of their live performance at 10 Years of Them, Corsica Studios tomorrow, we caught up with Tinfoil to discuss the process behind making ‘On A Roll’, why they perform live over DJ sets and where they hope to see landscape of the music industry in ten years time.
Tinfoil started as a studio project, how did you guys meet and what made you both decide to get into the studio together?
DeFeKT: Well we were always in the studio and just decided one day to work together. It happened very organically.
Sunil: Matt and me used to chat about our own experiences of producing, releasing records and so on. He was starting to do more techno type sequences on his modular that I felt I could add to, so we started jamming and straight away knew we were onto something.
What do you find most beneficial from collaborating?
DeFeKT: Hmm personally it’s putting two different people’s ideas together, and the friction between them that makes the tracks. I learned a lot about my own music from that.
Sunil: Making music that neither of you would have made on your own. Two minds and two pairs of hands are very powerful when put together. It sometimes means we can take on different roles too, especially live. Is like being in a band I guess, which I like.
What is it that draws you to the live format as opposed to DJing? Do you feel that you have more creative freedom?
DeFeKT: They are both different and both have benefits and problems. Of course live has a lot more control tone wise but a good DJ is similar in some ways. A good DJ does not look at the music in a one dimensional way.
Sunil: I enjoy both, but I think live is more unpredictable and if it goes well can be more satisfying than DJing. I love DJing obviously, but there’s a different rush with live. It’s pure, wild energy.
Do you have plans to transform or expand your live show in anyway? Or the Tinfoil project in general?
Sunil: Not really. We make little changes here and there but by and large we play with a fairly compact setup that suits us. We don’t need mountains of gear to achieve what we’re after.
Is there a story behind the album and the meaning of ‘On A Roll’? What sparked the idea?
DeFeKT: I wouldn’t say we had a concept or idea, we just made lots and lots of music that became this album.
Sunil: Yeah, the idea of the album, the name etc, all kinda came later. We filled in a few gaps when we decided it would be an album, but mostly the music was already done. Every fucker is putting out an album these days, I guess we thought we should too!
Why was releasing in an album format, instead of several EPs for example, important for you and the Tinfoil project?
DeFeKT: Well we did lots of EPs with this project and solo, so I think we always wanted to do an album.
Sunil: It was a new challenge, a new milestone. We know what it takes now, and that’ll help us in the future I think. We may approach it very differently next time; having the experience of doing one is a great learning curve for the future.
What was the process behind making the album? Did you go into each studio session with an idea of what you wanted to create or was it improvised?
DeFeKT: No idea just basically jammed for hours and hours and went crazy.
Sunil: We didn’t plan it as an album, but like with our EPs, we make stuff, whittle it down into different tracks and then see what we’re missing. With this we had the guts of two decent records I thought, and by filling in a few gaps, it turned into an album.
There are references to Ireland in some of the track names, do you think growing up there has influenced your sound?
DeFeKT: Well I think no matter where you’re from of course it all influences your music. Maybe not in sound but in mindset.
Sunil: Not sure if growing up here has influenced it exactly. Although we are close to the UK and other countries, I like that we are slightly apart and on our own island. Quite often being from here can act as a disadvantage, I kinda revel in being from Ireland and doing our stuff from here though, this country empowers us for sure. The Irish are perennial underdogs, and I like that. We’re proud of where we’re from and yes, it is reflected on the record.
As the landscape of the music industry continues to change, where would you hope to see it in ten years time?
Sunil: The music industry exists as an ‘industry’ for far less people than it should. I’d like for more of the deserving people to be rewarded for their talent and work. I think most people who imagine or remember better times for music, know that a lot has to change; a lot of that involves stepping back, seeing what did work, and applying it to now. Social media became a necessary evil, but I think as people learn how to control it or phase it out of their lives, we will see improvements in music and more great records again. It’s not to say that there aren’t good records coming out, there are many, but it just seems like we have been in a very ‘distracted’ phase with too much focus on people, brands and general bullshit, rather than the actual music.
I also think music media, the press and all of that, needs a big overhaul. It has stopped being influential or inspiring, because it’s so carefully controlled and agenda-driven now. The music industry has lost the plot a bit and is in need of repair, but it’ll move on somewhere interesting I’m sure.
Aside from that, I just want us to have a healthy global club scene. We have a fight on our hands, and we all need to be more aware of that, and do what we can to preserve and grow what we have.
What was your relationship like with music growing up? Did you go through any phases that have influenced your music now?
DeFeKT: Yeah well the more you grow the more you get into it. I didn’t come out of the womb listening to Kraftwerk anyway!
Sunil: For sure, but with influences etc – they kind of wear off too. I’m sort of at a non-music stage right now, nothing feels so vital, it’s more so how I feel and my mood that influences me. I’d definitely apply that to Tinfoil too. Sometimes we jam when we’re not in the mood and it’s nothing we want to keep. Other times when we’re totally switched on, and it’s our best stuff.
Buy ‘On A Roll’ here