Artist Spotlight | Get to Know Berlin Duo Strange Souvenirs
Strange Souvenirs blend influences from ’80s new wave, ’90s trip hop & shoegaze, and post-millennial electronica & indie with science fiction soundtracks, video games and nuggets of nerd culture into a schizoid selection of danceable, delicate and disorienting songs. The band has just released their memorable single ‘Nothing2’. One half of the duo is Thomas Juhnke, and the other is Matthias Juhnke, who we are talking to today…
What’s the music scene like in Berlin? We’ve always wanted to go!
Berlin has a super diverse music scene, teeming with tonnes of different artists from just about everywhere. It’s actually quite overwhelming and hard to not go under. But we’re kinda underground anyway, so going under is probably par for the course. There’s so much music and visual stimuli being produced, lots of really good stuff, it’s a veritable digital downpour and it’s tough to stay afloat.
What’s a typical day in the studio like for you?
We go in with a lot of different demos, eclectic and more accessible things, all in varying degrees of completion, and then we kind of see which ones to keep on the normal path and which ones get to run away with the circus.
Do you and your brother have the same musical taste? We’re guessing so!
Yeah probably 80% similar tastes. I personally go for some of the more outlier, weirdo stuff and love when things take a turn for the stranger…
If you had to describe the genre of your music what would you say?
Indiecandescent pop/an electronic smoothie blended with vintage indie, garnished with a sprig of new wave.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Cameron Laing, our producer and creative collaborator has introduced us to the wonderful world of scotch. Guinness in a can with that CO2 ball comes in a close second.
Any parting words—what have you got coming up?
First: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us about our music. It really means a lot to us! Second: In October 2021 we’re releasing an album called Spontaneous Mutation which features 12 strange outings that shapeshifted their way into this world between 2019 and 2021. It’s gonna be delicate, danceable and disorienting. All the best, Tom & Matt.
You can stream ‘Nothing2’ from Strange Souvenirs in all the usual places now.
