The Abbasi Brothers Interview

by Vinh on March 25th, 2009

Ambient duo The Abbasi Brothers released one of the most overlooked albums of 2008 with Something Like Nostalgia, a sinuous, vaguely familiar stroll by city streets at midnight. Distant albeit palpable, the record is among our favorite instrumental works in quite some time. The twosome was gracious enough to answer a few of our questions recently regarding its debut, influences, time in the studio, and much more.

Before we get started, please state your name and role in the band for our readers.

Amman Abbasi. I am half of The Abbasi Brothers.

After months spent with Something Like Nostalgia, I can only name a handful of the tracks for the album has always struck me as one engrossing journey. A recent comparable in that respect would be The Cinematic Orchestra’s Ma Fleur insofar as each song seems to seamlessly transition into the next. Is this fluidity a trait you strived for during the recording process? If so, how did you go about achieving it?

Something Like Nostalgia took two years to take its form. We never really had any intention of ever really releasing the music. So we had plenty of time to just work on the craft.

The record harbors a late night, almost cinematic feel. Is this ambiance one you intended to cultivate or did it play itself out naturally?

I would say a little bit of both. Most of our tracks are for a soundtrack for a film that’s in our head. Then again, sometimes we do it the other way around.

The album’s title Something Like Nostalgia suits the songs incredibly well, as each number conjures vague and distant memories we may have never even had. Why did you guys decide on that name? Were there other interesting possibilities?

There were a few possibilities for other album names, but Something Like Nostalgia wasn’t really a title. It was a description so we went with that.

I also read that there was some deliberation regarding the artwork. What led you to choose the art as we see it today?

We had other options for album artwork but ultimately we decided to use our own photography because we felt it represented the music a little better.

As an artist and listener, what role does artwork play in your enjoyment of music?

Music and visuals are intertwined. They are one and the same in our eyes. So yeah, it plays a big deal. Haha.

How was your time in studio? Did you learn anything you might put to use on future Abbasi Brothers releases?

Going into the studio was lots of fun but a lot of hard work too. We had a great producer who had worked with Radiohead and DJ Shadow, so that really helped with the process. We believe working in a studio is a lot more productive and recently we have grown attached to some nice analog gear. So look out for that…maybe?

A few of the record’s song titles seem to concern fairly specific topics, namely ‘Stacy’s Day Parade’, ‘The Social Evening (In 1992)’, and ‘Mr. Boe’. Are these figures/events real or merely fictional entries in the album’s narrative?

Each song had a specific meaning to us when we made them, and the represent something to us. At the same time, we know that everyone has different meaning they attach to songs. Well we know we do that when we listen to our favorite bands.

Where nostalgia is concerned, a band like Boards Of Canada taps into it by use of field recordings of children playing (reinforced by Music Has The Right’s cover art). How did you attempt to convey this sentiment?

We have always been fascinated with sound textures. Actually more like obsessed with it. Its like the color in a painting, it really determines the outcome of the piece. So for Something Like Nostalgia, we messed around a lot with field recordings and also sat down and meticulously tweaked textures.

Since the notion of the past is now on the table, when did you realize music was important to you? Was there a particular song/album/artist that sparked this passion?

Music has been an integral part of our life. It really has shaped us in many ways. We really pay homage to our influences, but we attribute our passion to music as a whole not a particular artist or album.

While some songwriters turn inward for inspiration, others look outward. Have your surroundings affected your art? If so, in what capacity?

A lot of our music is subconscious. What I mean is we love observing. Observing everything, and in effect it comes out in weird ways in our music. Does that make sense?

Absolutely. When perusing your influences, I stumbled upon a list of films. Lost In Translation is among them and frankly, it seems like a near perfect match for your tunes. Would movie soundtracks be a venture you wish to explore at some point?

People ask us this question a lot and thanks, that movie is really good. Actually we are scoring a few things. Look out for them.

What bearing if any does film have on your creative process?

Again, being visual artists also, Visuals and specifically film are the primary influence when it comes to our music. We would like to think that our songs are not just songs but stories as well.

As predictable as this next question is, the answers are always quite interesting. What are your favorite albums and why?

I don’t have any favorite albums that come to mind right now, but I do know they are ever changing.

We hear a new record is already in the works. Is there anything you can tell us about it? How will it differ from Something Like Nostalgia?

There is a new album already in the works. Actually we are pretty close to wrapping up. So the release will be right around the corner. What I can say about it though, it will be somewhat of a departure from the first.

Thanks again for doing this. Any parting words for our readers?

You guys are very cool!

Interview conducted by Vinh Cao