Coming from Berlin, Errorr is a new band, filled with distorted guitars and shoegaze-y patterns that contrast beautifully the heavy but steady drumming. Led by Swedish vocalist and guitarist, Leonard Kaage, mostly known for playing guitar for Underground Youth, Errorr is the band in which Kaage takes the lead and moves forward with support from the newly established Anomic Records, which he runs along with also Berlin – based and fellow Greek, Olga Karatzioti.
TFC met with the two of them a few days ago, while they were enjoying their last days in Thessaloniki. We had the chance to talk about Errorr, Anomic Records and to get a little insight into how they are viewing the music industry.
So, as you told us, you have been here for two weeks already! Is there any specific reason you came or you’re just on vacation?
Leo: We are on vacation, but I think we are also interested in spending more time here.We just came to see the city and we also DJed last time we were here, at Residents bar.
Olga: We were supposed to do that again, but obviously now it’s not really working out. So we made our stay a little longer this time, not only for vacation but because it seems that people are more interested in this kind of music. It’s interesting to get to know more people and see if there is a suitable background here to discover, but unfortunately, we were a bit unlucky.
Well, from my experience I do believe that there is a large audience for this type of music and I hope you find it when all this goes away. Now, I want to talk a little about Errorr. Tell me a little about how and when you started.
Leo: Errorr is basically my band. I do sound engineering, like producing bands and stuf. I also record a lot of my own music and I started to have a lot of demo, which I didn’t really know what to do with. Now, with the pandemic, it was easy to focus on a new project, since there were no tours or anything. I would always play with other people and bands, so I was never this front-person. Now, Errorr is my attempt to hold the flag!
Did you start working on the band before or after the pandemic? How did it come about?
Leo: I think I recorded the songs two years ago and I had a lot of them. I had a band before called Jawbones, so it has been in the back of my head for a very long time. However, it seemed like it was never the right time. Now we found the chance to do all that. We have two singles out but there is no prospect of any shows, so we released the 1st single on the 19th of June. I guess that’s the start of a public thing but in my head, it exists for years.
And to my knowledge, the full record is coming next year. Is there a timeline for when we can expect it?
Leo: Well, the record is done, but we have different plans because we are working on the label. EPs or full album are expected pretty soon. Next month we are going to do another single, but we haven’t decided yet exactly when. But it’s definitely going to be in physical form, like vinyl and stuff.
Olga: I mean, you are already working on the second one, so… (laughs).
So there is a lot of future material?
Leo: Basically, yes. I recorded some of the songs like 1,5 years ago and some other songs are older. It took me a lot of time to figure out some sort of direction I wanted to go. Eventually, I had enough songs that fit together and weren’t too spread out musically in many different genres. Out of these songs I picked the ones that I liked most and that fit better for an album.
How did Anomic Records begin?
Olga: It happened simultaneously when Leo was recording his songs last year. I was spending a lot of time in his studio and I just really really loved the songs. I felt like I wanted to do something to support it. Then when he was thinking what to do with a record label, which ones he should go for, we were talking about it. Leo also had the thought of starting a label at the back of his head. So, it felt like there was still something missing in Berlin in this scene, in a way, that we wanted to create. The record label officially started two weeks before Errorr, but I think it was in our minds for a longer time.
Leo: Yeah, I think we’ve been talking about starting a label and the new record just helped us to make the decision. There’s also a few other artists that I work with, who don’t have a label. It was time to find a platform for them and for their kind of music.
What is your experience so far in the music industry? How do you see it, especially in this timeframe, with the pandemic going on?
Leo: When you start something, there are a lot of things you need to understand. I think now it was a good time to do it because normally now I would be on tour for a month, so now it was like “OK, since we can’t really go anywhere, this is the time to focus on this“.
Olga: Yeah and I definitely think that in one way during lockdown it was a good time for us to work. At the same time, it is a bit harder with no concerts.
Leo: And also the music industry is complete chaos right now. Maybe it is the perfect time to do something your way. You can present your art the way you want to present it on the internet. There is also a platform for every kind of music. There is so much music coming out, you don’t need a lot of money to make a record. It is, in many ways, a great time to put things together and be creative. At the same time there is no one controlling the industry, so anybody can put anything out. This, however, might cause several problems.
What do you think of as a “problem”?
Olga: There is Spotify. I think that Spotify is directing you to a different kind of music. So with this music, it’s really hard to break through. At the same time, it’s now how we want to do it. It’s all about how to get on the playlist. We do have a lot of friends working in the industry, doing promotion and they really have given us a lot of tips on how to do it.
But how much of it is the goal, being featured on a playlist? Does this really matter?
Leo: No, and that’s what we are learning. As an artist, you want people to hear you in other ways. Your first goals may be to have a record label or some gigs. However, at the same time, platforms like this are “killing” quality, because people start to expect a particular “recipe” for creating a song that will serve an algorithm. When the chorus is going to kick in, how long it’s going to be. It’s the same with radio and making commercial music doesn’t have anything to do with good music. You can “sell” by following a recipe and sort of putting an album out there that it’s going to “work”. And that’s where Spotify seems to go. You kind of have to have a format that will work, but not necessarily an artistic mind or creativity.
The good thing is you have other options as well. You can promote your Bandcamp, visit other websites, maybe a record shop, buy the vinyl, go to a concert. You don’t necessarily need to follow the commercial standards.
So back in Berlin, was there any kind of pressure that you have to be productive?
Leo: First, it felt good, because I had a list of all the things I had to do. I finished some records with other bands. At some point, though, I realized that it’s not just weeks, this is going to be months and there would be no concerts.
Olga: Having in mind an article by Nick Cave, I didn’t see it that way. It totally depends on how your life was before the lockdown. I just wanted to do those things, because I was working so much and I finally had the time. I didn’t have to go to work and it was really fun waking up in the morning and doing the things I wanted. Yet, when you realize that this will last for long, you just want to socialize.
Has this time changed how you perceive things and write music? Does it feel like you have to change something?
Leo: With the absence of live shows, there is nothing really to look forward to. There is no gig to prepare for and have in mind that you have a few things to do before that. There’s no tour, no traveling, which is OK, but I find it a little uninspiring. For me at least, to be creative, I have to put myself in different situations. I also have to wait, because Errorr, is not this thing that it can work with 6 feet distance in between the audience.
Before closing, I want to ask one question about Underground Youth. What can we expect in the future?
Leo: We just finished a record that will come out next year. We have a lot of plans for that, live shows and tours but still, nobody knows if and when. Everything is very unsure and there is a lot to unpack.
Lastly, any advice for someone who wants to start now and make music?
Leo: Well, definitely don’t listen to what others think. That is still what I do. There’s so much stuff that people will tell you to do a certain way and fit into a certain norm. You only have to be yourself and enjoy doing that. Work as much as possible on it and whatever comes from you, your sound. That is the first thing you have to put out.
Anomic Records also publishes a small magazine, in which they hope to be able to feature interviews and information about other bands they love and want to support. It is not available anywhere to buy, but be on the lookout for it, as they just love to go to places and just distribute it themselves. The second issue will feature our own Psychedelic Trips to Death and don’t worry if you think you might miss it. Leo and Olga are planning to come back to Thessaloniki really soon!
