Mumbai Science

The Lektroluv duo face the challenge of our quick-fire Q&A, in which they reveal the importance of red wine and voice recorders, then recount the tale of a cringeworthy gig to a small but appreciative audience.

Why music?

Jonas Kiesekoms: It has the power to change moods. And if a song is really good it can even change you physically.

Maarten Elen: Everybody is moved by music at least once in a while. What’s not to love about music?

If you weren’t making music what would you be doing?

Maarten: Still doing experimental research in consumer psychology at university.

Jonas: Yeah, probably the same. Trying to find out why people buy stuff.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Jonas: Someone told me to read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Maarten: “Don’t be an idiot.” My teachers.

What inspires you?

Jonas: Relationships between people. Love, hate, boredom. Partying together or alone.

Maarten: Doing absolutely nothing. Letting your mind wander. I read somewhere that we get the best ideas during trivial activities, like walking, doing the dishes, sitting on the toilet, etc. It’s true for me.

What’s the next big thing?

Jonas: Virtual everything. People won’t need to leave their houses any more.

Maarten: I still think people will always crave real social contact. Partying just won’t be the same if it’s just you in your apartment with some disco lights.

Best club experience?

Jonas: Womb in Tokyo. One of our best gigs ever!

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

Maarten: I worked in a factory once, inside a cooler, doing the same thing all day long.

How do you know when a track’s finished?

Jonas: When I tell Maarten to stop working on it because I really want to release it!

Maarten: It’s never finished.

When did you realise you could give up your day job?

Maarten: About a year ago when we ran out of days off.

Jonas: We had to choose between touring Australia or keeping our day jobs. Easy choice.

Which song do you wish you wrote?

Maarten: Chemical Brothers – ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’

Jonas: Major Lazer – ‘Get Free’

What’s the easiest way to make it in the music industry?

Jonas: I don’t think there’s an easy way. Everybody has a great shot nowadays by using all the available tools on the internet, but that means there are a lot more people trying to make it.

Maarten: It might be easier to make it to the top but it’s way harder to stay there.

What’s the worst track you’ve ever released?

Maarten: Probably a track under one of our obscure pseudonyms which we will never reveal.

Recommend us a film.

Maarten: The Big Lebowksi

Jonas: American Psycho

Recommend us a book.

Maarten: Haruki Murakami – The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Jonas: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

What or who is underrated?

Jonas: Lingerie football.

Maarten: The Belgian national soccer team.

What or who is overrated?

Jonas: Fully dressed football.

Maarten: The Dutch national soccer team.

What are you addicted to?

Jonas: Time management.

What do you lust over?

Jonas: Food, wine and women.

What’s the worst gig you’ve ever played?

Jonas: A few years ago we played a party with three rooms. Our room only had one guy dancing. He was awesome but I prefer a few more people.

Maarten: That guy was also really pissed off we didn’t play some of our peak time tracks.

Strangest place you ever wrote a track?

Jonas: In a hotel bathroom.

Collaboration: rich creative experience or pain in the ass?

Jonas: 90% of the time it’s a pain in the ass! Especially with Maarten.

If you could only listen to one more track, what would it be?

Maarten: Louis Armstrong – ‘What A Wonderful World’

Jonas: NWA – ‘Straight Outta Compton’

What one piece of software/kit could you not do without?

Jonas: My voice recorder for if I get inspired at unexpected times. Like in a hotel bathroom.

Maarten: My coffee machine.

Art or money?

Jonas: Money through art.

What’s your single biggest frustration in the music industry?

Jonas: I would love some more efficiency.

Maarten: People who value the status of the artist over the music (s)he makes.

Favourite label?

Jonas: Lektroluv! Whatever crazy plan we come up with, they support us and help us any way they can.

Maarten: Agreed. Apart from Lektroluv: Bromance, Boysnoize Records, Turbo and Dirtybird.

What’s the worst thing about making music?

Maarten: Getting stuck. The longer you work on a track, the harder it gets. It’s really hard to get out of that negative spiral sometimes.

Jonas: When we run out of red wine and we need to go to a store to get more.

What’s your motto?

Maarten: “Free your mind and your ass will follow.”

Jonas: “It’s not about style, it’s about feeling.”

Tweet us a tip. What’s the best production advice you can give in 140 characters or less?

Jonas: RTFM

Mumbai Science’s Unite EP is released on October 1st on Lektroluv. Find Mumbai Science on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud and their website.