Fur Coat has dropped their new artist album ‘Polyphony’ on RENAISSANCE last Friday and When We Dip had Sergio, one of the two minds behind the project, give us a few words on it as well as on their current moment and other projects.
‘Polyphony’ is a term specifically chosen by Fur Coat to emphasise the celebratory concept behind their new album. “Firstly, poly means many, and we are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year,” explains Sergio, “so it was important we reflected that milestone in some way. Beyond that, we wanted to create a project with many layers that captures the perfect spectrum, ranging from experimental sounds through to more familiar dancefloor tracks. Whether blending a cinematic feeling, infectious groove, indie vocal or slower BPM electronica, we used multiple layers and patterns to create a textured, forward thinking soundscape. ‘Polyphony’ really does say it all in a single word.”
Being enlightened by the man on this awesome concept behind the album, it’s time we have Sergio let us know a little more about what they’re up…
WWD: Congratulations on the album, it sounds brilliant! Could you share some of the interesting ‘backstage’ moments of the production period? Or maybe some of the feelings that this working time evokes… How do you feel about it all? We are guessing it might have been intense due to this whole isolation period we’ve had… It was a tough time for many people, but would you consider it was positive creativity-wise?
FUR COAT (Sergio): Hi! Thanks for the compliments on the album. I’m really happy with the result of this project, as this was arranged to start being produced before this whole craziness started. So, the first stage of production was around October/November 2019, but I already had a clear mind on how I wanted the album to sound and the collaborations I wanted on board of the album. I can say inspiration was there even though the pandemic changed all our touring plans. Creativity-wise it was, in a way, positive, as I could reach the studio each day and didn´t feel tired or influenced by touring. Also, the collaborations were pretty easy to do via Dropbox, as all the ones involved live in different countries. But I can say it all came together nicely.
WWD: The remixes so far have also been incredible… Remarkable works from Tim Green and Johannes Brecht! Can you guys share some other names who’ve had the honor of being asked an upcoming remix?
FUR COAT (Sergio): Thanks! Both of them were producers we had in mind. We are really happy with the turn they gave into both tracks. We have another pack of remixes that we will announce soon!
WWD: It has been quite a few releases on Renaissance already, we guess it’s safe to say that there’s a nice partnership between you guys and the label, is that right? How did this partnership come about?
FUR COAT (Sergio): Yes, definitely, we have built a nice bond with Renaissance. This is a legendary label and we are honored to be part of the family. The project really started with a demo we sent and from there it became a remix, followed by the whole album project. The label definitely fits our melodic sound, as well as being a platform with all the formats for our music to be released, and with a very open mind in what comes to respecting the vision of us artists and our idea behind the whole album concept.
WWD: Speaking of labels… Oddity has definitely been one the most prolific labels of 2020 and certainly among the best for the lovers of melodic techno… Have you seen an increase on both quantity and quality of the demos you guys received on recent times? The releases have been great and we’ve premiered some of them here.
FUR COAT (Sergio): Again, thanks for the nice words. Oddity has been a project we invested a lot of time, thinking and working behind it. After slowly building up, we have reached a point where we have a lot of artists trusting our work and we are really happy of having on board. Regarding quality it has always been the same, we take care of each release and who gets on board, and no detail is left behind from the originals, remixes, artwork, mastering and all you can think about. We have received so many good music and been able to choose so many great artists to work with, that I think this year we doubled our release schedule compared to previous years. This is not something we planned, but something that organically grew into this. Now we have music signed ahead until the first quarter of 2021!
WWD: If you had to put into words, how would you describe the music concept that led to the creation of Oddity?
FUR COAT (Sergio): As the words says it, Odd, but in a good way. This unique piece of music created by artists that can relate to our curated taste for the label and our sets. Each release has to be special either if it’s a V.A or an EP. It really has to stand out at least to our vision. Although EPs and the sounds generally bring melodic elements, we try to search for new sounds and things that have their staple. Also, when signing an EP, we don’t close ourselves to 4×4 tracks as we try to showcase each artist spectrum. As you know, we created Oddity not only to have a platform for ourselves to release our music, but to support new and stablished artists whose music we relate to.
WWD: As for the upcoming talents and aspiring producers out there… What would you say it takes to impress you guys and have a track released on Oddity? What do you expect when you’re doing the A&R thing?
FUR COAT (Sergio): I always tell the artists that send demos, that this isn’t about having a name to impress or having a bomb track. For me, a demo has to have something unique that reminds me of the artist I’m listening to. You could belong or produce under a genre and even get inspired by another artist, but the most important is to be yourself and don’t limit yourself to recreate a sound, or to think if it sounds like us or fits in. Creating under a music genre doesn’t mean strictly to have the same sounds or style as other producers. Keep the melodic elements and vibe, but always search for that unique and strange synth that blows my mind or that hooky melody I can´t get out of my head!
WWD: Growing up you guys lived in Venezuela, is that right? Is the culture of the country supportive of the development of electronic music talents such as yourselves?
FUR COAT (Sergio): Yes, we were born and raised in Venezuela. This is a great country with lots of talent, that either still live there or people that left the country because of the political and economic situation over the past 20 years. Since the ‘90s, electronic music DJs have toured here. People love electronic music there, and there is a scene with people wanting to make the best out of the situation they live in.
WWD: Can you describe some of your earliest music memories? Any special moment you remember that helped create this bond between the music and you? Please tell us a bit about how your connection with music started…
FUR COAT (Sergio): In my case, most of my early musical influence, and first experience as DJ, was from my dad who DJed as a hobby. It wasn’t until later in school with friends that we started listening to electronic music mix CDs that I got more interested in this. Later, going out clubbing and knowing how to DJ, I started DJing locally and this led to music production. So, during my early years of University I decided to work on becoming a full time DJ and producer, whilst finishing my journalist career. Israel comes from owning clubs in Venezuela, and being a DJ, and after his first trip to Ibiza, it was something that clicked on him on being a DJ full time.
WWD: We know you guys are based in Barcelona, a city which we also know, provides great artistic inspiration and is naturally very effusive (especially in the summer). Do you think the atmosphere of the city brings positive impact on your work, both as producers and DJs?
FUR COAT (Sergio): I think moving to Europe really changed the way of living, especially in Barcelona, where it has become a DJ hub and has a really important clubbing and festival scene. More than those facts, inspiration comes from daily life, travelling and probably from many things. For me, it’s my favorite city in the world, as it does have an artistic vibe, and some many great artists in all other fields have either lived here, created or enjoy the city.
WWD: In the city, is there any special place (or places) you guys like to go in order to maybe find some additional inspiration?
FUR COAT (Sergio): Not really a specific place. I think its just about going out enjoying the city and you come back inspired home, either from having a walk around the neighborhood or having a coffee. It clears my mind. We both live close to the beach, so that’s also a good walk to have some headspace and reset.
WWD: Looking past this difficult pandemic time… What are your greatest desires and expectations for this ending of 2020 and beginning of 2021?
FUR COAT (Sergio): The biggest expectation, achievement and goal was putting out this album. Of course, as with everyone, we are really looking forward to going back to playing music as it’s one of the things we enjoy doing the most, from road-testing the music, sharing with people, flying to cities we know and new places, and just getting back to that touring DJ life. Although, this has changed everything, it’s really interesting how the future of clubbing and when we will be able to return safely to dance. There are so many people, from us to all the ones involved in making a show happening who are suffering the impact of this economically. So, our desire is to be able to work as soon as possible in the right conditions, hopefully with the vaccine, and so people don’t have to worry any more about this pandemic.
WWD: Thank you very much!
Fur Coat ‘Polyphony’ is out now on Renaissance. Buy here.
Words by Gabriel Gonzalez