Seksu Roba has been making a lot of noise in LA recently. Their shows are
unique and sexy. Their new album is called Pleasure Vibrations.
****
SFB: When and where did you all meet?
Sukho: We can't remember. Probably a club in LA - Spaceland maybe? Through
our mutual friends, The Ray Makers. About 5 years ago.
SFB: What made you decide to become musicians?
Lun*na: Karaoke
Sukho: I was forced at age 5 to play violin. They made me practice every
damn day. I got real sick of it. But when I got old enough they let me quit
finally and instead of wanting to never play music again I rebelled and got a
guitar because I wanted to play only music I wanted to play.
SFB: Have any of you had any musical training?
Lun*na: Karaoke
Sukho: Private lessons for violin and piano. You don't know the meaning of
the word TEDIUM until you've done this. Especially as a child. IT SUCKS.
SFB: What are some of your musical interests and influences?
Lun*na: 70's Japanese pop
Sukho: Skinny Puppy, George Clinton, Ennio Morricone, Michel LeGrand, YMO,
CAN, Giorgio Moroder, Perrey and Kingsley, Pink Floyd, Throbbing Gristle, Earth
Wind and Fire, Marcos Valle, Cabaret Voltaire, etc...
SFB: When did you record the record "Pleasure Vibrations"?
Lun*na: End of 2002, beginning 2003
Sukho: But some of it started way before that. We did some songs live for a
long time before finally recording them.
SFB: Your songs are about the body and feelings. Why?
Lun*na: Those are two reasons we all live.
SFB: How important is the Theremin to your music?
Sukho: Theremin is really important to Seksu Roba. I don't know if we would
be where we are right now without it. Theremin is great for live shows
because it's very uncommon to see anyone actually playing songs or notes - that's
been a very conscious effort on my part to be try and be able to do that. I
wanted to see someone play theremin for years and years and only saw people
making noises with it. So I finally decided I had to try myself otherwise I
really would never see anyone play it. It gets people's attention that's for sure.
I also want to use it more in our recordings and for writing because it's
pretty much uncharted territory. How many songs can you name that were written
for Theremin??? A handful maybe?
SFB: Is it true that you prefer to play dance clubs or rock clubs?
Sukho: We'll play wherever someone asks us to play and there are people who
might appreciate something actually different from anything else they've seen
before. Sometimes rock clubs are more open-minded. Sometimes dance clubs are
more open-minded. Sometimes nobody is open-minded.
SFB: How often do you tour and how many shows do you play on a typical tour?
Sukho: We don't tour a lot. We're touring soon the Pacific Northwest and
then the Midwest, and we did some shows in New York. But we're not really the
kind of band that can go on the road playing every single rock n roll toilet in
the country. Hopefully someday there will be a demand for us to play out
more. Touring Europe is fun, especially Italy!
SFB: Do you think a lot about fashion or what you wear onstage?
Lun*na: Doesn't exist without it.
Sukho: I let Lun*na think about it and decide what we should wear because
ultimately she envisions, designs, and manufactures everything herself. She's a
very industrious type of artist.
SFB: Have you played in Japan?
Lun*na: Never
SFB: Who put together the new DVD?
Sukho: I confess I edited everything. But various anonymous people shot all
the footage of live shows.
SFB: What are your fans like?
Lun*na: Sound maniac and fashion conscious people.
Sukho: We get all kinds of people complimenting us and coming back to see us.
Indie rock types, dance club types, scientists, music critics, dj's, retail
store workers, hip hop fans, heavy metal fans, stereotypes, non-stereotypes,
all kinds...
SFB: What books do you like?
Lun*na: Boris Vian "Foam of the Daze"
Sukho: Serge Gainsbourg "Eugenie Sokolov"
SFB: What films do you like?
Lun*na: Any John Waters, Doris Wishman, 70's black action movies.
Sukho: Early 20's, 30's animation done by people who thought cinema could
actually be art - wow what a concept! 30's, 40's Hollywood studio system stuff,
40's-50's independent studio noir, late 60's early 70's psychedelia and
exploitation, giant monster films, and anything else that's totally original and
amazing like "Underground" by Emir Kusturica or "Holy Mountain" by Jodorowsky, or
"Fantastic Planet" by Laloux.
SFB: Are there any other bands that you like?
Sukho: We wish there were more current bands that we like. It sounds really
snobby to say that but it's just really true and honest. There are some
though - Adult., Peaches, The Lovemakers, DJ Me DJ You, Crack (We Are Rock),
Captain Ahab, My Barbarian. Most of these bands are "local" bands but those are the
kinds of bands that we physically can see on a regular basis and enjoy and
can have a relationship with.
SFB: You chose to play songs by Jimmy Webb and Kevin Shields. Why so?
Sukho: A beautiful song is a beautiful song. It's our little tribute to
these great pieces and their creators. Hopefully we can offer a different take or
perspective on their work and bring our own sensitivity into it so that the
song can maybe be re-born?
SFB: Who are the other singers on the record.
Sukho: Friends in the LA "scene". They have their own projects but they took
time to work with us. Lady P is Chilean and is in a band called Los
Abandoned. Terryn Westbrook is working on solo material with Brad Laner, DJ's, and is
also singing for Photocall, with Eli-173.
SFB: What is your live show like?
Lun*na: Live theremin, video projection, costume changes, nunchuk dancing,
wigs, 7 foot tall dancing robot with big dick, etc...
SFB: What do you plan to do in 2004?
Sukho: We have some fairly radical changes and suprises in the works. The
only way to find out is to keep an eye on us. Maybe check our website someday
and see what's going on? (www.seksuroba.com)
An interview with Seksu Roba
by Alexander Laurence & Keith Martin
Photography by Keith Martin
