Krumple Krink
Photo by: Eva Burkhardt @forevaart_music
Blending elements of psych, indie, pop & rock, Perth-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Krumple Krink has released his newest track titled ‘Connected To Disconnection’. Recorded at his home studio in Perth, and produced entirely by himself, Krumple Krink has layered multiple tracks of instrumentation before teaming up with Rob Grant of Poons Head Studios (Tame Impala, POND) who handled the mixing and mastering for the song Krink himself describes as “the sound of a goblin and a robot having a one night stand in the back of the International Space Station”. We spoke to Krumple to ask him about his creative process involving a sock (think RHCP), the challenges of recording at home and the legal loop hole he needs to have a monkey running around on stage.
Your music is described as psychedelic and escapist. Do you agree with these labels? how do you describe your sound?
I’d like to think that it sounds psychedelic. To someone who’s never heard my music, I’d probably describe it as the sound of a goblin and a robot having a one night stand in the back of the International Space Station. My goal is to create a truly unique sound that has not been done before and cannot be replicated. I want to take my sound right up to the edge of what’s listenable, to the border of being pleasant and uncomfortable.
You have just released your new song ‘Connection To Disconnection’ Tell us about your new song. What does it mean to you?
To me the meaning of this song can be found in the way it sounds as a whole, rather than the lyrics or any individual element. There is a phenomenon known as “frisson”, which is when music induces chills in the listener. I wouldn’t say that this song causes feelings of frisson, because that usually comes from softer, more delicate music. To me this song is about creating a similar feeling, but replacing the chills with a feeling of being aurally overwhelmed and having your ears blasted into another world. That feeling is the meaning of the song to me - the feeling of being overwhelmed to the point of disconnecting for a second, temporarily dissociating from the world through the sound.
What was the creative/writing process for this song?
I wanted the song to have a funky tone to it, reminiscent of RHCP. To achieve this, I first stripped into nothing but a single sock, before mapping out the drums, main guitar part, bass line and lead vocal melody. Now it sounded super funky and radio-friendly, but I wanted to make it sound more original and ‘Krumple Krinky’, so I decided to add in some more layers to create the goblin-robot texture of sound. To do this I first removed the sock, before adding more vocal harmonies, more guitar parts with different tones and rhythms, and finally synthesisers over the top to finish creating the soundtrack to a strange, but captivating animation scene that you can’t seem to take your eyes off.
“In visual terms, I’d describe this as the moment that an alien walrus walks into the back of the International Space Station, and the robot and goblin both jump up in shock, before inviting the walrus to join in”
Do you have a favourite line or part of ‘Connected To Disconnection’?
It’s got to be the instrumental part of the song that happens straight after the second chorus and leads into the outro. I find the rhythm of this bit interesting and it feels like it brings the song back to the world after going off in the tangent of the chorus. In visual terms, I’d describe this as the moment that an alien walrus walks into the back of the International Space Station, and the robot and goblin both jump up in shock, before inviting the walrus to join in.
You recorded the song in a home studio, did this create any challenges you weren’t anticipating?
With the ‘unlimited’ studio time at my disposal due to the fact that I’m recording at home, I can sometimes go overboard with ideas, end up spending time on unnecessary things, and record way more takes than necessary. This makes it hard to manage time and makes the whole process take a lot longer than it has to be. It’s also harder to fine-tune the sound when recording myself because I can’t fiddle around with the sound settings and play the instrument at the same time. This makes the process of dialling in a specific sound a much lengthier and difficult process. However, with my unorthodox recording techniques, it was probably for the better that I recorded at home.
“If you like to challenge yourself with different kinds of music, that are completely out the box from what you normally listen to, then this EP is something you should look out for!”
Is this song a stand-alone track or is this part of an album concept that is still to come? can we expect an album/ when is the album out?
This song is part of an EP that I’ve recorded, I’m going to finish releasing it next year while I finish up some new music. If you like to challenge yourself with different kinds of music, that are completely out the box from what you normally listen to, then this EP is something you should look out for!
Can fans look forward to Krumple Krink live appearances anywhere soon?
You can catch me playing at pubs around Perth for now, just keep an eye out for the flashing KRUMPLE KRINK neon sign. The real KRUMPLE KRINK live experience is not quite finished yet. I’m putting a lot of thought into the production of this. I want the live show to be completely unimaginably different to anything you’ve ever experienced before and so I’m taking my time so that I can properly address all aspects of the show. The show will have awesome lighting, visuals, props and hopefully if I can find a legal loophole, a monkey that will run amuck on stage and into the crowd.
“COVID kind of decided my fate of staying in Australia”
You started your musical career off by Busking and being an Instrumentalist in London, when and why did you decide to move to Australia?
I actually started off my music here in Perth where I busked and played pub gigs throughout school. As soon as I finished high school I moved to London so that I could experience a busier place, which worked well for the busking. After 8 months over there I returned to Perth for what I expected to be a 4 month visit, but once COVID hit I ended up stuck here - probably for the best. So COVID kind of decided my fate of staying in Australia.
Was there a reason why you chose Perth as opposed to one of the East Coast cities with more of a music scene?
My family moved to Perth when I was young so I never really chose Perth but I’m incredibly thankful that Perth is where I’ve ended up. I’ve thought of touring over east but am quite happy in Perth. I once heard and resonated with the idea of Perth being described as the perfect place for music, the way of life is very comfortable and it’s very spread out. This is good both physically (I can produce music loudly without my sound invading too many neighbours) and also metaphorically (Music sounds better when it has some depth to it and takes up more space). Perth is also in the middle of nowhere, disconnected from the rest of the world. So I guess “Connected To Disconnection” alludes to my living situation based on my location in the world, disconnected and in our own little bubble.
“Poons Studios pays less attention to conventional norms and what will be viewed as ‘cool’ by world but rather aims to create new, unique styles of music”
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout-out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
Rob Grant from Poons Head Studios has always been an integral part of my musical journey. His studio has always been a place that has encouraged and fostered my out-of-the-box style of music. Poons Studios pays less attention to conventional norms and what will be viewed as ‘cool’ by world but rather aims to create new, unique styles of music. I think he is musically the most intelligent person that I’ve ever met and has given me a lot of guidance in my development as an artist.
What's in store for Krumple Krink with 2023 approaching?
More fun and games and good music is on the horizon for 2023. I want to create a world of fun that goes beyond just sound for the world of KRUMPLE KRINK. Keep an eye out in 2023 for more KRUMPLE KRINK shenanigans that will captivate you into a world of escapist paradise.
Listen to ‘Connected to Disconnection’ HERE
Single Art by: Fernando Brunner
Interview by Michelle Symes
November 2022