They have just released their third album Skerm to rave reviews, proving that Bittereinder are still on top. The group has managed to capture the hearts of many fans around the world with their fantastic lyrics and attention to detail. I caught up with the band recently.
This is your third album! What do you think it is about Bittereinder that has South Africans hooked?
One thing we’re pretty proud of is our claim to uniqueness in terms of sound, and perhaps also in the combination of sound and lyrical concepts. We don’t often hear anyone saying “Bittereinder sounds a lot like…” So the people that appreciate what we do probably enjoy that…
How different is this album to your first two?
It’s almost a combination of our favourite things from the first two albums, aided by several large melody-driven sing-along choruses, fewer collaborations, a much more streamlined production process, and some epic mastering by Dave Cooley in Los Angeles (same guy who did The Presets, M83, Ghostface Killah, MFDoom amongst others). We feel it’s the best album we’ve done so far.
You named the album Skerm. What was the inspiration behind that?
It’s a reference to the all-consuming screen that is swallowing us all alive. And it’s a lovely homonym which also alludes to defending or taking shelter, so it’s basically about finding safe places in a savage world. The most important thing is what it means to you, though.
As an artist, what gives you the most satisfaction with regards to your music?
Meeting people who can speak knowledgeably about what we’ve produced with evidence of real connection to the music, lyrics and/or visual artwork. That’s what makes the music mean something.
What’s the most challenging thing about releasing an album?
The first dozen shows or so, when hardly anybody’s heard the songs before and the entire crowd stares at you with big eyes. But it’s the greatest reward when you can get an audience to connect to new songs on the first listen, thankfully that’s been happening since we broke the ice with ten new tracks at Oppikoppi Odyssey.
What can we expect from a live show of yours?
Lots of intensity. Lots of Afrikaans electro rap. Louis Minnaar always dreams up new set and wardrobe designs, and his fresh VJ sets have made our live show a unique audio-visual experience. Lots of dink. Lots of dans. And plenty of skerm.
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