Sexinadream is a new ambient-electro-dreampop group from Cape Town, comprising Mavis Vermaak and Wessel Albertse. They answer a few questions about the project.
Hi Mavis and Wessel, how are things?
Mavis: Things are good, thank you!
Mavis, you’ve been around as a recording artist for quite some time and you contributed a spoken-word piece to Bittereinder’s latest album. Why the decision to pursue a new project?
Mavis: It happened quite organically, actually. Last year this time I was, as always, creating various things, but I had no specific artistic direction in mind. Then I met Wessel somewhat randomly and we started jamming together. Since then all kinds of cool things have been happening.
In that sense, how do you feel this project differs from your previous work?
Mavis: It’s different in that it’s just its own thing. Witnessing and influenced by where I am at this particular time in my life. This is probably the only thing that my projects will ever have in common.
It’s a tad lame to ask a band where the name comes from, but I think in this case one should make an exception. What are the origins of the name and what does it mean to you?
Mavis: Well, it got to a point where we had to decide what we would call ourselves. We each made a list, and I think we had about ten options altogether. We chatted about it twice, I think, and then we just seemed to settle on sexinadream. It’s a bit naughty, I suppose. It’s kind of difficult for anyone to ignore the word “sex” when you encounter it. Maybe subconsciously we had a cunning world domination plan to exploit that.
Wessel: sexinadream, for me, is a summary of the sensory experience people can expect to feel when they listen to our music.
So far you’ve released four tracks online and you’re in studio as I’m writing these questions. A lot of bands seem to be taking the route of online releases in bursts, rather than going with the traditional album launch. What are your thoughts on this? Are there plans to release a hard copy album or EP?
Mavis: It’s not easy to say at this point. For now we are just focusing on the recording/producing and release of our first single, “Pink Box”, with Rob at Resonate. So far it has been an amazing experience – Wessel and I are learning incredible amounts of things in short amounts of time. But I think we would like to put out a full-length album when it becomes possible. We have a lot of material. I think it’s healthy to keep putting out as you create. In ideal circumstances, of course!
Wessel: The online tracks are mostly teasers, but will feature in a EP/album as finished songs.
Your first online release, “Be Here”, is accompanied by a music video that features simple yet striking images of … how shall I put it … the motion of natural phenomena. Is this what you were aiming for, or where did the concept for the video come from?
Mavis: This I will leave to Wessel to answer, as he just sent me the link to the video one Sunday evening. I honestly had no idea about or any kind of input into the “Be Here” music video. But I think it is beautiful and gentle and I like it very much.
Wessel: I started by experimenting with visuals that we could use for live performances, finding material that moves in the same way as the music. After editing this and liking the end result we decided to post it as a teaser video to also promote one of our tracks in the making “Be Here”.
Mavis, your partner in crime, Wessel Albertse, is known as a visual artist. How does the “ambient-electro-dreampop”, as you describe your music, tie in with visual elements and how do you hope to explore it in the future?
Mavis: I’m going to leave this one to Wessel too – he has all kinds of cool plans for our live performances ...
Wessel: I have worked in the music industry as a visual artist for some time now, but a lot of the visuals are briefed by clients or artists. I see sexinadream as a platform to freely express this art form and really explore audio-visual integration without the boundaries of … well ... someone paying you to do it ... To rather approach it as a free experimental visual canvas that emotionally complements the music
One of your tracks, “uit f*k apocalypse mix”, starts with a rendition of Skeeter Davis’s “The end of the world” and contains several samples of speeches, prophecies, etc. Care to elaborate on the origin of the track and how it would serve as soundtrack to the end of the world?
Mavis: We put that tune together and rehearsed it for an End of the World party in Cape Town on 21/12/12. The gig fell through and we never played our first gig. But we decided to record the track for posterity anyway, so we did. Performed it live in Wessel’s living room, recorded it in mono – and then shared it online.
Wessel: We sampled sounds from vintage horror/disaster films and threw in some drum machine and keyboard (Skeeter Davis just fitted in perfectly here), but I would say that the main idea behind the mix was to be a bit chaotic, unrehearsed live jam session, so every time we play these kinds of mixes they will sound different, depending on how we interact with each other and our instruments. We plan on doing lots more “improv” mix sessions at live shows with various themes related to what's going on in the world.
There’s something ethereal about your sound … In what sense do you feel you differ from other ambient-electronic bands worldwide?
Mavis: Ag, I think we’re different in that we’re all just each doing our own thing, as artists do, which makes us more of the same, in a sense, I suppose. I have a lot of respect for people just doing their own things, finding ways of making it happen. Doing this musically in these times is a fascinating experience. Maybe it is our sense of fascination that lends the ethereal quality.
Wessel: I think we are still finding our sound and every time we jam in the studio new things happen. Our music is very personal and sometimes quite emotional and maybe it is this very personal creative journey that is the essence of what makes us different from other acts, in a sense not trying to sound like anyone out there, but more a process of trying to express what’s inside of us and finding musical structures to carry this expression.
In the same breath: How do you see the potential market or landscape for this genre or style locally?
Mavis: we haven’t really thought about it. We hope people like the music. Locally, internationally, wherever. It was made with a lot of love.
What are the near and distant future plans for sexinadream?
Mavis: Near: Complete “Pink Box” radio single, rehearse hard for our first performance in April. Far: Make a “Pink Box” music video, record a full album, go on tour, see the world, take a holiday.
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