We interviewed Peerish about his new album Mezzosphere and talked about his inspiration, childhood memories and truths.
How would you describe Mezzosphere in one sentence? Mezzosphere is a surreal painting in sound that mixes classical, rhythmical and electronical components. Radical music yet inviting … or simply: Mezzosphere is art pop for the open-minded!
What inspired you during and before composing the tracks for Mezzosphere? Just to mention a few: Music and soundscapes by Mike Patton - without him my single Euphoria wouldn't sound like it does! The male collections of the greek clothing designer Ioanna Kourbela - the show room in Athens is hiding but pays off. Films by Luis Buñuel and his fabulous auto biography “My last sigh”. Music by Imogen Heap - her way of composing and designing sound is so iridescent and limitless. The fantasy and storytelling of the French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet - he would be my first choice for a director of a music video for one of my songs. Photographs by Man Ray and his way of mixing materials. The early works of Marilyn Manson before he went soft and off track - the music, videoes, visual style of mainly Antichrist Superstar and Mechanical Animals. Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s way of painting the light making its way through the leaves on the trees. Books about neurology and let me reveal the ending of them all: our brain is tantalizing and limitless! Lady Gaga’s mixture of art, pop and visuals is truly stimulating - I’d like to write a song with her. In Icelandic or french! The optics, methods and works of Salvador Dalí that continuously pushes my creativity ... and of course the blank pages in my note books.
Why did you collaborate with Kvadrat on the packing for the vinyl's? The impossible attracts me and Kvadrat seemed like the ultimate partner for wrapping the physical album up. To me music is tactile and the manifestation of layers of sonic spheres woven together. The cover has to reflect that. Plastic and paper wouldn’t be able to do that, but textile can. Kvadrat and I had already talked about a collaboration in 2008 when I released my hybrid CD-book-thing “Kollektion” and this time the impossibility was too attractive. When Designbolaget came across for the actual design everything clicked and finally design, music and art blended.
What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town? I remember sitting in my childhood home, when I was around three or four years old, with my father’s headphones on, and listening to music from his reel tape recorder and lp's. The headphones were almost the size of my head. I had favorite songs but didn’t know how to find them at the tape reels, so I yelled for his help - loud because I couldn’t hear myself. Later on I had a walkman and increased my control over when and where I could listen to my favorite music. When Mezzosphere arrived as vinyl my father and I talked about listening to it together someday. I still have his headphones from back then.
What was the best advice you ever got? It is not an advice but some kind of truth: Everything you want is found outside your comfort zone. So true … so terrifying … and so inspiring!
Buy Mezzosphere here 
