Smooth-crooning house trio Pillowtalk wear Paul Frank’s slick suits to club nights and warehouse parties. This is formal club-wear for gentlemen of refined taste.
It’s the dawn of a collaboration with the man-behind-the-monkey, Mr Paul Frank, and PillowTalk, a San Francisco trio fusing groovy R&B and disco with underground house. Geared up in matching Rat Pack suits, the group have previously enjoyed success releasing tracks via Visionquest, Bang the Box and Wolf + Lamb, as well as having a much anticipated album due for release on Life and Death later this year. After a hectic summer of European tours, i-D managed to catch them long enough to ask about the tunes and tales that make this trio tick:
What was the first song you ever wrote and who was it about? Love Makes Parks; it was a cover/edit of Deon Jackson’s Love Makes The World Go Round.
What inspires you to create? I think the unknown inspires us to create. It helps us find answers to the longing questions in our life.
What instruments/equipment do you work with? Korg SV1, Dave Smith Prophet, UltraNova, Maschine, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Kaossilator, TC Helicon Voice Touch Live, to name a few…
Which band or artist has had the most profound impact upon your signature sound? Too many to name… just off the top of our heads: Sam Cooke, Harry Nilsson, The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Roy Ayers, Quincy Jones, Arthur Russell, Can, Kraftwerk…
What was the first song you learnt all of the words to? Eric B & Rakim – Follow The Leader.
If love were a song what would it sound like? A construction zone.
If you were a song which would you be? Aretha Franklin – One Step.
If you could teach the world to sing, what song would you teach us? Black Sabbath – War Pigs.
What single song has significantly helped heal your broken heart? William Bell – I Forgot To Be Your Lover.
What’s your fight music? We like to go to war with Iron Maiden on our headphones.
Who would be your dream fling? Any Queen really.
Name your top five essential soundtrack songs for the perfect mixtape?
Donald Byrd – Feel Like Loving You Today
The Kinks – Nothing In This World
Cinematic Orchestra – All That I Give
Ned Doheny – Give It Up For Love
Flash and The Pan – California
What was the first festival you ever went to and what was the most cherished memory you made whilst there? Can’t remember the name of the festival but Bad Brains, Beastie Boys and The Roots in ‘94 up in Seattle, was quite memorable. I think my most cherished moment was my back-heel-toe-stall in the hacky-sack circle.
If you could gift anyone in the world with a song what track would you choose, who would you give it to, and why? Q Lazzarus – Goodbye Horses, to all those lonely artists out there in the world trying to catch a break or be heard.
Sing me something before you go…? La Di Da …La Di Da.
soundcloud.com/pillow-talk-1
paulfrankstore.co.uk
Text: Fraser Brough
