INTERVIEW: Electronic Pop from Roman Angelos

You have a new album ‘Supermarkets, Underwater’ out now. Can you tell us about the album and where in the world did this title come from?

Supermarkets, Underwater is a full remix/re-imagining of my record “Music For Underwater Supermarkets” by the ever amazing Scott Solter. Supermarkets, Underwater is a flip of the title the album is remixed from: Music For Underwater Supermarkets. That album was a fun and joyful record so for this remix record I wanted it to be a totally different vibe – dark, immersive, and foreboding. Flip the script. Although Scott is a man of many talents, this is a world he’s very comfortable in.

This is not your first album, but it is the first with a collaborator (Scott Solter). Can you tell us about your relationship and how this project came to be?

Scott and I met each other in 2010, and we hit it off immediately. We were on the same label at the time, and I was a big fan of what he was doing. We started working together, first with him mixing an album of my wife’s (Viewfinder by Rebecca Pronsky). After that we worked together on numerous projects, and I trust his musicianship implicitly. Once I knew I wanted a remix album, I knew the person to do it was none other than Scott, so it was kind of a no-brainer to work with him.

You are signed to London’s Happy Robots Records. What is that relationship like and are there any advantages (that you see) to being on a UK label these days?

I really like the folks and other artists over at Happy Robots, so I’m very glad to be a part of the family. I’ve often found that labels outside the US have a much more respectful relationship with the artists on their roster. Many US labels seem to want to take your record, throw it up on the platforms, and say goodbye. There also seems to be a tighter community of musicians and fans who appreciate the style I bring in the UK, so it’s nice to see that.

Tell us about your UK tour dates this month with Rodney Cromwell – what can folks expect to see when they come out for your show?

I’ve got some fun stuff going on in my set. I’m performing solo, and the songs will be a mashup of the remix record and the original supermarkets material. I’m also doing some live looping, switching from guitar to keys in the middle of songs, and I also have some acrobatics planned where I’m playing guitar and keys at the same time with separate hands.

Have you also collaborated with Rodney Cromwell? or how did that tour idea come about?

I mixed and produced a number of tracks for Rodney Cromwell, most recently his record Memory Box. After we both finished our respective records I told him I was really keen to tour in the UK so we whipped up a few dates and now we are taking this electro-exotic-ambient-new wave show on the road.

I understand you are a music producer yourself? Can you tell us about your work?

I’ve produced for a number of artists over the years – Rodney Cromwell has been a really fun project as was Hologram Teen (I produced her first and second record). I’ve also produced a number of my wife Rebecca Pronsky’s records, and there are a few local Brooklyn projects I’ve done. I am certainly more of the intimately involved producer. I have a strong sense of musicianship and arrangement, and I try and bring as much of that to what I work on. It’s difficult for me to watch an artist settle on something they’re not wild about, so I try to work as hard as possible until to get something exciting for everyone.

And you’re also a DJ – is that correct? What would a Roman Angelos DJ set look like and who would you be playing for?

Yes, but I’m very specialised. I spin lounge and exotica so a lot of my sets are background music for vibey bars. I play some exotica classics like Martin Denny and Les Baxter, but I also try and throw in some 90s indie bands that were influenced by a that stuff, like Komeda and Stereolab. Morricone will make an appearance, as will many dollar bin records of some no-names. I try to keep it all vinyl but sometimes it’s hard when older records cost $150 a pop.

Would you say that New York is inspiring for you in terms of musical output and creativity? Where else do you draw inspiration from?

One of the things NYC is great for is the musicianship. Nearly every time you go see live music you’re seeing people at the top of their game. It inspires me to write better music so I can really see the extent of what these folks can do with my music. I also draw a lot of inspiration from exotic locales… but more the fantasy of going there, and not the actual trip itself. It’s nice to live in the world of possibilities.

What do you like most about being an independent creative? Are there any folks that make your work / life as an artist easier?

What I like most is that it’s an amazing and joyful thing to do. There’s really nothing like it. And it’s hard to pinpoint certain things because they’ve all helped me in so many different ways but my wife, parents, and teachers have all made my life as an artist easier. Each of them have been incredibly supportive and I probably would have folded from being an artist much earlier in life if it wasn’t for all the help I got along the way.

What does the next year hold for Roman Angelos and where can folks find your current album?

My album is available on every platform that albums are put out on. Bandcamp is a nice place to go where you can financially support artists directly, but I’m happy to know people are listening to my music at all. I have 4 shows in the UK with Rodney Cromwell, and after I return I’m back to working on a record I tracked about a month ago. Shawn Lee is producing, and I’m super excited with what we came up with. Hopefully a fall or spring release!

Watch the video for Swimming Through The Aisles (Teeming Mix) below