FARR is a two-piece project that floats somewhere between London and Los Angeles.
A duo whose stance on R&B seems to embrace the genre at its most liminal and subtly creative, a flurry of singles swept across the web following their fateful meeting in 2016.
Debut album 'Weightless' has been years in the making, a potent brew of spectral R&B vocals and inventive electronics.
Out now, it's a riveting listen, so layered in its approach but direct in its appeal.
Clash caught up with FARR to explore their cultural touchstones…
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Album
Common – 'Like Water For Chocolate' / Erykah Badu – 'Mama’s Gun' / D’Angelo – 'Voodoo'
Linden: All released in 2000, the three albums were created at the same time in Electric Lady Studio in New York. The Soulquarians Collective were all the musicians and producers behind the albums, demonstrating some of the greatest musicianship, feel and sonics which was a creative milestone that spawned the last 20 years of R&B and soul music.
It’s definitely worth checking out interviews with Questlove about this period where he was working round the clock between different studios in the same building finishing these records. I’m always listening back to them to draw inspiration as they never seem to age.
Gadget
Linden: My Sennheiser HD800s headphones…. I can literally have a studio on my head anywhere, anytime. You’ll see me in an airport lounge or doctors waiting room or up a mountain finishing tunes.
TV
Roméo: DAVE is the funniest thing I've seen in a while. There’s only five episodes out right now, but I had to re-watch them three times already just cause I needed more. Great escape. I also really fuck with Altered Carbon, it’s weird as hell but pulls you in pretty deep.
Book
Roméo: I'm in between a few books right now. I've had Meditations by Marcus Aurelius on my bedside table for a few years. I always just kind of pick it up when the time is right and when I'm in need of some confirmation that everything is gonna be alright. It’s strange to read the words of someone from so long ago describe the problems people are still caught up in hundreds of years later.
I really like spy fiction too, probably cause I'm very much still a child, but I recently upgraded to adult spy fiction and read The Spy Who Came In From the Cold by John le Carré, I love stuff like that.
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'Weightless' is out now.
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