It may have taken thousands of miles and lots of time for longtime friends and collaborators Kristian Attard and Serg Dimitrijevic to hone their talent into indie/electro-funk project Intergalactix, but we’re sure glad they finally did. Their new EP The Now – which drops May 19th – is full of smooth, electro-pop feel goodness, and we can’t wait until you hear it in its entirety. But until then, we’ve got a little interview with Serg and Kristian to tie you over.
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What was the first track or album you remember listening to, and who introduced it to you?
SERG: My earliest memory is of my parents being fans of anything old school, playing everything from disco to rock. But Led Zeppelin definitely sticks out.
KRISTIAN: Definitely The Beatles, Beach Boys & Stevie Wonder for me as my mum was a huge fan. I also had an uncle that played guitar who later introduced me to Hendrix, Cream & Stevie Ray Vaughn which blew my mind.
Does that first musical encounter have any bearing on what you create now?
SERG: Definitely. I think a little bit of everything always comes out in some shape or form.
We know it was certainly a long time coming, but what’s the origin story of Intergalactix?
SERG: We’ve been friends and musical collaborators for a very long time. It felt natural to put Intergalactix together as we’ve been working together for so long and it definitely helps having the same tastes in what we do and like.
KRISTIAN: The project was really started out of necessity. We are musicians and love playing and working on other people’s music but we’re also creative and have something to say musically. In the beginning we tried starting the project with different singers and got really frustrated with their lack of focus and direction so one day we really just decided to make it happen on our own and since that day everything has just been so much easier and things just seem to make sense.
Do you think that being from Sydney has any bearing on your sound or how you approach your art?
SERG: Yes. We’ve spent most of our lives in Sydney, Australia and it definitely has its own vibe in regards to the music scene. The standard is high and really pushes you to be your best. We’ve definitely maintained that outlook.
KRISTIAN: There’s also a radio station in Australia called Triple J and they definitely provide a platform for great Aussie artists to emerge. I always seem to discover a bunch of new music every time I’m back in Australia through Triple J and we are definitely still connected to the Aussie scene and collaborate with Aussie artists all the time.
You two cross many genres with your music. Indie, electronica, funk, How would you sum up or describe your sound?
SERG: I think you summed it up well!! We’re both influenced by so much music and it all seeps out in ways.
KRISTIAN: Yes the music is definitely heavily funk driven and the lyric ideas and melodies are very “indie” if that’s even a thing. We like to call it Indie Funk.
Your resumes are extensive. You’re both very involved in a host of musical projects, including Earth Wind & Fire and as part of Jason Mraz’s band. What has been your most gratifying experience as artists so far?
SERG: My most gratifying experience was playing a couple different sets at the Firefly Festival not long ago. It was great to be able to be a part of a killer festival and legendary line ups. That’s definitely a highlight. Another one is having the legendary Verdine White play some bass on our second single from our new EP which will be out before the summer.
KRISTIAN: It’s always amazing being part of any musical entity especially playing on well known stages and places you never thought you’d get to but doing it with your own music is definitely the most gratifying experience for me. Firefly was definitely the highlight so far and we’re hoping this new music will provide more of those experiences.
Your next single “The Now” is about to come out. What are you most looking forward to with it?
KRISTIAN: Im looking forward to getting this new music out to the people and sharing the new sound that we have been cultivating for a while now. The music holds a lot of positive energy and the message behind this EP is about being present, which is one of the hardest things to do in these current times.
Do you have any fun stories from production, by chance?
KRISTIAN: One thing that springs to mind is the way “Golden” was created. One of our best friends Dennis Dowlut (Deutsch Duke) had just arrived in LA from Sydney and he met us that night at one of our shows. We had a wild crazy amazing night together and barely slept. In the morning Dennis woke us up and convinced us to write and lay some music down. We were so tired and but we did it anyway and that became the start of the track “Golden”. That original demo definitely captured a raw element of that night and experience we had and I still hear it in the song every time I listen. We definitely heard an Earth Wind and Fire feel in the track and we are so honored to have one of our idols Verdine White play on the track and be part of the experience.
How have you found that your sound has developed or changed since you started working together?
SERG: I think our sound is always evolving in some way. Our tastes are always changing and that’s definitely a factor in our evolution.
KRISTIAN: It definitely started with more a synth pop vibe but these days the funk is definitely way more present and here to stay.
What is your writing process like? How do you function as a duo? Does it come to you fully formed, or is the composition a big process?
SERG: The writing process is always different for us. We usually send ideas back and forth if we’re not together. When we are, we’ll finish ideas and start new ones and work on those. It all depends where the inspiration comes from.
What’s your favorite movie at the moment? Why?
SERG: Eight Days A Week. It’s more a documentary but is mind blowing with the isolated live recordings and the stories that go along with their career. I loved it.
KRISTIAN: I’ve been digging Black Mirror, definitely not a movie either but it’s been my favorite thing recently for sure.
What’s your favorite thing about California? Alternatively, what do you miss about Sydney the most?
SERG: I really dig the energy in California. You can definitely feel it when you’re here. It’s electric. What I miss most about Sydney is family and friends and the beaches.
What’s coming down the pipeline for you guys this year?
SERG: We’ll be dropping a couple of singles and the new EP before summer, along with some videos. Can’t wait to hit the road and get out there and do lots of touring on this release.
Anything else you’d like to add?
KRISTIAN: We had a lot of fun making this record and we got to collaborate with a bunch of amazing and inspiring people. We’re really thankful for the experience and hope people enjoy it.
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Keep up with Intergalactix here.
