Features Emil & Friends

Emil & Friends certainly have an interesting way of going about introducing themselves to the world. The band is comprised solely of a man, known only as Emil, who seeks to use this ambiguous name to his advantage. To generate interest for his act, Emil sent out cryptic emails to certain music syndicates claiming that Emil & Friends is a new project from ‘Into The Wild’ actor, Emile Hirsch. The message modestly pointed out that the receiver should ‘consider yourself honored to have received a personal email from a star of my caliber’ and boasted Hirsch’s musical achievements as being ‘often seen singing karaoke alongside Lindsay Lohan, Bo Barrett, Michelle Rodriguez, Kellan Rhude and Nicole Richie at Beverly Hills hotspot ‘Guys”.

Of course, this was all fabrication.

There are few facts known about the real Emil. He is a 23-year-old self-proclaimed ‘production wizard/musician’. His biography on Cantora Records, complete with the ‘sent from my iPhone’ tag, says that his influences include ‘the hunt for lost relatives, cures for heart conditions, obsessive letter writing, snacks and hot trax’. Apparently, as a boy, Emil would show up to guitar lessons with a produced track on a CD, with no guitar. ‘Heads were scratched. Emil would show up to a DJ gig with only a guitar. Brows were lifted. Years passed. Attics were changed in to bass drum Batcaves…’ Somehow, this doesn’t seem to be doubtable.

He is not a newcomer, however; he produced Buffalo Drive’s EP ‘Peter and His Chromatic Fantasy’. Emil’s own EP, ‘Downed Economy’ is just as eccentric as he is, as one would expect with track names such as ‘Short Order Cooks’ and ‘Specialty Sandwich’. The songs consist of MGMT-like glittery electronic soundscapes, something which Emil tags accurately as ‘danceable weirdpop’. Emil & Friends’ full-length album is promised to be forthcoming, so this is an act to keep a watchful eye on. It certainly won’t be dull.