Get To Know Get To Know… Koteri

1. Describe your music to us in non-musical terms. 
James Bond eating chicken biryani on Primrose Hill.

2. Between you, you grew up in Egypt, Zambia, Pakistan, and London. What were their respective music scenes like at the time? Who were some of the artists who inspired you when you were just starting out, and why? 
Abdallah: Growing up in Egypt and moving to London played a huge role in who I am as an artist. I have always felt anchored in the music I make by the melodies and sounds I listened to growing up. Moving to London introduced me to a whole other world and history of music. I became incredibly drawn to bands like Pink Floyd and Radiohead for their pure psychedelia and otherworldliness. It’s this blend and contrast which I think really identifies me.

Dinar: Growing up in a desi household, the grandiose nature of Bollywood was a big influence on my musical outlook. The elegant grooves of bossa nova also ignited my imagination, and ‘Timeless’ by Sergio Mendes was the first record I ever bought. There were also constant samba soundtracks playing during my time working at Nandos as a teenager. Ultimately, though, hip-hop has been my biggest influence, especially from a production standpoint. Whether it’s Timbaland drums, Kanye sampling or Clams Casino soundscapes, I always see hip-hop roots as the foundation to my songs. Seeing friends like Joe James & Lancey grow & succeed over the last ten years has also been very inspirational. True artists are always heard.

Jordan: The Beatles will always be fundamentally important to me. I remember the first record I bought was ‘Revolver’ (in mono) and everyday I would skip to the little guitar line George plays in ‘I’m Only Sleeping’. That, and my copy of ‘Labcabincalifornia’ by The Pharcyde (which my favourite teacher gifted me), are definitely what I would save during a fire. Overall,  I really feel grateful to London for exposing me to so much music. It’s really a place where you can be bound by nothing and exposed to everything if you want it.

3. Koteri’s visual world is inhabited by a collection of fantastical animal characters. Can you tell us a bit more about them? How did you land on the concept? What do you want them to communicate about you as a band? 
The art we choose to portray our songs tells stories between the different phases of life. With ‘Karnaby’, a chaotic song that represents the fresh zest for life we have as toddlers, you see the dinosaur spoon feeding an infant. In ‘Something I Need’, the infant has now become an adult, fighting back against the dinosaur system and attempting to claim back independence. Ultimately though, this is just our interpretation of the dinosaurs, which is constantly evolving and changing - we believe all impulses towards the creatures are valid. We are all rebels at heart, the important thing to remember is to not let the dinosaur capture you.

4. You’ve described your latest single ‘Marina del Rey’ as the soundtrack to “a heist gone right”. Can you expand on this a bit more? Do you tend to write with cinematic references or scenes in mind? 
Marina announced itself as something grand but also quite dark as it grew and developed in the studio. The “heist gone right” comment refers to the fact that the record has this tense cinematic aura. Sonically, it started as a reggae song with a bassline and plucky guitar riff, before evolving into something else altogether. Rhythmically, we were inspired by the drum lines of J Dilla, which is why the record features these loose and manic rhythmic sections. The heist gone right comment also speaks on this, as the rhythmic mania and looseness ironically results in a nice cohesion.

We named the track as such because Marina del Rey was the area we stayed in together as a band some years ago on a music-making trip to LA; our first trip together. The same area where the first Cheesecake Factory was inducted also created Koteri. We always remember our firsts. 

5. You recorded your forthcoming debut EP, ‘Heaven Is A Lonely Place’, between Egypt and London. What did these different locations bring to the table in terms of how they influenced your work / creative process? 
We started each song in a bedroom in London, before taking them to Cairo. The refreshing nature of the creative frequencies felt in Egypt allowed us to guild our songs with rich live instrumentation before heading back to London, where we’d strip away at the layers of our tracks. Much like a finely carved Arsenal victory, we were dependent on knowing what to get rid of in completing these songs. An extra Aubemayeng saxophone would sometimes get in the way of the beauty of a perfect Saka bassline.

6. What’s your worst musical habit? 
Hoarding.

7. Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you making? 
Nihari with mushy peas & mulukhiyah. Room temperature Highland Springs on demand. Maybe bread and butter pudding if we have apricot jam xx

‘Heaven Is A Lonely Place’ is out on 1st November, and Koteri play The Lower Third in London on Sunday 3rd November; get tickets here. 

Tags: Get to Know, Neu, Koteri