As the summer wraps up, we do too. And few acts wrap us up as tightly in their atmospheric weave than Venezuelan duo Fur Coat. The clue’s in their name, after all. Just as it is for this release on Systematic: ‘Ethereal’ packs much more than an otherworldly punch.
The title track sets the scene with its rippled chords fluttering hypnotically over their signature wide-load kicks. ‘Doppler Effect’ follows with a white-knuckle frequency freak out that’s tense, dramatic and ever-mutating as it flashes past your very ears. ‘Isolated Soundwaves’ takes us deeper into Fur Coat’s walk-in wardrobe with much more technoid gusto. Big sweeping strikes and a rolling groove, this is the perfect soundtrack to our move back from the fields over the next few months. Finally we hit ‘Modular Theory’. Another textbook march back into clubs, this one comes with a little bounce and a sprawling breakdown that doesn’t so much wrap you up tightly but squeezes you inside out. Classic Fur Coat business. That’s a wrap.
You can listen to the full premiere of the title track ‘Ethereal’ exclusively on When We Dip while reading the great interview they gave us. Enjoy !
WWD: Hey Guys, it’s good to have a chat with you today!
Hey, thanks for having us and thanks for the constant support to our music.
WWD: Where are you in the world right now? And what have you been up to recently?
At the moment we are in Barcelona. Most of our latest traveling has been around Europe, as we recently did some tours in America earlier this year. As we travel on the weekends, our focus has been making a lot of new music during the week, focusing on new signings for our label Oddity and organizing the plans for the rest of this year and 2020.Outside of music, we’ve been enjoying the last days of summer.
WWD: Congrats on the release of your new EP ‘Ethereal’ on Systematic Recordings. Tell us a bit about the EP and how it showcases your individualities.
Thank you and thank for the support. We are very happy on the results of this EP, it shows a lot our melodic side, still has tracks like Doppler Effect and Isolated Soundwaves which can be more dance floor effective. Still Ethereal the main track, has a lot of emotion in it, it develops very smoothly and it’s more romantic and takes you on a trip. Can feel also this on Modular Theory.More than individualities, it definitely shows the evolution and what we can bring musically as Fur Coat.
WWD: What made Marc Romboy’s Systematic Recordings the ideal home for this EP ?
We’ve know Marc for a while. Our first approach was when him and bodzin reached us for “Sungam” remix, which for us was really amazing and did very well, still think it’s one of those standing tracks from us, and still timeless. After keeping in touch for some years, having played together, we’ve talked about having a track from Marc on the first Oddity V.A “Odd Echoes” and also we gave him a track for the 15 years of Systematic V.A, which was a huge V.A and included our track “Polar Vortex”.We’ve had this EP already built up, and it made sense sound-wise after our collab and participation on the V.A to show Marc the tracks. He felt in love instantly with them, so it really went very naturally.
WWD: We’re very excited to share the full premiere of ‘Ethereal’ today. Can you share with us where your head was at as you were putting the track together?
As always it’s experimenting, and just trying to take things to the next level. Although we have a “Fur Coat” stamp or sound, we and me (Sergio) specially don’t like to get stuck with formulas. I always need to step away from my comfort zone. I had recently bought the Analog Four MKII so most of the main sounds came from experimenting with it. It’s always exciting when new gear comes to my studio, as it brings excitement and newness to routines you sometimes get in to.Experimenting with those chords and evolving the pads, and opening them slowly to build up the track, was deffo a interesting way to do it, the main sound itself once I got it, hooked me up to make Ethereal.
WWD: Your own label ODDITY has been putting out some serious EPs recently with tracks from Radio Slave, Mathame, Black Peters and more… Can you tell us who might be releasing on the label in future? And are there any plans to do a label showcase in the soon ?
Thanks for the kind words and happy you are liking our work. Yes, we are very happy on all the artists on board and the music signed on Oddity. Black Peters last EP, I got to sign it from the first listened, I really fell in love with the tracks. Then I thought it was perfect to have remixes from Øostil who already released on the label and Antonio Ruscito which I’m a big fan. We have a lot of things coming, there is a big V.A coming in Nov, which is the vol 2 of Odd Echoes, and will be the last release of this year. We open 2020 with an EP from Oostil with two huge remixes.We already did our first label showcase in Watergate, and slowly we are making more, already have another at club VAAG on 2020, and working on more for next year in many other venues.
WWD: In term of your duo, you have been working together creatively for over a decade now, what’s the most recent new thing you’ve learned about one another?
Yes, on 2020 it’s already 10 years since we started Fur Coat. We’ve known each other before that, so this has been a long term relationship. We still learn things from each other and we’ve always alternate the work flows. Sometimes we need some space creatively to do things. We each know our strengths so we try that each applies it in the right way to maximize the results.
WWD: Do you have a production ritual? If so, what is it?
(Sergio) I deffo need to produce daytime, and just come fresh to the studio. I don’t like routines, I always try to start form different points, experiment and go beyond. I don’t think there is a specific ritual to be honest ahahahaha. Our advice is to always come fresh and try to approach music from different staring points to break boundaries and come up with new and fresh ideas.
WWD: Obviously new music is a lot more accessible now. Do you think this is always a good thing?
Deffo it’s more accesible, and it also has its double side of the story. With the instant factor of the internet I can have music from producers from any part of the world, instantly. Meet them online and probably expose their music in Oddity and not having the necessity of living in the same country, not even the same continent.
The bad side of this, definitely is that music might be less appreciated and sometimes and some people might be looking for the next thing. When there was no internet and physical formats were dominant, people could carry the same Dj bag and selection for 6 months or more, even appreciate the creation for longer. The instant effect of the internet and technology, might harm some music if it’s not put on the right time, the right label, the right exposure.
One thing is for sure, that good music, will last in time, so fortunately this can still win over the worst of technology.
WWD: Current favorite track?
Black Peters- Renaissance Diner out on Oddity.
WWD: What can we expect in this final stretch of 2019 from you?
To close this year after Ethereal EP, we have one more track to close the year. It’s also a track people has already been asking and has good support from many djs. The track is “Terra Luna” and it’s part of the Odd Echoes Vol 2 coming in November. We already have a lot of music done that will be coming on 2020.
WWD: Outside of music – One change you hope to see in 2020?
Hopefully more pro activity regarding climate change, and aside awareness more actions to maintain our planet that we live in. There are many countries with political problems, that we hope things get better in general for people focus on what really matters.Also people to focus more on music, talent and what really matters rather than all the time social media takes from all of us nowadays.
Release date : October 4th, 2019. Buy Here
Follow: Fur Coat // Systematic Recordings