Culture Kultür interview: ‘To enjoy making music that connects with other people’
Culture Kultür
For over three decades, Culture Kultür has been a well-established name on the international Future-Pop and Synth-Pop scene. Since its formation in 1992, the Spanish duo – comprising Josua and vocalist Salva Maine—has built a strong reputation for crafting danceable, melodic Electronic music with a strong emphasis on meaningful themes and lyrics. Over the years, the band has produced several hit songs, many of which were revisited last year on the compilation album “Time”, featuring newly reworked versions of their best-known songs. With the release of “Atomic” on Caustic Records, the duo opens an exciting new chapter.
The album combines their signature Future-Pop sound with a contemporary production, exploring themes such as human connection, technological alienation, and the uncertainties of modern life. The result is an impressive collection of songs that may well represent their strongest work to date. The release of “Atomic” provides the perfect opportunity to look back on more than three decades of music with Culture Kultür, while also exploring the inspiration, creative process, and stories behind this remarkable new album. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Culture Kultür interview
Q: With Culture Kultür, you can already look back on a long and rich career. What does a new album like “Atomic” represent for you in the context of your extensive discography, and how would you summarize and describe this album yourselves?
Josua: You are right. 34 years have passed already since our first 12’ release. Almost a whole life. I must say “Atomic” is in some ways, a different beast to our previous releases. The 10 tracks of the album have been in various processes of completion since the 2020 pandemic. The release of the compilation album “Time” stopped a little the continuation of new songs but as soon as it was released, Salva and I resumed work and I must say releasing “Time” fueled even more the desire to have the new material which was waiting to be fully finished.
As every time I close an album, now with the record in my hands, the feeling is ‘how am I going to surpass this one’? I hope this sentiment will be overcome soon. This album comprises our true evolution on composing, Salva vocal performance advance and detailed sound design. I should say it is our best yet.
Salva: For me, this is one of our strongest albums, if not the strongest. In fact I think we will play it in full at our next shows in Germany, which we have never done before. Also, it has been one of our fastest works. Apart from the initial songwriting, it only took us six months to finish the songs, record the vocals, and complete the mixing.
Q: “Atomic” is the title of the new Culture Kultür album, but it is also a powerful word that can be associated with science and progress on the one hand, and unfortunately with destruction and impermanence on the other. What does this word signify as the title of your album, and what ideas or concepts lie behind it?
Josua: Absolutely. Since the very beginning we wanted the title “Atomic” for the album. As a child of the XXth Century, I’m totally fascinated by the atomic energy destined to save us all under its infinite almost free energy for everyone and also the impending doom waiting to happen in an unstoppable nuclear war ready to destroy us all. Atomic energy is the two sides of the future and also our album lyrics reflect deep emotions and hopes, profound fears and wishes.
Salva: The initial idea, at least for the design, was to lean toward the darker side of the atomic concept. But later we shifted toward the concept of energy, of the hidden elements that we cannot see but that build everything.
Q: Technology seems to be a recurring theme in your work in several ways. As human beings and as musicians, what is your relationship with technology and its rapid advancement? Looking at the situation today, do you think technology has brought people closer together or driven them further apart? And which human and artistic qualities do you believe can never be replaced by machines?
Salva: The problem with technology is that it develops faster than our minds can cope with. I once read that we consume as much information in a single day as a person in the Middle Ages would have consumed in an entire lifetime. We are hyperconnected, yet at the same time many of us are afraid to call a friend and instead prefer to send a text message. Technology also enables us to work and live at a pace that our minds cannot sustain for long, so it is no wonder that mental health issues are so common these days. But I think that, in general, it has enabled more connections than separations. I don’t know if, in the future, all our human characteristics can be replicated, but we are not at that point yet.
Josua: In our CD release “Manifesto” (year 1999), our phrase for it and also in the back cover was ‘save the technology’. I still believe that. Technology MUST be saved for mankind to use freely and use as a way to expand ourselves as creative and sentient souls. Tech helped me to develop a musical career and also being able to paint the music inside
me on the canvas of life. Sadly, the same tech is also creating the destruction of nature and some human relations. Is this a tech fault or it is just ourselves? These are questions difficult to answer. Do we have the responses?… no .. I only have more questions while I look to the coming horizon waiting for better things to happen.
Q: What were the biggest challenges during the creation of this album? Did you notice any conscious or unconscious evolution in your creative process compared to previous releases?
Josua: The global pandemic was without doubt a ‘turning point’ for some and also for me. Now that terrible event seems almost forgotten and life is now again ‘business as usual’. Not a single lesson has been learned and we go walking again in a straight line to the cliff like Hamelin rats following the music politicians and warmongers are playing. For me, losing friends and relatives was something with a big impact and started a fire inside to again compose songs for me, and if possible, for the world.
Regarding the new approach to composing, there was an important change and it was to concentrate on ‘melody first’. And also ‘story / lyrics first’. Rhythm, mood or arrangement are just second priorities. Some of the tracks were totally wrapped around a story to be told, a message to deliver or the main chord structure and melodies. In the past, maybe rhythm was too important to define the tracks. Now for me it is not… the rhythm serves the purpose of the song.
Q: I would still describe the Culture Kultür music as ‘Future-Pop’, a term and style that nowadays mainly evokes a sense of nostalgia and is explored by relatively few artists. How do you view that label, and how important is it for you to be associated with a specific genre or niche, particularly from a promotional perspective?
Salva: The label is supposed to represent elements of Synth-Pop, EBM, and Trance, so I’m fully on board with it. We never thought about changing the style of our music because of its popularity. We simply did what we wanted to do with the musical elements we love.
Josua: Personally, I don’t have a problem with that ‘label’ or ‘style’ name. The truth is we walked along some different styles along our musical journey and if someone wants to ‘tag’ our music as Future-Pop… absolutely no problem for me. On the other hand there have been wonderful bands and songs born under that style and rejecting a sound heritage so powerful and deep because it is ‘dated’ makes no sense. Let’s embrace the music which just makes us feel and ‘move us’ inside out and let’s forget oppressing ‘labeling’.
Q: I noticed that “Atomic” reached No. 1 in the DAC (Deutsche Alternative Charts). What does this achievement mean to you as a band, especially in a country with an important scene like Germany? What impact do you expect it to have in terms of album sales, live performances, and other opportunities?
Josua: Yes, that was great news and I cannot be more grateful to all the people, critics, fans; comments and excellent album reception in general. Germany has always been ‘second home’ for us and truly playing live in the past has been a blast!! This album has a song in German for the first time ever. This was as a compliment for so many fans in Germany and the always warm welcome we receive there.
Absolutely looking forward to playing live soon wherever we are requested. Nothing could be better than to take “Atomic” to the live stage and share the moment with the fans.
Salva: We’ve seen a lot of positive reactions: apart from the DAC and GEWC charts, many radio stations and podcasts have shared different songs from the album. We’ve seen an increase in streaming, and there has also been more interest in the physical editions. So our intention is to be able to present the album properly in Germany.
Q: Last year, Culture Kultür released “Time”, an album featuring a selection of reworked older songs. How do you look back on your past achievements and the path the band has taken so far? And what are your expectations and ambitions for the future?
Salva: I think we have a bunch of good songs and, more importantly, songs that have left a mark on some people’s lives. Our songs have also allowed us to get to know many interesting people, places, and scenes. I think that’s the main thing for us: to enjoy making music that connects with other people. My only ambition is to continue enjoying creating music and sharing it with the world.
Josua. Working in older songs was at the same time rewarding and sad. First, you take your old sounds and try to make them new, better, bolder, but also don’t want to betray that ‘old you’ who did the track. The memory lane works both ways, so you remember that ‘yourself’ who did the song at that time… your dreams then… your worries which now seem so small… and people who were around and enjoyed that music which now are not with us…
On the very positive side, it was very good to face again some tracks which some fans know how to sing word by word and give them respect and new approach. When the album “Time” was completed, a new view of our musical career arose in front of me and even knowing we had long silent spaces in between albums, a real path of creation was clear to be seen.
The future is always an unknown country but I’m sure after several concerts we are now scheduling, we will resume work soon as some tracks are already requesting to be finished and who am I to refuse music’s call ?
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
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