John & Jehn
photo Antoine Carlier
“Here are some of the artists that have been an influence on our forthcoming album, Time for the Devil. The list of artists we love could go on and on; we could also make an even longer one of those we hate (now there’s a good idea for a compilation!). The two of us were locked up for two months producing this new record. What we listened to was of the utmost importance, as we like to produce our music ourselves, without bringing in any outside help. Essentially, for us, inspiration comes through decades of music resounding in our ears, continuously. Which means that, in the studio, it’s just the two of us, our instruments, a sound engineer and piles and piles of vinyl records everywhere”.
- 01. David Bowie - Five years
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- The best opening track of all time. When you hear it, you know that what is coming is going to make a lasting impression on you. We borrow from it constantly, especially in terms of the backing vocals, the “cosmic” aspect, the musical flights... With him, the voice is treated as a prime instrument.
- 02. Serge Gainsbourg - 69, année érotique
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- Pure musical bliss… Each element has been considered thoughtfully and denotes a unique instinct for song-writing. It’s also very tongue-in-cheek of course. With Brel, he is one of the only French-speaking artists we draw inspiration from.
- 03. Duke Garwood - Mellow Lady
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- An unrecognised British maestro who, I’m proud to say, also is a friend. We often try to see each other, but it’s not easy. His style, his take on things is like a breath of fresh air to us. He is our secret mentor. Unjustly neglected by a most debilitating music industry, the “duke” manages to survive and continues to deliver true gems, unbeknownst to the world. WE know, and we’ll spread the word as much as we can.
- 04. Lee Hazlewood - My Autumn's done come
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- He’s like an American version of Gainsbourg, even though Gainsbourg can never be matched; similar ingredients: humour, instinct and distinction. His orchestrations are simply sublime. We have a special soft spot for his feminine/masculine lyrics. It makes us consider making the next album orchestral, without guitars, old-school; we just might!
- 05. Lou Reed - Satellite of love
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- Amongst other things, what we love here is Bowie’s backing vocals; they send shivers down the spine, incredibly powerful stuff. Lou Reed is a legend, he’s a loud-mouthed wanker who does whatever he wants, he knows what’s good and doesn’t give a fuck about the rest. Which is rather soothing.
- 06. Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary
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- Some people can’t stand this song… Probably because it was used in a cheesy car ad in France in the 80s. It’s an awesome track and we listen to it at least once a week; the lyrics, the atmosphere, it’s all in there. And good for him if he made money from the car ad, a man needs to eat! Caviar, if possible.
- 07. Roxy Music - Love is the drug
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- Beware, this is some seriously heavy stuff! Brian Ferry arrives in a Ferrari at the beginning of the track! “Love is the drug” was the starting point for our album; it made us want to unleash some heavy disco groove. No hang-ups: that’s how it should be done.
- 08. The Stranglers - Nice and sleazy
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- Never really understood the Stranglers, but we love some of their tracks so much that they’ve become a strong influence. Even though we’ve always perceived Burnell as a kind of senseless brute who loves Jean-Claude Van Damme! (As we’ve been told by Gang of Four’s Andy Gill…)
- 09. Blondie - Pretty baby
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- Sex, sex and even more sex. The perfect orgasmic voice. I’m not sure just how much she influences us, but we do dance to this track quite often, in the studio or before going on stage.
- 10. LCD Soundsystem - On repeat
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- No need to pretend: it has been blowing us away for the past five years. It’s everywhere in the album, we are true fanatics; it sums up everything we have described here. This guy understands it all, he is the perfect synthesis of what’s been happening in music for the past thirty years. James Murphy is a production wizard and unbeatable live too; best sounding bass ever!
John & Jehn
album Time for the devil
John & Jehn - Intro/Outro
directed by Antoine Carlier