Softly contrasting: yunè pinku is the songwriting whiz wanting to escape dark energy

How do you feel now your debut EP ‘Bluff’ is out?

Yeah, it’s very cool. I mean I have a bit of a weird thing that the minute I release something I’m sort of like “whatever, on to the next thing”. But yeah it’s really nice the way people have been very receptive to it. I’ve had some really nice messages over the last couple of months from people who either found it through live stuff or the other way around. It’s been very nice, very heartwarming.

‘Fai Fighter‘ is one of your latest singles, how come it is separate from the EP?

I made that song in the summer of this year. It was kind of funny because I was trying to come up with something because I want to start a new project. I kept trying to make music but none of it was doing what I wanted it to do. I remember I had one week where I was dying from hay fever and colds and all of that stuff but that was when I made ‘Fai Fighter’. It was funny because I was like “oh my god I have the idea for a project now. I can see it.” But yeah I made two tracks like that in a two-day period. It was like a lightbulb moment for me. I think the haziness of hay fever added something.

After having a lightbulb moment, what happens next?

I guess I usually put the instrumental together first before vocals and then I have a book full of phrases or little bits I’ve written and then I try and incorporate those into the lyrics of whatever song.

Can you talk me through first getting into making music?

Before I was working in music I was just making loads of noise, soundscapes that had no sort of narrative. I guess I wasn’t conscious of when it became more formulated so it was just one day that I noticed that they had become songs. That same year I had random vocals that I would aim to get someone else to sing but then over lockdown, you couldn’t find people so I just did the singing myself.

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It’s been such a quick journey from lockdown to this.

It’s very weird because I first started speaking with my managers during lockdown as it was just stuff I’d posted on SoundCloud for the purpose of storing them on there. Then that stuff on SoundCloud is the EP now.

Now you’re remixing Charli XCX, how does that happen?

I don’t even know. Someone on their team just got in contact. I originally thought it was a remix project so I was like, “oh they’ve selected me as one of the people on it”. But I didn’t realise until it came out that it was just a single remix. That was really cool. I really didn’t expect to be doing a Charli XCX remix this year anyway.

What have been some of the other highlights of your career so far?

All the remixes I’ve done I really enjoyed making them. The Biig Piig one, the Charli one. Then Yeule did a remix of one of my songs and I went to see her gig a few weeks ago in London and it was really cool to actually see her perform it live because it was really interesting to see a song I’d written translated in a different way. And I’ve obviously never seen one of my songs performed because I’m doing it. The Pitchfork Paris show as well as that was just a show that I feel went really well and the reaction was really nice.

Do you prefer making music or performing?

I think because I’m a bit of a hermit making it is always really fun. I feel like the live and creation parts are opposite to the way I do them. I go from covered in spaghetti stains, half asleep making music to like being very polished. It’s really funny. So I love the fact that nobody knows how greasy and gross I look when I’m making music.

Can you tell me what’s to come in 2023?

There is another project coming in early spring which is what I’ve been doing all summer. I think it’s a nice progression on from the music that’s already out. It’s like a blend of ‘Fai Fighter’ versus ‘DC Rot’.

How did you make everything in summer?

I had a really busy summer but I definitely didn’t catch any sunlight. I was just in dark studios for most of it. Which was alright. I was very pasty and covered in spaghetti stains. Really selling myself here. I’ve got crazy hair as well at the moment. I had a moment the other day where I was like “I’m going to jump on this copper hair trend”. But didn’t go to plan. Last time I dyed my hair I had really short hair so I’d forgotten that you need more quantity when you have more hair. So it’s a bit all over the place. I can see when I fix it, it will look cool. Warmtumn vibes.

Can you tell me about the mix?

Just like cool vibes. Music that I’m listening to at the moment. Stuff that’s kind of informing some of the music that I’m making. So yeah, inspiration.

Tracklist:

Shygirl ‘msry’
Kiddy.Wav, YTP ‘Grab Dat Ass All Night ‘
Logic1000 ‘Your Love’
Elkka ‘Just Want To Love You’
Eartheater ‘Solid Liquid Gas’
yunè pinku ‘Fai Fighter’
Bing ‘As Ever’
Bailey Ibbs ‘Off The Lorry’
Maurizio, Carl Craig ‘Domina’
Ahadadream ‘Melty’
LeftLeft ‘Humming’
Julio Bashmore ‘Battle For Middle You’
Leon Vynehall ‘Sugar Slip’ (Hagan Remix)
Arcane ‘Rapture’
Less-O ‘Behind Closed Doors’
LCY ‘Cherubim’
Breaka ‘Want You’