Q: I know that you are a huge fan of Japan, been to Japan 5 times in the past two years. What was the direct introduction for you to get to know Japanese pop culture?
Poppy
I think the internet was a really big one, and discovering Japanese musicians on Youtube. And yours?
Titanic Sinclair
Yeah, when I was a kid, it was video game music, which I didn’t know was Japanese until later. And I was like, oh, I guess those were all Japanese composers. So, like, video games. But when we first met, we both shared the interest in Japan, which is kind of rare. It’s becoming more popular, like in pop culture in the United States, but still, when you meet someone who knows about Japanese artists, oh, hey, cool. We’re friends. Yeah. So we’re just kinda into similar things, and a couple of our other friends had been here before and showed us cool artists, like designers and musicians, and things like that. We’re very lucky to have cool friends who can show us stuff.
Q: Who’s your favorite Japanese artist?
Poppy
Well, we met Kyary at POPSPRING.
Titanic Sinclair
Yeah, that was cool.
Poppy
I noticed on Instagram, when she put up the photo it was a lot of Poppy, Kyary comments.
Titanic Sinclair
She’s just amazing. Also Cornelius.
Poppy
Oh yeah, I love Cornelius.
Titanic Sinclair
His new album’s amazing!
Poppy
I got to see him in Los Angeles I think a year ago. It was for Fantasma. He was playing that whole record.
Titanic Sinclair
There’s a really good, NPR does the Tiny Desk Series, and Cornelius just did one, and it’s insane. I can’t believe... He’s amazing.
Poppy
He’s so smart.
Q: So you released your first studio album, “Poppy.Computer” on October 6, 2017, from Diplo’s Mad Decent. Mad Decent has a lot of hardstyle artists. It was interesting to see real pop from that label. What brought you to be a part of that label as a real pop artist?
Poppy
I think Diplo liked me a lot and I heard that he wanted to sign me there. He liked that he doesn’t understand it.
Titanic Sinclair
He’s like, so this is cool. I don’t know why, but it’s cool.
Q: Sorry to keep bringing Kyary Pamyu Pamyu in, but in Japan she’s also an artist who people find mysterious, but still has a lot of fame and popularity. It was exciting to see the both of you at that same festival.
Titanic Sinclair
It’s fun to be in that realm where people can’t really pinpoint exactly where it is. And with a lot of really big record labels, they just kinda want you to be a specific thing. And it’s cool working with Mad Decent, because we have a lot of freedom artistically. I think that just makes for a more interesting result.
Poppy
I think we’re just bored with a lot of things, especially American music and culture. So I think we just naturally gravitate towards what we gravitate towards, and then our influences come out as what we create.
Titanic Sinclair
Yeah, like a lot of the things we like are really weird. Like, really, really weird. So when we try to be normal, I think it’s still a little, maybe, left of center.
Q: Poppy, you’re also famous as a Youtuber, uploading so many interesting cute and sometimes a little bit weird videos, which are exciting to watch all the time. How do you think of ideas for all of those series of videos? You look like a human being, but at the same time, you also look like a computer or a robot.
Poppy
Thank you. (Laughs.) Everything that we do together is collaborative. So, sometimes we’ll see something inspired by like, a plant, or Charlotte, and then we’ll make the videos, but you never know when the inspiration will strike, or what it will be.
Titanic Sinclair
Yeah, sometimes it’s a waterfall of ideas, and sometimes it’s a drought. So, usually, when we’re inspired, it seems like everything is an opportunity to make a video or a song or something. Whatever that day, whatever we’re intrigued by, that’s usually what we talk about or make.
Q: How do you usually spend your life? Do you have any hobbies?
Poppy
I usually just make a lot of videos. Like, normally. And make music. I don’t really do anything other than that.
Titanic Sinclair
This is what we did before anyone was watching. The only difference is now there’s an audience. Because, when we started working together at first we were really craving to create.
Poppy
Sometimes I paint pictures.
Titanic Sinclair
A lot of synthesizers lately. We spend a lot of time in the studio now. Like, pretty much every day now, when we’re not on the road. ‘Cause when you’re on the road, you can’t really focus on music so much, so when we’re in Los Angeles, it’s very freeing to be able to focus and learn new techniques.
Q: What kind of impression do you have of your Japanese fans?
Poppy
They’re very respectful.
Titanic Sinclair
Wonderful. It’s a joy to perform for Japan because people really seem to be focused and they really watch. It was nice to have attention and that, I think, helps us to put on a better show. Because it’s mutual. The audience and the performer. It’s really mind-blowing. That first show that we did, the SPACE ODD one, I remember, right afterwards, I was like, “ah, man, we gotta play here more.” Good food, good people, good time.
Q: What do you want to do in the future? New music, new videos, some new ideas? Is there anything that you can share?
Poppy
Yes, we’re making my new album and it will be released this year. We have some cool collaborations, really fun ones. And a lot more music videos, and dancing, and another tour this year.
Q: Will Japan be a part of the tour?
Titanic Sinclair
Yeah, definitely. I can’t wait for it. Absolutely.
Q: Speaking of new music, you release really Japan-focused songs like “Moshi Moshi.” Will there be any Japanese-related themed songs on the upcoming album?
Poppy
There’s a lot of influence, definitely, in the new music. We don’t have any Japanese songs, yet, on the album, but I might write one.
Titanic Sinclair
Every time we visit, it’s always fuel for new creations. You know, that’s the best part about traveling. You don’t get bored. It’s impossible to be bored when you’re traveling. That just helps with songwriting and creativity, I think.
Q: I heard that you recorded the songs, themselves, in Japan, while you wrote the songs in Los Angeles. Is that true? What made you feel like recording in Japan?
Titanic Sinclair
I think we just wanted an excuse to be here. (Laughs.) That was a big part of it. But, our producer has a studio in Setagaya and it’s a very comfortable studio. We wrote and recorded a song called “I’m Poppy” the first time we came to Japan with him. And we had so much fun, and it was so casual and nice. And so speaking of traveling and not being bored, and just waking up every morning and being inspired by the surroundings, that just helps to color the sound. The sound that you use and the performances in the recordings. It helped a lot.
Interviewer: Kiri, Chucky
