Iska Dhaaf - Sound In The Signals Interview

I recently had the chance to interview Iska Dhaaf. We talk about their fall tour, their album The Wanting Creature, and their writing and recording process. Check out the full interview below!


First off, thanks for the interview.
Thanks you!

For anyone who has never heard of Iska Dhaaf, can you tell me a little about how you got together and formed the project?
Benjamin: Nate and I were both in notable Seattle bands (Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band/Mad Rad). We had mutual friends and I started learning to make beats  from his producer. I was impressed with what Nate was writing and we got together to talk about writing. We hit it off. Once we started collaborating we never stopped. We have a similar work ethic, aesthetic and goals. Also, we have a lot of fun traveling together.   

You just announced a big U.S. Tour. How excited are you to get out on the road and what can fans expect from the shows?
We’re very excited to be performing our new songs across the country. We have two awesome guys coming along to play on the songs. The sound is bigger and the performances are more exciting. Nate and I are able to move around a lot more now. I can’t wait for fans to hear the songs live. It helps build a connection with the essence of how we wrote them.

The tour is in support of your newest album The Wanting Creature. Can you tell me a little about the writing and recording process of the album? How long did you work on it?
We worked on the record for almost three years. It was well underway when our first album, Even The Sun Will Burn, was released. From the beginning it was a feeling and energy we were chasing. We knew the feeling but we had to be patient and watch unfold. It was almost like receiving transmissions from another dimension. It was intensely collaborative like the first record, but we used different methods of piecing the songs together.

Did you approach The Wanting Creature's writing and recording process any differently than you did on past releases? Did you try anything new in the studio?
A lot of our first record was tracked live. It was definitely based in limitation and performance. For The Wanting Creature we mostly self-produced. We chopped up the songs in Ableton and put them through several iterations. We were able to build interesting new soundscapes and textures. There are more experimental and electronic elements that run throughout the album. Lyrically, we explored different themes and source materials.

You have both been in successful projects. How did being in those projects impact how you approach Iska Dhaaf?
Our former projects gave us a set of diverse tools. Nate has a background in hip hop and electronic music whereas I grew up playing math rock and experimenting with several instruments. We learned a lot from booking shows, promoting, touring, and recording. Both of our old projects weren’t sustainable so we put a lot of effort into building a strong foundation with this band. We have a great musical chemistry and relationship. It feels like there are infinite possibilities with this band. We’re always excited about the future and writing new ideas. 

I guess that wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else you would like to add? 
 Go follow our social media, Spotify, etc. Come see the shows and write us a note some time. Much love.

For more information on Iska Dhaaf:
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