LIKEMINDS is an Amsterdam-based duo of singer/producer Tjerk Lammers (LYMA) and producer/multi-instrumentalist Lucas van Ee (Rebiere), known for their groovy blend of soul funk, hip-hop, and electronic elements. With LYMA's expressive vocals and Rebiere's soulful sax melodies, they craft an irresistible modern-day unique and infectious sound. We caught up with them ahead of their show to chat about their creative process and what’s next for their infectious sound!
We're LIKEMINDS, we're originally a duo from Amsterdam but now we've grown into a band and we're making a disco album together. And yeah that's what we're bringing today. We found other like minds. They keep coming.
How do you feel in this current chapter of your life, in your music, in your art?
R: We did primary school, we're in high school now, and we're waiting for university. That's how we feel.
L: This chapter is one where you really are anticipating and waiting for... the magic. You find pockets of magic but, it's also very long grind, and yeah... It's this ebb and flow. Well we feel completely ready for something, it's almost there and it's just waiting for the right moment to fall and yeah it can be tomorrow or now.
If you were to describe the sound of LIKEMINDS, how would you describe it?
R: Well we'd describe the music of LIKEMINDS as soulful songs but sometimes with club structures like disco or house music. Sometimes there's room for a vamp like a dance vamp or sometimes we go back into a verse in the chorus. But we also make ballads, and more slow jams into this soulful sound. It's hard to describe it as one thing. But we're really influenced by 70s music. Also by the new generation of 70s music. By Daft Punk and now even the newer generation of Kaytranada and these producers. We try to pick something of them.
Is there a message you'd like to convey in your music?
L: There's always a message. I guess lately my main message is love. Just because there's enough hatred out there. But over the past it's been very personal songs... It always lives in some imaginary world. So sometimes it's... it's a very clear song but we're always trying to find a place where this this story lives.
R: You were talking about creating these landscapes like back in the days during the industrial revolution you had romantic paintings to dream away with and that you wanted to create some worlds where people can forget their struggles these days.
L: For the new album that's the focus. To create different worlds for every song that you can kind of imagine a place because the world's getting quite heated in every kind of way. I guess we want to flee a bit in our music and we maybe want to take people along for that for that ride.
Tijmen de Nooy Photography
What's in store for LIKEMINDS in the near future?
R: We're working on an album now so, we've been recording a couple of tracks already, but we have this next month just to... I mean January is a bit of a dark month anyway, so we like to spend it in the studio as much as possible. We were working as a duo. Later we formed a band trying to bring the band into the studio, into our duo process, trying to integrate them as LIKEMINDS.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
R: He's not wearing underwear.
L: Guilty. Guilty!
R: Yeah, what we would like to share is: please book us, we bring the party to your party. But also the soul and the songs.
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