Name: Yalla Miku
Members: Samuel Ades Tesfagergsh (krar, vocals), Louise Knobil (electric bass, vocals), Cyril Bondi (drums, percussion, vocals), Emma Souharce (machines, synths, vocals), Cyril Yeterian (Ufo banjo, electric guitar, vocals)
Interviewee: Cyril Yeterian
Nationality: Swiss
Current release: Yalla Miku's new album 2 is out via Les Disques Bongo Joe.
Recommendations for Geneva, Switzerland: Bongo Joe Record Store obviously!
Topic I am passionate about but rarely get to talk about: Growing my own plants and lactic fermentation ;)

If you enjoyed this Yalla Miku interview and would like to stay up to date with the band and their music, visit them on bandcamp, and Instagram.



When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as as a listener, which albums, performances, and artists come to mind?

I’d think about the spiritual jazz of Sun Ra to Pharoah Sanders as well as Chopin’s nocturnes or Erik Satie gymnopédie as well as MC5, Thee Oh Sees, Iggy Pop and the Stooges ...

... as well as raw Cajun, Irish, Andean, Arabic, African, Oceanian and so on … Traditional music.

There can be many different kinds of energy in art – soft, harsh, healing, aggressive, uplifting and many more. Which do you tend to feel drawn to most?

I like all kinds of energy.

Depending on the day, the weather, the geopolitical issues, whom I crossed the path in the streets or on the road, where I am in my relationship or in my friendships or with the people I play music with or collaborate with artistically - there will be a particular type of energy that I would strive for.

In as far as it plays a role for the music you like listening to or making, what role do words and the voice of a vocalist play for the transmission of energy?

The voice is the most powerful instrument, and the voice conveys messages. The voice is crucial, even though I like music that does not include it.

When the voice is part of a work, its power is increased tenfold. It is very important for me to understand the lyrics of a song.

When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as as a creator, how would you describe the physical sensation of experiencing this energy? [Where do you feel it, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or a build-up of tension etc …]

If music can allow me to step outside myself, to experience a profound sense of liberation, to let go, to transcend, then I can imagine myself floating in the air or in the depths.

When it comes to composing / songwriting, are you finding that spontaneity and just a few takes tend to capture energy best? Or does honing a piece bring you closer to that goal?

Several years ago, my label Bongo Joe collaborated with the artist Devendra Banhart on a compilation of demos by musician friends.

The record is called ‘Fragments du Monde Flottant’ (Fragments of the Floating World), and that's exactly what it is.



The demos contain a pure energy that the final, polished versions of the tracks inevitably lose.

For your current album 2, what kind of energy were you looking for?

The energy of punk locked into every song, regardless of its style, tempo or colour. The punk rage inherent in the harshness of all human life.

In terms of energy, what changes when you're performing live on stage, with an audience present, compared to the recording stage?

Recording an album and playing live are definitely two different jobs, two different projects and moment in life.

Recording an album asks you to be creative, to experiment and explore things, to find solutions and help everyone move in the same direction.

Playing live is a liberating moment focused on the relation you can have with the public. For me it's not anymore about beeing creative but it's about sharing the here and now, no projection, no bullshit, you have to be present and to give the best you have.

How does the presence of the audience and your interaction with it change the energy of the music and how would you describe the creative interaction with listeners during a gig?

Every audience, every show is different. That's the first rule. You can't expect  the same thing every night, you have to be ready to be surprised, to accept the unknown.

However, I really like when it's not about doing a show anymore but about sharing the same strong moment.

What kind of feedback have you received from listeners or concert audiences in terms of the experience that your music and/or performances have had on them?

It's really often: «Your music is like travelling!!!» I can feel that people need music to help them to go somewhere else, to explore, to travel, to escape the routine or difficulties in life.

I think that it's really important as a musician to embrace the responsibility that when you play music in front of people you give them the right to feel, imagine what they want, what they need with your sound.

It is really a gift; you have to accept that it's not yours anymore.

The energy that music is able to generate can be extremely powerful. How, do you think, can artists make use of this energy to bring about change in the world?

I don't know if we can change the world.

But do I live my life with the certitude that as a musician we have a responsibility to be creative in this world, to continue to create, share, explore, experiment.