P.D.O.A. About Their New Album
"Expressions Of Obsessions"
P.D.O.A. (Public Display Of Affection) consists of lyricist, dancer, and creative director Madeleine Rose and drummer, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist Anton Remy. With their upcoming double album, "Expressions Of Obsessions", the two created an audiovisual piece of art—characterised by post-punk and film design. Together with their collective (including post-punk bassist and singer Amanda Longo, composer Kaio Moraes on electric violin and electric mandolin, dancer, and vocalist Bláthin Eckhardt, and Janberk Turan on electric guitar), they created this supernova of an album. Time for an interview.
This interview was conducted in an email exchange in September 2024. 'Expressions Of Obsessions' by P.D.O.A. will be released on 25 October 2024.
Anne: Hi! How are you doing today?
Madeleine Rose: Very well. It feels great to have P.D.O.A.'s "Expressions Of Obsessions" double album online and vinyl available for order! Looking forward to the upcoming tour, where we can share the new body of work with our audiences and display an array of international talent across different parts of Europe.
Anne: So, the promo for "Expressions Of Obsessions" is going well, so far?
Anton Remy: Promo has been going out there with new videos for every single release, including "Cheat Beg Borrow Steal" video art by Jess Garfield, followed by "Love Not War" by Sebastian Steins, the next video to be released "Right In Front of Me" (Feat. Alexander Alien, was created by Maria Sécio and animated with Alexander Alien). All three filmmakers listed are part of a collective called Snacks, which holds their base at local community Arthouse 90mil in Berlin. Madeleine has been tightly working with Snacks on creative direction and production to tastefully shape the new album with a visual world that highlights different themes represented in "Expressions Of Obsessions". Just as the music is playfully jumping between many styles, the concept of each artwork tells a different story.
Very much gearing up now with our new piece coming out called "Rain Simulation", a hand-drawn audio video experience glitched to infinity with Sebastian Steins, intricate sound design by Anton Remy, lyrics and performance starring Madeleine Rose.
We're approaching the campaign with plenty of PR angles from the art created and displayed on our socials, plus live talk shows on 90mil radio and Milk Me Radio. We are working with Chris from Sozius PR, who's mailing out the new record to be played on radio channels and written about in online magazines.
Furthermore, we're playing live shows to premiere the video art and showcase the new double album. Our record release concert is coming up in Berlin on October 25th in Zukunft. Plus, tour dates performing across Nuremberg, Ulm, Essen, Charleroi, Brussels, Leipzig, Munich, Aarau, Hamburg, and celebrating in Berlin
Anne: The album stands out from this year's genre-bending experimental punk records. You must be pretty satisfied with the outcome of your work. Are you?
"'Expressions Of Obsessions' is a punk Arthouse project"
Madeleine Rose: It's a great representation of the natural developments of this punk Arthouse project.
As this new album took us three years to create, the production of the 1st vinyl (Act I – "Dangerous Ability to Suffer") explores more feminine vulnerability, melancholia and hardship, interlaced with beautifully detailed layers of production where Anton is playing guitar lines, bass, and all sorts of complex arrangements. I've expressed vocals in spoken word styles, often recorded in a one-take process, with a rich body of words and reflections of her life and surroundings. Vinyl 2 (Act II – "Accessory To Murder") was produced with the original members of P.D.O.A. and displays a progression of the sound as it matured into new territories from long-standing working chemistries. With additional featured artists Günier Künier, Singen3000, Rosa Landers, and Alexander Alien of their Berlin network and indie music community.
It was an absolute delight recording Act II in Trixx Studio and Funkhaus Berlin with sound engineer Fabio Buemi. Of which we'd happily continue to work with given the opportunity again.
Anne: Do you want to share some insights about your writing/recording process?
Madeleine Rose: With the second vinyl Act II, "Accessory To Murder", It's been approached in more recent times since January 2023. We find different formats to create in organic timing when everyone can come together to co-create. I would often have a series of writings, and we'd enter the rehearsal room, create an improvisation and begin to share ideas through experimentation. At times, Anton Remy would offer a drum line, or Lewis Lloyd would have a bass line. Jesper Munk may have a guitar line. We then take it from there. Usually, I fall in love with the demo and then have to cut it down to three to five minutes and recreate the essence of the original idea.
The first vinyl Act I, "Dangerous Ability To Suffer", was recorded in Anton's private home residence, often late-night sessions as he worked long teaching hours and dealt with neighbours in the city so, knowing we could not be too loud. It means that he's endured countless hours of detailed analysis and meticulously reworking sessions over the course of three years. The vocals were laid back and intimate, while the words lifted in one take natural improvised flow, or melodies I've found in the original thought behind the lyrics. Most instrumentations have been recorded by Anton himself. However, Kaio Moraes has offered Violin compositions on almost every track in Act I.
Plus, an array of featured artists and friends, collaborators of P.D.O.A.'s global network, such as Alexander Alien, Noah Becker, Nils Haack, Diego Barny, Dércio Fernando Simão Gmate (Muha), Rosa Landers, and Forrest Moody.
The drums have been a particular focus, and that is Anton's obsession. We recorded in multiple locations whenever Anton had the opportunity: Antart Studios, Athens / Square One Studio, Berlin and Anton's private music Studios, Steglitz.
We were grateful to receive a 15K grant from the Music Fond, which enabled the band to come together and continue working on new music. This funding arrived at a good moment to bring the members together and see what was interesting and relevant on everyone's radar at the time, as well as what ideas we'd like to lay down for the new era. Especially as Lewis Lloyd and Jesper Munk had decided to end their time with the project and venture into solo projects.
We're generally really excited about the new dance era. With more FLINTA artists on the programme and different styles to stretch the boundaries of our previous works and shape a new show with various topics to provoke new ideas and inspire the development of our sound.
This upcoming "Expressions Of Obsessions" tour is one to watch! See the line-up, check which city is near you and come along to experience the show!
Anne: P.D.O.A. stands for Public Display of Affection. Would you like to tell me how you came up with this band name?
"We don't want people to spend time on their phones while we play"
Anton Remy: The concept of the name references how and in which way we affect our audiences. We have the provocations to make sure people are not coming and simply spending time on their phones or drinking at the bar, but rather listening, dancing and getting involved. Realizing that they are a part of the show, we are here to come together. This playful nature of Madeleine's theatrics offers a range of emotions for the crowd to engage and feel. In a P.D.O.A. show, one can expect displays of rage, anger, love, terror, excitement, confusion, hope, enthusiasm, and empowerment.
Anne: Your songs are filled with quotes from indie and art rock, at the same time quite provocative and philosophic. What inspires you to write them?
Madeleine Rose: Inspired by life, love, turmoil, art, greed, money, poverty, and power. Constantly seeking further understanding, craving to experience differences in the world. Love as much as we can, and create and collaborate with other brilliant minds. Question everything, play, and stay curious about what else is to be explored. Always hungry for knowledge and finding more space for movement in the body and how we think. Of course, bridging the gap and raising awareness of how disproportionate the music industry operates. Especially when it comes to gender, origin, and genre-bending bands, as it's harder to pigeonhole or too difficult to work with when men have been dominating the industries for so long.
Anne: P.D.O.A. is an international project based in Berlin. Is there a region or landscape on planet Earth that you'd describe as particularly formative for you as a band?
Madeleine Rose: We all met in Berlin. Working as curators, event managers, therapists, educators, and creatives. Everyone is based as collective artists in the same pool of beautiful weirdos that keep us buzzing to exist despite major corporations thriving, war dominating, and post-capitalistic systems drowning the independent arts and cultural spaces.
Anne: What has changed since your debut EP "P.D.O.A." in 2021 and your album "I Still Care" in 2022?
Madeleine Rose: Headed on our seventh headline tour across GSA and France regions.
- 2021 – First EP recorded in Big Snuff Studios with Pierre Someville (Available on CD)
- Produced / Released "Spring" and "Rose" music videos.
- 2022 – Debut Album "I Still Care" recorded in the private retreat home of the Holzmarkt family with Miles Dieco and re-recorded parts in Anton's studio Steglitz. (Available on Vinyl)
- Produced / Released "I Still Care", "Baby's Home","Life Support" Music Video
- 2024 – Double Album "Expressions Of Obsessions" (pre-order, available on vinyl)
- Produced music videos: "Cheat Beg Borrow Steal" and "Love Not War"
Upcoming Video Releases
- "Right In Front Of Me" feat. Alexander Alien
- "Rain Simulation"
The music has developed as a four-piece punk band (drums, bass, guitar, and vocals) with a gritty "four chords and the truth" attitude. After five years, the project is expanding into a femme electronic era. With, at times, a five-piece punk band (drums, bass, electric violin, electric mandolin, guitar, vocals, dance, and light show), playing an array of styles from post-punk to experimental jazz, femme Floetry, and electronic.
"'Expressions Of Obsessions' features many great artists"
The new double album features a whole fam of P.D.O.A.'s global network. All the artists involved in the artworks, mastering, reel-to-reel tape sound quality, visual representation, and live show styling have been long-term collaborators:
- Sebastian Steins
- Céline Chappert
- Halla Farhat
- Sam Burton
- Alexander Alien (aka Gourmet Spaghetti)
- Sergey Skip
- Grace Nicholas
- Lewis Lloyd
- Tim Tabellion
- Rupert Clervaux
- Fabio Beumi
- Maria Sécio
- Jess Garfield
Plus, there are additional new collaborators, such as Emily Doddy Nobles. With this body of work, we aim to interweave the collective Arthouse group since 2019.
Our booking team has expanded from working with Milk Me Agency since 2019 and handles all P.D.O.A. bookings in GSA regions, predominantly in a club context.
Since 2021 teaming up with Benedikt Zillich Powerline Agency for all festival bookings in the GSA Regions.
Anne: What can we all learn from the Berlin music and art scene?
Madeleine Rose:
Listen.
It's good.
It's tasty.
Anne: If there was one thing in the world, you could change. What would it be and why?
Madeleine Rose:
Stop the Genocides.
Demand Basic Income.
Universal Healthcare.
Distribute the wealth.
End Homelessness.
Anne: Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me! Looking forward to seeing you on tour!
Madeleine Rose:
Great. Thank you, Anne!
With Love, Public Display Of Affection.
P.D.O.A. Tour Dates 2024
- 2024-10-02 Z-BAU, Nuremberg, Germany
- 2024-10-09 Gold, Neu-Ulm Germany
- 2024-10-10 Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
- 2024-10-11 Rockerill, Charleroi, Belgium
- 2024-10-12 Café Central, Brussels, Belgium
- 2024-10-16 Noch besser leben, Leipzig, Germany
- 2024-10-17 Import Export, Munich, Germany
- 2024-10-18 Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland
- 2024-10-23 MS Stubnitz, Hamburg, Germany
- 2024-10-25 New Future Stralau, Berlin, Germany