Interview by Jasmine Phull
Photography by Roberta Ridolfi

Growing up on separate sides of the world didn’t stop Japanese-born drummer/vocalist Akiko Matsuura and Serbian-bred guitarist Simon Petrovitch from having the same record collections. Comanechi formed in 2005 in East London’s Dalston neighborhood. They’ve been on the scene for all of five years (having played in 2006 at ’SUP’s old monthly party at the Old Blue Last) but just recently experienced a burst of media attention. We’ve always been fans of their early ’90s riot grrrl sound; the shrieking vocals and crunching guitar riffs will shred you to pieces. You’ll be left heavy-hearted, at a loss of breath and yet strangely reeling for more.

Comanechi is an expression of “what we do when we are together,” says guitarist Petrovich, whose dense grungy guitar sounds compliment Matsuura’s violent rhythmic pounding and blood-curdling screeches. Their live shows are as sonically arresting as they are visually. Akiko howls like a banshee, giggles like a schoolgirl and more often than not performs in nothing more than panties and gaffer tape (though her onstage attire has more to do with Bruce Lee than cheap shock value). Her directness and childlike charm are engrained into the lyrics – it’s music without apology and it’s guiding an errant youth. Their first full-length album Crime of Love (Merok Records, 2009) is out now.

Personally, the band are extremely charming and their back-and-forth banter and energy is quite infectious.

Is Crime of Love a love song album? Are you singing about the aftermath of being in love and how shitty it feels to still be in love when it’s over?
Akiko: There are a few songs about relationships and feelings but when you are actually in a relationship you don’t really question it, do you? It’s also about partying.
Simon: Depends if it’s a good relationship or a bad one.

A lot of your songs can’t be played on the radio, for obvious lyrical reasons. Do you think this is detrimental to expanding your fanbase?
Simon: When we did a promo for “Death of You”, MTV rejected it. So first we tried to do a mix with censored ‘beeps’ through it, but by the end the song was hardly recognizable. Then we tried dropping the words out and that didn’t really work either.
Akiko: We are so proud of that song and can’t think of any other words because it would change the song and what it means. We didn’t really think about losing a fanbase because now you can go on YouTube and watch it.

Crime of Love came out on [the Big Pink’s] Milo Cordell’s label, Merok Records. Did he have an influence over the album?
Akiko: He’s very good at finding bands with a different attitude to music.
Simon: He definitely did push us in a positive way. He got the album when it was half-finished and he helped us move in the right direction saying: ‘These songs are great but these aren’t good enough.’ It’s hard to find somebody’s opinion you respect but when you do it’s good to have that input.
Akiko: Initially I had something else for the album artwork and he suggested using the one we have now. I could have kept the original but instead we decided on a simple black and white picture of a girl. It stands out on the review pages and it also becomes a T-shirt. It definitely has more power to it.

Akiko, you’re also in the Big Pink, Sperm Javelin and Pre. How do you juggle being in so many bands?
Akiko: I’ve always been juggling because otherwise I get bored. If I do one thing I get obsessed too much and I can’t function properly.

Simon, do you think she’s giving you enough love?
Akiko: He knows I always dedicate. Wait… you say it, Simon. Why am I saying it?
Simon: Comanechi is a natural project. We didn’t sit down with a business plan. It’s more just an expression of what we do when we are together.
Akiko: It’s like connecting dots and you can’t connect dots by thinking ahead. It’s a natural progression. Crime of Love came out at the right time. Everyone was thinking, ‘Why did it take so long?’ But being in all these different bands allowed me to get more experience, especially with my singing.

You’ve been around since 2005. Why is it only now you’ve been gaining so much support?
Akiko: I don’t know. Before, we never had a PR person or manager. We always just had people contacting us directly. During the early period we didn’t really release anything so I guess they didn’t have much to talk about but they still remembered us!

Do you think it may be your distinct noise-punk sound that put you apart from all the new rave/lo-fi stuff that was suffocating our airwaves?
Akiko: I think so. I think they got excited that there was something different. Also we don’t care about just one thing. I’m interested in dressing differently, so visually it’s quite interesting as well.
Simon: It’s only slightly later that certain bands transcend their own contemporaries and become bigger than just the network of people they work with, but that’s down to the record and music you make. If you can’t sit down and work on doing a proper album then you can’t transcend.

Comanechi is quite well known for its live shows. What was the decision behind going on stage topless and sometimes just in your undies? Is it for shock value?
Akiko: No, it’s not shock value. I don’t do it to create more press. It’s more to do with Bruce Lee and a Japanese band called the Blue Hearts. I really respect the singer and he normally takes his top off. There’s also Iggy Pop.

Was it a natural thing?
Akiko: Yes, it was a natural thing. Those artists look amazing with just trousers on.
Simon: I remember about two years ago we played at a Vice festival. We were setting up our gear and I was like, ‘Keeks, I’m going to tune my guitar’, and she was like, ‘Do I look boring in this dress?’ and I said, ‘It’s nice. It’s alright.’ So I went on stage and started tuning up and then suddenly I heard this fucking insane noise; everybody was just shouting. I looked over and it was Akiko coming on stage, completely naked apart from gaffer tape on her nipples and she just started adjusting her drum kit and getting ready to play. It was a kind of natural spontaneity, like getting naked was better than going on stage wearing something she didn’t feel comfortable in. I don’t think there is anything contrived about that.

Akiko, off stage are you just as confident as you are on stage?
Akiko: I think being in a band has helped me be less shy. There’s always one thing that changes you.

Akiko, you are originally from Osaka, Japan. How was your upbringing?
Akiko: I had freedom. When I wanted to learn to play the drums my parents were supportive. But there were still restrictions that come with having Japanese parents. I was a bit scared of them. My dad was a bit weird. If I went out and then wouldn’t come home by a certain time he’d just wait outside of the tube station in his car. I just didn’t want that.

You left for London when you were 19 years old?
Akiko: Now I can come home at 3 a.m. or go on stage and take my top off without my dad telling me not to.

Do you parents know about Comanechi?
Akiko: No, not really (laughs). Hopefully my dad never discovers YouTube.

Simon, tell us about your amazing collection of knitted jumpers? In the “Rabbit Hole” video you were wearing one with rabbits and today I’ve seen you in about three different ones.
Simon: Whenever we travel around I always make sure I go to charity shops, especially in the towns where there’re lots of old women with lots of time to knit unwanted knitwear.

Do you manage to find your size?
Simon: It’s difficult because most of the best knitwear is in the women’s section. So, what you do is you get the rack and you look at the arm length. Out of 60 jumpers I’ll see a few that are hanging down from some long armed granny so I’ll pull those ones out.

Your own grandma doesn’t knit and make jumpers for you?
Simon: No, but she’s quite a glamorous granny. She’s into black butterflies made of sequins.
Akiko: That’s nice!
Simon: I didn’t even think about that. Maybe she’s my influence.

Have you got a massive rack for your jumpers?
Simon: No, but I’ve got some crates I nicked from Tesco. I also have a slight moth problem. (Akiko erupts in laughter)

Your new video “Mesmerizing Fingers” by Lamo Wizard is much more polished than the DIY “Rabbit Hole” video.
Akiko: Instead of zero budget we had £65!
Simon: It escalated.
Akiko: But they spent it on Chinese takeaway while they were editing. It went up to £250.

The video was Kenneth Anger-inspired. Was that your idea?
Simon: No, that was completely Marek’s [Steven of Invasion/Lamo Wizard] idea. We let him choose a track off the album and “Mesmerizing Fingers” was his favorite.
Akiko: We never actually did a single to promote this album.
Simon: He had a lot of strong opinions so we let him roll with it. It’s one of my favorites. He went with a lot of projections on the shoot. I was wearing quite a snazzy shirt from a Nigerian wedding shop, which was a bit weird (Akiko erupts in an uncontrollable fit of giggles). I think because they knew there’d be projections they wanted something white. So they came out with this sort of white Nigerian wedding shirt.
Akiko (to Simon): You have a Nigerian friend. You can wear it when he gets married!

Due to the explicit nature of some of your songs, Comanechi have, not surprisingly, been described as many things. Does anything offend you?
Akiko: No, not really. But the next album will be more like Britney Spears.

Not as intimidating? Are guys scared of you because of your crazy stage antics, Akiko?
Akiko: I don’t think so, but I’m going to dye my hair blond and wash it and sing “Born to Make You Happy”.
Simon: It’s a 2010 New Year’s resolution.

A lot of people say you were influenced by the whole riot grrrl scene.
Akiko: Definitely. Can you not tell (laughing)?
Simon: Even though we grew up on opposite sides of the planet we have exactly the same record collection. It’s probably what glued us together at the beginning. That’s what we had in common and that’s why we sound like what we sound like. I just remember at school the kids had record collections and you’d go into their rooms and there would be Sonic Youth posters that they’d cut up. That’s definitely our background.

How did it feel when Kim Gordon said Comanechi makes her “want to punch
holes in Thurston Moore’s face until she can fuck it”?
Akiko: It’s better than somebody like Time Out who say, ‘Astonishing!’