“Why do you haunt me? Was it something that I said?”
When The Sweetest Chill’s “Slip” starts up, you can tell it’s something special right away. It’s got a great post-punk sound with solid drumming, melodic guitars, and a spooky little keyboard refrain that would fit right in at a Haunted House attraction (We mean that in the best way possible).
But then Kenji Fukuda — the lone musician behind The Sweetest Chill — starts to sing, and the song really comes to life. His voice is both understated and full of character, and his lyrics are just right: not overly poetic, but ambiguous enough to let the listener imagine whatever “Slip” conjures up in the mind. Maybe that’s a dissolving relationship, or maybe it’s a lonely corridor… with a ghostly visitor just around the bend.
Check out “Slip” on our Darkness Calling playlist, then read on below to learn more about The Sweetest Chill.
DARKNESS CALLING: Thanks for chatting with us! Your first single "Slip" was recently released. It's a great song with a full-band, post-punk sound, but I believe you're a one-person project, is that correct? If so, do you perform all instrumentation on the song? These sound like live drums as well, or are we mistaken?
THE SWEETEST CHILL: My pleasure and thank you for checking out the song! You’re correct; everything from the writing, instrumentation, recording and cover art is done by me. I grew up recording and mixing, so I’ve learned to play a few instruments from spending so much time around them and watching my friends play. And as for the drums on “Slip,” they’re fully electronic! I played the parts on an Akai sample pad with an added electronic kick and hi-hat pedal to make it more like a real drum kit. This setup is my main drum kit right now, and it permanently lives under my desk, but I also experiment with drum machines, programming, and anything else that won't take up too much space in my bedroom.
DARKNESS CALLING: What can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Slip," including personal experiences or musical influences that shaped the song?
THE SWEETEST CHILL: “Slip” is a story about a person that lives extremely isolated and is haunted by their own thoughts. I had the idea late at night while I was messing around with some synthesizers, and the vibe fit with this track. The instrumentation is influenced by John McGeoch and Johnny Marr. I love the types of chords they use in their songs, and that type of sound complemented the keyboard tones I was experimenting with at the time. For the keys, I was inspired by keyboards from the 60’s (like the Mellotron and the Fender Rhodes) and putting them through different types of chorus and flange effects. Another big influence is the quarantine. There are no concerts or live music here, so I wanted to start a project to make up for that. This song was the first step.
“Another big influence was the quarantine. There are no concerts or live music here, so I wanted to start a project to make up for that. This song was the first step.”
DARKNESS CALLING: Do you have other songs already recorded? Are you working towards an EP or LP, by any chance?
THE SWEETEST CHILL: Yes, I'm working on another song right now, and it should be out in about two to three weeks. For this project, I won't be releasing any EP’s or LP’s, but instead I’ll be releasing a new single every one to two months, so please be sure to check up on me every once and awhile. Thanks again for the interview, and I would love to do it again!
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