Playground magazine

It's been a few months since we discovered their world of venereal indecency and bad vibes - we're still recovering from “TRST” (Arts & Crafts, 2012), a debut full-length of the kind that leaves one black and blue. Pitch-black homo-erotic EBM, analogue junk and primitive techno stabs made for one of the sickest and most fascinating albums of the season. The makers of that piece of synthetic pop are Canadians Robert Alfons and Austra drummer Maya Pstepski (who doesn't accompany the former on stage, as she's busy with Katie Stelmanis' band); they are responsible for the fact we have to dig out our leather suits to go and see them play at Sónar 2012.

Days before Trust's appearance at the Barcelona festival, we spoke to Robert in order to get up close and personal. Although, as you'll see, the man is not very keen on letting anyone in just like that. His answers are short and on the phone he displays a shyness that has little to do with the outright dirtiness of his songs.

How did you meet Maya Pstepski? Was it love at first sight?

We had seen each other around in Toronto. We coincided at a photo shoot one day, and started to connect creatively.

You're still combining your career as a photographer with the band. Have you ever felt giddy in the spotlights?

I feel very comfortable on stage. And anyway, in order to disconnect from the music, I always resort to my photos. My camera goes where I go.

Were you inspired by other records or artists when making this morbid debut?

When I'm working on my music, I don't listen to anything or anyone, I prefer to do it like that so I won't copy the sound of others and make something that's not entirely me.

Are the roles between Maya and you well defined? How do you work?

Every song is and requires something different. I write all the lyrics, but on an instrumental level we have often worked closely together.

Has there ever been a moment when you got desperate because you didn't know how to finish a song?

I can only think of something like that when I was working on “Sulk”. It was the hardest track to finish because I didn't know how to 'dress' it.

When listening to yourself, your bizarre voice, can you see why there are people who don't feel your music, precisely because of the oddness of your vocal chords?

I can see that people could find it somewhat confusing. However, I think the voice is just another instrument, maybe the most interesting one, as you can do with it whatever you want. I suppose that whether you like it or not is a question of taste.

Inevitably, everybody tags you as a goth-pop band. At the same time, bands and artists such as Zola Jesus, Light Asylum and of course Austra have surfaced recently, who pride themselves on remodelling the most unfriendly face of the dance floor. Coincidence, or trend?

I would simply say it's a pop record rather than an album influenced by goth music. I don't mind if people tag it like they do, but there's much more to it. The fact that other artists have emerged who like their melodies less bright is simply coincidence, I think. There's no scene or anything.

Looking back, what are your first electronic memories?

I grew up listening to Ace Of Base, thanks to my sister. The synthesisers they used were of great influence on me.