Daniel Blumberg has taken to heart the underlying theme of his song “On&On” with his latest project – an album featuring 14 new versions of the track, as deconstructed and reimagined by his various collaborators. The compilation features interpretations by Josephine Foster, O YAMA O, David Grubbs, Exotic Sin, Elvin Brandhi, and more. Here, Blumberg and London based duo O YAMA O (Keiko Yamamoto and Rie Nakajima) answer some questions about the project, in the process discussing the art of reinterpreting music. Plus, listen to the full album and watch an accompanying video by O YAMA O below.

What do you consider to be the most prominent differences and similarities between the sounds of O YAMA O and Daniel Blumberg?

Keiko Yamamoto: It's hard to comment on the differences and similarities between us and Daniel just on the sounds because I experience Daniel's sounds together with his physicality and aesthetics. We are so different in our looks but both, in a way, treat aesthetics seriously in general. We care about our surroundings when we play music, so in that sense we are similar. Of course, we are less glamorous and glossy and rock ’n’ roll than Daniel. Although we are not young, our attitude towards the sounds is very youthful and almost childish. Daniel seems to be more mature and considered in his song making, I feel – I don't know why.


Daniel Blumberg: We both work with songs and singing and improvisation. I go to see O YAMA O when they play in London and it’s always a different experience, I like to hear Keiko singing and I always leave humming her songs. There is always a playfulness in what they do that I really appreciate, but it can also be quite poignant and beautiful. Another thing we share is that we both work frequently with Billy Steiger.

Rie Nakajima: We both like to collaborate with improvisors and mixing art and music. The atmosphere of the environment floats in our sounds. Though probably we use a different process in structuring songs in space? Difficult to analyse but sounds very different!

What is most significant about the act of reinterpreting a piece of music?

KY: For me, it's an act of trying to find your best memory of a piece. Each of us experiences a piece of music differently and, interestingly, often we interpret music we like, not much of what we dislike. So it's a bit like seed saving and a bit like a game of Chinese whispers. It's fun and you sometimes find new things through doing it.

RN: I feel it’s very human activity to reinterpret the music we like or which feels important. Maybe it has been done for many years without questioning any reasons. I wonder if there are any equivalent activities in contemporary art...?

DB: When I play my songs with different people the song is naturally re-interpreted because everyone brings their different ideas and experiences to the situation. Although I haven’t been in the room with the different artists who made this record, the exchange over the last few months has been rewarding in a similar way .

Has the song “On&On” taken on any new meaning after being reinterpreted by O YAMA O?

DB: I liked dancing to the end of their version. I’ve sung the song a few times since I heard the O YAMA O version and one time I felt like I was re-interpreting their re-interpretation so this all goes on & on & on & on – haha!

KY: Daniel's original version of the track for me sounds very romantic, and a beautiful love song. Our take of “On&On” has a sense of zooming into our mundane life repetitions including eating, washing, fighting, cooking, sleeping and dreaming and so on and on. Inevitably less sexy.

RN: That’s something I never think of in my work… if the work is good, that’s good. Simple enough. Also we liked the concept of On&On and tried to make something good in response to Daniel’s idea. I haven’t worked with Daniel before so that’s probably enough in this context.

On&On is released via Bandcamp on 7 December and is available to pre-order now.

Read O YAMA O's Invisible Jukebox interview in The Wire 442 plus an interview with Daniel Blumberg in The Wire 427.