Psychedelic, dreamy sound abounds in LP Pleasure Planet, the debut album from the eponymous band, Pleasure Planet. The songs are kaleidoscopic, embroidered together in a self-described “affectionate and colourful patchwork of the trio’s knotted influences.” The lead singer, Hawaiian-born, NYC-based Kim Ann Foxman, threads in particularly chilled-out vocals, which pairs perfectly with instrumentals that feel steeped in ‘90s nostalgia.
But unlike many other mystical, supposedly ‘throwback’ albums, Pleasure Planet isn’t overly constructed, as if each note has been painstakingly crafted to sound just the right amount of undone. It’s refreshing in its spontaneity, its ability to be a polished, fully complete album without being puppeteered to perfection. And indeed, the album is the result of several late night free-form jam sessions, a few steps away from the realm of Foxman’s previous four-on-the-floor DJ tracks. In talking to her, we find that she’s something of a master mixologist—a lover of equilibrium, maybe even yin and yang, always eager to combine digital and analogue, rave and relaxation, and disarray and coherence, in her musical and personal lives.
Hi Kim Ann! How are you today? Where are you in the world right now?
I’m in Berlin at the moment visiting my partner Cora. I’ve been gigging around Europe this month. I’m excited that my bandmates Andrew & Brian are coming soon to meet me out here for a listening party to celebrate our debut LP. It will be the first time we are all in Europe together at the same time.
I read that you used to be the lead singer of the band Hercules and the Love Affair before becoming the lead singer at Pleasure Planet. What was that transition like?
I left HALA in about 2010, after the second album, to choose my own adventure and focus back on DJing and work on solo stuff. In 2014, I did a collaboration with my studio mates, Andrew and Brian, for a release they were doing on Throne of Blood. They were already working together as Pleasure Planet. I really enjoyed it and found it really refreshing. We kept working together for years of late night jamming and explorations. I loved having this other aspect in my life to come back to from my busy life DJing and working on my own music. We just grew together as a band.
We all work on the music together and then I infuse it with vocal hooks, although we also have tracks we like to keep more instrumental as well. We didn't ever rush the project or pressure ourselves with releasing too much, which is why it feels really special to me now. The transition was a very natural and organic evolution in my journey as an artist.
You describe the Pleasure Planet sound as somewhere between “the rave and the chill-out room.” What space do you gravitate towards at parties?
I love both the rave and the chill-out room. I want full body rave energy release on the dance floor followed by good conversations and cuddle puddles. I love the whole package and then repeat!
You say that when crafting this album, the band pooled together their adolescent memories of raves. One of the songs is even titled Remember (In Dreams). What is the role of nostalgia in Pleasure Planet LP?
Remember (In Dreams) is a really special one for me. I really love that one. A friend told me it felt like a big hug at the end of the album, which was really nice feedback to hear. Nostalgia, for us, is real experiences that have shaped us, inspired us, and helped to drive us forward into the future, towards new horizons.
In Endless, and in other tracks, there's a repeating instrumental and vocal loop. How do you build that loop? What do you want the listener to take away from its repetition?
For Endless, Andrew and I locked into a groove, building the track really quickly on this one. It was euphoric, vibey, and hypnotic. We found a place we wanted to be—I tapped into or recalled a state of endless, timeless, spirals, so I grabbed a mic and just started improvising with some FX over it. It was a real moment just captured, and we loved how it felt and sounded, so we kept the take as is. It was more about sharing a place than a message.
In general, yes, our vocal tracks tend to feel more like repeating mantras in some way, involving repetition in the track and vocal hooks. It's a part of our aesthetic. We build the hooks by just exploring and seeing where it takes us in the process of experimentation without overthinking. I really enjoy this. We want the listener to just enjoy the journey, connect with it in their own personal way, and let it take them somewhere.
You incorporate both digital and analogue musical elements in this album. What's your favourite analogue musical instrument? Did you play any growing up?
I like the way analogue feels and digital cuts through. I really enjoy both types of elements. I have so many favourites, but I'd say the Roland SH-101 is one of my favourite go-to analogue synthesizers for basslines. I didn't learn to play any instruments well or deeply growing up; I wish I had.
Do you find yourself more drawn to the modern or the retro?
I'm more drawn to retro references, but I also like when they are used in a modern way.
There's a lot of purple in the visuals for this album — any particular reason?
I think we just like the colour palette of purple and pinks a lot for this album. It feels spacey and psychedelic.
While the tracks do have a strong, pulsing beat, they also have a meditative quality. How did you strike the balance between both?
I think it’s naturally just a part of our sound. And, we look at those elements not as separate, but more like different materials in a fabric that integrate together to form a whole. We let ourselves inhabit these parts until it feels like something magical has formed and letting them be what they want to be, and we keep building until we feel it's ready.
What do you do the first time you listen to a new song?
I just let it do its thing, and if it happens to spark my attention or grab me, then I pay closer attention to it and if I really like it, I'll want to play it again.
Do you prefer an album where all the songs cohere or where each one is distinct? How do you achieve both?
I like when an album achieves both. I don't want every song to sound the same; I like when they are distinct enough but when they work cohesively together as a bigger picture.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us? What's next for you?
I'm excited to make new music with Pleasure Planet, new solo material as well. I'm also really excited with our label self:timer in full swing this year and more great music to come on it!