I first heard SONIC FLOWER GROOVE on the double compilation tape, Breeze 4. You might expect them to sound exactly like early Primal Scream because of their name. But no, they have a sound of their own. Hear them on the Bliss tape, Sapphire, with two tracks of soft, floaty, ethereal indie pop. Now for the interview (with Ralf of Sonic Flower Groove)...

1. WHO'S IN THE BAND?
Doris - vocals, Philipp - guitar & bass, Ralf - guitar & bass, Kai - drums.

2. WHEN & WHY WERE SONIC FLOWER GROOVE FORMED?
Our band philosophy is very C86-like. In Spring '90 we couldn't play any instruments but we decided to form a band and so we learned from JAMC how to fill two minutes with three chords. That's why we're playing noise-pop instead of jazz.

3. PRESUMABLY YOU'RE NAMED AFTER THE PRIMAL SCREAM ALBUM OF THE SAME NAME. ARE PRIMAL SCREAM A BIG INFLUENCE?
Not really. We like Bobby Gillespie and his drumming in the early JAMC days. But in principle we just thought that Sonic Flower Groove would be a brilliant name for a band.

4. WHAT OTHER BANDS DO YOU LIKE?
Kai: Teenage Fanclub, Paul Weller, Billy Bragg
Doris: Bjork, B52's, Hip-Hop in general
Philipp: Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, Swervedriver
Ralf: Jane Pow, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Diana Ross

5. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN RECORD LABEL, HEAVEN SENT RECORDS. TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT.
Because we were lazy to search for a record deal, we decided to spend loads of money in order to release our own stuff and some other music we like. We've done two singles (The Wallflowers and Sonic Flower Groove), a compilation tape (The Popguns, Remember Fun, The Penny Candles, Mousefolk, The Haywains, Painting By Numbers, The Nivens, Sonic Flower Groove, The Sohfas, Jesterbells, 7 Roberts, The Wallflowers, Elephant Bangs Train, The Wide Plains, Red Letter Day, Thirty Fields, She Bangs The Drum) and a compilation CD (The Suncharms, 14 Iced Bears, Jane Pow, 18th Dye, The Steamkings, Sonic Flower Groove, Blair 1523, The Studio 68!, Beatnik Filmstars, The Honeyloops, The Surrounds, Mosaic Eyes, The Balloon Farm, Schaumtute, Arthur, Rorschach). But only the CD is still available (£9 inc. p&p). That's all.

6. ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO RELEASE ANY MORE SONIC FLOWER GROOVE RECORDS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, EITHER ON HEAVEN SENT OR ANOTHER LABEL?
We're thinking about a David Geffen deal!

WRITE TO SONIC FLOWER GROOVE & HEAVEN SENT RECORDS AT JUTTASTR. 31, 67549 WORMS, GERMANY.

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