Deja Blu

Musicians — Surrey

01Profile

A Deja Blu Photo

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
Deja Blu (Jasmine and Benji) and we’re from Farnham, a little town in Surrey surrounded by lots of lovely nature. It's great for walking and cycling around but not much beyond that, so it’s good to escape every once in a while.

Describe your style in three words?
Ethereal, glistening, misty.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Slowdive in Brighton. it was very surreal to hear their songs live, so good Jasmine fainted halfway through 'Golden Hair'.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?
Julee Cruise - we first heard her music in 'Twin Peaks' and honestly we’d just love to feel like we’re performing in the Roadhouse. Her voice is so otherworldly and serene it would probably all feel like a dream. Chromatics - very recent history but we were so sad to hear they’d split up! They also played the Roadhouse a few times in 'Twin Peaks'. We are big fans of their sound and aesthetic. It would make up for the fact we never got to see them play live!

Which subcultures have influenced you?
A lot of the internet music genres that popped up during the early to mid-2010s and the virtual culture around them, such as vaporwave, cloud-rap and witch house. As these genres got big on the internet and weren’t formed around a place or a country they sound a lot more surreal and have a nostalgic other-worldly feel that's conveyed through the music and visuals equally. This has played a big part in our visual and musical aesthetic. Also, early '90s shoegaze and dream-pop and the overall alternative music culture of that time and beyond has been massively influential for us, increasing our love for dreamy, atmospheric sounds.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
We’d both definitely say JRR Tolkien. The fact he created such a vast fictional landscape inspires us to push at barriers in our imagination. From what we’ve read about him, he is described as so humble and wasn’t always sure of himself. It is comforting to know that someone so brilliant, who constructed a world with so much depth that he knew down to the tiniest detail, also had doubts about his work and sought feedback from those around him.

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?
We recently played at Ramsgate Music Hall. It was the first time we had driven that far for a gig and we liked wandering around somewhere we’d never been whilst waiting to soundcheck. It was right by the sea too! The venue was also really cool, there was a projector in the bar so people could see when a band was about to play downstairs and a Nintendo 64 in the dressing room!

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Imogen Heap, even though she is quite a big artist, her influence has stretched further than a lot of people may realise, with her voice being sampled in countless hip-hop and electronic songs in recent years. The most notable one for us is 'I’m God' by Clams Casino, which has been a big pillar of inspiration for our sound. We also love the song it samples, which is 'Just For Now' and a lot of her other original music from the 2000s which listening back, sounds like an early form of a lot of the alternative pop you hear today. Seamlessly combining dance beats and experimental production techniques with catchy melodies. Reminiscent of current artists like Sophie, Oklou, Caroline Polachek etc!


For more on Deja Blu, including information on any new releases and upcoming shows, visit linktr.ee/dejablu.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
B: I would like to say 'Kids With Guns' by Gorillaz which I listened to a lot as a kid on my PSP but it was probably something by McFly which I can't remember the name of.
J: 'Smooth Criminal' by Michael Jackson. Watched the music video over and over!

A song that defines the teenage you?
J: 'Ride' by Lana Del Rey. This was on repeat on my walk home from school.
B: 'Dumb' by Nirvana. I was very dumb and I also loved Nirvana.

One record you would keep forever?
B: 'Teen Dream' by Beach House. I listened to this album a lot while on sunny bike rides around the Long Sutton countryside (a village near Farnham) during the first lockdown, it really helped distract me from what was going on at the time and it has now become probably my most listened to album ever, I never get bored of it.
J: 'Slowdive' by Slowdive. Benji introduced me to Slowdive when we started making more music in his first year of uni and this is the album I became most attached to. Reminds me of the long train journey to Southampton to use the studios during my holidays from college.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
J: "You said you felt a quick shift in the breeze"
From 'Sodus' by Cemeteries.
B: “I’m Wario when I'm in Mario Kart”
From 'Kyoto' by Yung Lean.

The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
B: 'Music Sounds Better With You' by Stardust.
J: 'Better Off Alone' by Alice Deejay.

A song you wished you had written?
J: 'Missing' by Everything But The Girl. This song paints such a vivid story in my head, I will forever wish I came up with those chorus lyrics.
B: 'A Dialogue' by Drab Majesty. It goes hard.

Best song to turn up loud?
B: 'Decay' by Bladee.
J: 'Char' by Crystal Castles.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft' by The Carpenters. We especially like the bit when it shifts to the alien’s perspective and they sing the chorus.

Best song to end an all-nighter on?
J: 'Flood in Heaven' by The Daysleepers. This song just washes over you and when people have nothing left to talk about at the end of the night it would leave everyone in a nice floaty state.
B: 'Fr3sh' by Kareem Lofty. A soothing otherworldly ambient track to send you off to sleep.

Any new music you are listening to right now?
'Friendless' by Oklou.
'Alone' by Nedaj.
'Elevator' by Drug Store Romeos.
'Altered Reality' by DreamWeaver.
'Inverse' by Lokey.
'Halcyon Run' by Isla Den.

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
Deja Blu (Jasmine and Benji) and we’re from Farnham, a little town in Surrey surrounded by lots of lovely nature. It's great for walking and cycling around but not much beyond that, so it’s good to escape every once in a while.

Describe your style in three words?
Ethereal, glistening, misty.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Slowdive in Brighton. it was very surreal to hear their songs live, so good Jasmine fainted halfway through 'Golden Hair'.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?
Julee Cruise - we first heard her music in 'Twin Peaks' and honestly we’d just love to feel like we’re performing in the Roadhouse. Her voice is so otherworldly and serene it would probably all feel like a dream. Chromatics - very recent history but we were so sad to hear they’d split up! They also played the Roadhouse a few times in 'Twin Peaks'. We are big fans of their sound and aesthetic. It would make up for the fact we never got to see them play live!

Which subcultures have influenced you?
A lot of the internet music genres that popped up during the early to mid-2010s and the virtual culture around them, such as vaporwave, cloud-rap and witch house. As these genres got big on the internet and weren’t formed around a place or a country they sound a lot more surreal and have a nostalgic other-worldly feel that's conveyed through the music and visuals equally. This has played a big part in our visual and musical aesthetic. Also, early '90s shoegaze and dream-pop and the overall alternative music culture of that time and beyond has been massively influential for us, increasing our love for dreamy, atmospheric sounds.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
We’d both definitely say JRR Tolkien. The fact he created such a vast fictional landscape inspires us to push at barriers in our imagination. From what we’ve read about him, he is described as so humble and wasn’t always sure of himself. It is comforting to know that someone so brilliant, who constructed a world with so much depth that he knew down to the tiniest detail, also had doubts about his work and sought feedback from those around him.

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?
We recently played at Ramsgate Music Hall. It was the first time we had driven that far for a gig and we liked wandering around somewhere we’d never been whilst waiting to soundcheck. It was right by the sea too! The venue was also really cool, there was a projector in the bar so people could see when a band was about to play downstairs and a Nintendo 64 in the dressing room!

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Imogen Heap, even though she is quite a big artist, her influence has stretched further than a lot of people may realise, with her voice being sampled in countless hip-hop and electronic songs in recent years. The most notable one for us is 'I’m God' by Clams Casino, which has been a big pillar of inspiration for our sound. We also love the song it samples, which is 'Just For Now' and a lot of her other original music from the 2000s which listening back, sounds like an early form of a lot of the alternative pop you hear today. Seamlessly combining dance beats and experimental production techniques with catchy melodies. Reminiscent of current artists like Sophie, Oklou, Caroline Polachek etc!


For more on Deja Blu, including information on any new releases and upcoming shows, visit linktr.ee/dejablu.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
B: I would like to say 'Kids With Guns' by Gorillaz which I listened to a lot as a kid on my PSP but it was probably something by McFly which I can't remember the name of.
J: 'Smooth Criminal' by Michael Jackson. Watched the music video over and over!

A song that defines the teenage you?
J: 'Ride' by Lana Del Rey. This was on repeat on my walk home from school.
B: 'Dumb' by Nirvana. I was very dumb and I also loved Nirvana.

One record you would keep forever?
B: 'Teen Dream' by Beach House. I listened to this album a lot while on sunny bike rides around the Long Sutton countryside (a village near Farnham) during the first lockdown, it really helped distract me from what was going on at the time and it has now become probably my most listened to album ever, I never get bored of it.
J: 'Slowdive' by Slowdive. Benji introduced me to Slowdive when we started making more music in his first year of uni and this is the album I became most attached to. Reminds me of the long train journey to Southampton to use the studios during my holidays from college.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
J: "You said you felt a quick shift in the breeze"
From 'Sodus' by Cemeteries.
B: “I’m Wario when I'm in Mario Kart”
From 'Kyoto' by Yung Lean.

The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
B: 'Music Sounds Better With You' by Stardust.
J: 'Better Off Alone' by Alice Deejay.

A song you wished you had written?
J: 'Missing' by Everything But The Girl. This song paints such a vivid story in my head, I will forever wish I came up with those chorus lyrics.
B: 'A Dialogue' by Drab Majesty. It goes hard.

Best song to turn up loud?
B: 'Decay' by Bladee.
J: 'Char' by Crystal Castles.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft' by The Carpenters. We especially like the bit when it shifts to the alien’s perspective and they sing the chorus.

Best song to end an all-nighter on?
J: 'Flood in Heaven' by The Daysleepers. This song just washes over you and when people have nothing left to talk about at the end of the night it would leave everyone in a nice floaty state.
B: 'Fr3sh' by Kareem Lofty. A soothing otherworldly ambient track to send you off to sleep.

Any new music you are listening to right now?
'Friendless' by Oklou.
'Alone' by Nedaj.
'Elevator' by Drug Store Romeos.
'Altered Reality' by DreamWeaver.
'Inverse' by Lokey.
'Halcyon Run' by Isla Den.

 

05Videos

Deja Blu | Star (2021)

Deja Blu | Crystal Eternal (2020)

Deja Blu | Lake Song (2019)