01Profile
A Sex Cells Photo
Sex Cells
Musicians — London
03Interview
Name?
SEX CELLS
Matt Kilda & Willow Vincent.
Describe your style in three words?
Impure Psychic Automatism.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
It has to be Suicide at The Barbican in 2015… It was as distressing as it was beautiful - we’re still puzzling out how we felt about it. In short, a completely unique moment.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
White Noise, a sixties group featuring members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop such as Delia Derbyshire, who experimented with the sonic and psychic possibilities of synths. Also, Iggy Pop in full incarnation as The Idiot somewhere in late seventies West Berlin.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
The surrealists, the suffragettes, and all the magic currently stirring in London’s lost corners.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
We’d love a cup of tea round Man Ray and Lee Miller’s pad.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
The Windmill, Brixton. It’s the first venue where we felt properly welcomed in, like two stray cats, finding comrades in bands like Meatraffle and Madonnatron. Basically, a no-nonsense home for all, stuffed full of weird ornaments and even weirder music.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Andy Votel, founding wizard of Finder Keepers, for uncovering so many hidden treasures and introducing some new ones to the world too.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
Both of us grew up in small towns at opposite ends of the country, so we’ll need to split this one?
Willow: Mine has to be Black Tambourine’s ‘Black Car’. It used to regularly make the rounds on my headphones, soundtracking misty, mid-winter walks home from school in my small Northern town, and never failing to epitomise my romantic sense of longing to escape.
Matt: I grew up in the darkest depths of Kent, and when an older kid sneaked me a double cassette of Carter USM tracks, I’d never heard anything like it. Countless hours were spent in my bedroom, headphones on, volume up, completely transfixed.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Rowland S. Howard’s solipsistic sound whirlwind ‘Sleep Alone’.
One record you would keep forever?
‘Metal Box’ by PiL. No matter how broke we get, that record won’t be making its way to Flashback anytime soon, much as we love the place.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
We love the simple sentiment of…
“I go to bakeries all day long,
There's a lack of sweetness in my life”
…from ‘Hospital’ by The Modern Lovers.
A song you wished you had written?
The Pendle witch trials of 1612 set to squelchy synths and narrated by the inimitable Maxine Peake, on The Eccentronic Research Council’s ‘Another Witch Is Dead’.
Best song to turn up loud?
‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Always makes us want to take our clothes off.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
No idea what people would or wouldn’t expect, but we should mention ‘Ima Read’ by Zebra Katz featuring Njena Reddd Foxxx. It’s a master class in minimalism and restraint, and all the more ferocious for it.
Best track to end an all-nighter?
The blissful cover of CHIC’s 'At Last I Am Free' by Robert Wyatt.
Any new bands you are listening to right now?
'Paper Bag' by Circuit Des Yeux
Love this song, and her new album Reaching for Indigo just came out. This track is like a kaleidoscopic patchwork of synths and lo-fi percussion, with her acrobatic vocals pulling you helplessly along. There’s a sort of female Scott Walker vibe going on, which we dig.
'Subaru Nights' by Insecure Men
A lovely piece off-centre pop, probably a nice record to listen to whilst sitting round your Nan’s house, drinking tea. But whilst you’re gazing out the bay window, there’s complete bloody carnage in the streets, people eating each other’s faces, breeding, bleeding out. You’re safe though; re-position the needle, dip the rich tea biscuit deep, and smile wryly. We’re both looking forward to digging into the album when it arrives.
Freya Warsi
Ok, not a song, but a young actor we recently saw at a night of spoken word and noise in Brixton. She took to the stage with a fairly static looking fella named Adam, and quietly silenced the whole room with what built into a stunning monologue. It was captivating.
'Tron' by Madonnatron
Their debut album came out recently, and it’s a marvellous piece of harmonic witchery. Your record collection will feel lost without it.
'The Sweet Smell of Florida' by Warmduscher
We both agree, probably the best live band we’ve seen since Meatraffle first blew our little minds. Full-on free-form wonk for anyone with two left feet to dance to!
'Office Jungle Break' by Suitman Jungle
Must-see him live! From what we can make out, a very well dressed city-slicker moonlighting as an anti-social commentator to the tune of broken beats and filthy basslines, or maybe it’s the other way round?
03Interview
Name?
SEX CELLS
Matt Kilda & Willow Vincent.
Describe your style in three words?
Impure Psychic Automatism.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
It has to be Suicide at The Barbican in 2015… It was as distressing as it was beautiful - we’re still puzzling out how we felt about it. In short, a completely unique moment.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
White Noise, a sixties group featuring members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop such as Delia Derbyshire, who experimented with the sonic and psychic possibilities of synths. Also, Iggy Pop in full incarnation as The Idiot somewhere in late seventies West Berlin.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
The surrealists, the suffragettes, and all the magic currently stirring in London’s lost corners.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
We’d love a cup of tea round Man Ray and Lee Miller’s pad.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
The Windmill, Brixton. It’s the first venue where we felt properly welcomed in, like two stray cats, finding comrades in bands like Meatraffle and Madonnatron. Basically, a no-nonsense home for all, stuffed full of weird ornaments and even weirder music.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Andy Votel, founding wizard of Finder Keepers, for uncovering so many hidden treasures and introducing some new ones to the world too.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
Both of us grew up in small towns at opposite ends of the country, so we’ll need to split this one?
Willow: Mine has to be Black Tambourine’s ‘Black Car’. It used to regularly make the rounds on my headphones, soundtracking misty, mid-winter walks home from school in my small Northern town, and never failing to epitomise my romantic sense of longing to escape.
Matt: I grew up in the darkest depths of Kent, and when an older kid sneaked me a double cassette of Carter USM tracks, I’d never heard anything like it. Countless hours were spent in my bedroom, headphones on, volume up, completely transfixed.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Rowland S. Howard’s solipsistic sound whirlwind ‘Sleep Alone’.
One record you would keep forever?
‘Metal Box’ by PiL. No matter how broke we get, that record won’t be making its way to Flashback anytime soon, much as we love the place.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
We love the simple sentiment of…
“I go to bakeries all day long,
There's a lack of sweetness in my life”
…from ‘Hospital’ by The Modern Lovers.
A song you wished you had written?
The Pendle witch trials of 1612 set to squelchy synths and narrated by the inimitable Maxine Peake, on The Eccentronic Research Council’s ‘Another Witch Is Dead’.
Best song to turn up loud?
‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Always makes us want to take our clothes off.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
No idea what people would or wouldn’t expect, but we should mention ‘Ima Read’ by Zebra Katz featuring Njena Reddd Foxxx. It’s a master class in minimalism and restraint, and all the more ferocious for it.
Best track to end an all-nighter?
The blissful cover of CHIC’s 'At Last I Am Free' by Robert Wyatt.
Any new bands you are listening to right now?
'Paper Bag' by Circuit Des Yeux
Love this song, and her new album Reaching for Indigo just came out. This track is like a kaleidoscopic patchwork of synths and lo-fi percussion, with her acrobatic vocals pulling you helplessly along. There’s a sort of female Scott Walker vibe going on, which we dig.
'Subaru Nights' by Insecure Men
A lovely piece off-centre pop, probably a nice record to listen to whilst sitting round your Nan’s house, drinking tea. But whilst you’re gazing out the bay window, there’s complete bloody carnage in the streets, people eating each other’s faces, breeding, bleeding out. You’re safe though; re-position the needle, dip the rich tea biscuit deep, and smile wryly. We’re both looking forward to digging into the album when it arrives.
Freya Warsi
Ok, not a song, but a young actor we recently saw at a night of spoken word and noise in Brixton. She took to the stage with a fairly static looking fella named Adam, and quietly silenced the whole room with what built into a stunning monologue. It was captivating.
'Tron' by Madonnatron
Their debut album came out recently, and it’s a marvellous piece of harmonic witchery. Your record collection will feel lost without it.
'The Sweet Smell of Florida' by Warmduscher
We both agree, probably the best live band we’ve seen since Meatraffle first blew our little minds. Full-on free-form wonk for anyone with two left feet to dance to!
'Office Jungle Break' by Suitman Jungle
Must-see him live! From what we can make out, a very well dressed city-slicker moonlighting as an anti-social commentator to the tune of broken beats and filthy basslines, or maybe it’s the other way round?