We spoke to both strands of Helix to find out more about them and their future.
What’s the story behind Helix?
Mari: I was in a band called Day Twelve and back in 2012 we wanted to have a professional mix done of one of our songs. I was a fan of Toms’ work and had heard that he offered mixing services so I reached out and sent him one of the tracks.
He really liked my voice and when he was sent an iVardensphere track called Society of Dogs he thought that perhaps we could join forces to take it to another level. It went incredibly smooth. I think I may have written my part in the course of a couple of hours. I think it was a massive success for Tom and I as a team right off the bat.
Over the years Tom and I would collaborate on a couple of other things. We shared so many similar loves and had a similar taste in music. We would casually throw the idea back and forth of possibly working on a project together at one time or another and then one day we created Helix.
Tom: Yeah, it was really a matter of us collaborating here and there on other people’s projects that we just said one day, “Why on earth aren’t we doing our own project?” I’m not usually much of a collaborator, but Mari was so easy to work with right from the start. I knew it would work out.
How did you go about collaborating on Twin; Did you meet up and write in the studio or was it done over the net?
Mari: Tom and I work solely over the internet. To be honest in all of my projects, regardless of the location of my musical collaborators, we would usually work solo. I think it gives you the chance to explore whatever avenue you would like to go down without having to commit to anything until you are solid about your idea.
“I’d get excited when I [found] vocals from Mari waiting for me.”
Tom: Yeah, we live on opposite sides of the country, so in-person collaboration isn’t really practical. Fortunately, we’ve each got our own recording set-ups, so it’s easy to record individually and send tracks back and forth. We both have a very similar vision for the project, so it’s rare that anything needs to be changed. What you hear on the album is pretty much the first incarnation of the song. I think it sounds fresher that way.
How do you feel that worked out for the album?
Mari: It worked out great. I’m really happy with how the album came out. I think the element of surprise was always interesting. Tom would sort of entertain me with the feel of the next song he was coming up with and it was fun to try and guess what I would actually be hearing when the track actually came through. It’s like sending presents back and forth.
Tom: That’s a good way of putting it. I’d get excited when I [found] vocals from Mari waiting for me. That first moment you drop them over the music and hear the combination is always exciting. It worked out really well. It’s a really varied album without sounding inconsistent. And Mari made it a piece of cake!
Can you describe Twin to someone unfamiliar with your previous work(s)?
Mari: I would [describe] Twin as a mix of many styles. Mainly focusing on a synth-pop/trip-hop vibe. But the thing that makes the album really special is how much thought went into the little details that you hear pop up when you are listening.
“We are on board for more Helix albums in the future”
Tom: Mari and I have pretty similar musical tastes and two areas in particular I think shaped the sound of the album, and that’s 90’s electronica and trip-hop and grime/garage. There’s obviously more to it than just that, but those styles definitely permeate most of the album. I guess I would describe it as late-night music.
What influences went into Twin, were you both coming from different places or did you come from the same or similar inspirations?
Mari: Tom and I have very similar tastes in music which is one of the reasons why I think this collaboration works out so well for us both. What really inspired this one was our shared love of 90’s music, UK garage and grime. It’s something that we both love but we don’t really go there when it comes to our own projects really and so this was a chance for us to run with those sorts of ideas to see where they take us.
Tom: Pretty much what she said. What made this a liberating record was that we got to step outside of what people normally expect from us and explore some new territory.
Are there plans for a follow up?
Mari: Absolutely! It’s funny because a few people have mentioned that this may be a one-off but its totally not. We are on board for more Helix albums in the future so stay tuned!
Tom: When we first started the project, we decided to work on one song and see how it went. It exceeded both of our expectations and with each song we did the more certain I was that this was a project I wanted to keep working on.
What does the future look like?
Mari: We’re planning some live dates, which is really exciting for us, and we are also planning a Twin remix album to come out around Christmas time.
Tom: There’s also a possibility I may do some remixes as Helix in the near future, but that remains to be seen. [There is] lots of exciting stuff to come!
