by Bella Perez

Check out the full interview on Youtube: https://youtu.be/LuhefGjWYkM?si=Nm3yi87_0OBCBFdQ 

Bella: “Hey everyone! Welcome back to KCR my name is Bella and today we are joined by producer and media artist, Luc Borkor-Smith, otherwise known as the act Parlour Magic. For those who aren’t familiar with you, could you give us an introduction on yourself and your music?” 

Luc introduced himself as a producer, engineer and musician based in New York. He has performed as the act Parlour Magic for the past 6 years, producing synth pop and recently string arrangements. 

Bella: “You guys, Parlour Magic just released their newest album The Embassy after two years of waiting for another masterpiece. I’ve got to say this record is a must listen! Personally, my favorite song is ‘Echo Baby.’ Is there a track you would recommend to listeners?” 

Luc: “The first single we put out was ‘Alter Boy,’ but ‘Echo Baby,’ being the first track on the album, is a good place to start. You kinda can’t go wrong.” 

When asked about his involvement with the album, Luc revealed that he was in every step of its production–from the songwriting to the recording. 

Bella: “Can you run us through the creative process of the album?”  

Luc: “Basically, I think the story of this album comes down to the collaborative spirit in which it was recorded.”  

He continues to explain that the first two Parlour Magic albums were recorded and written almost entirely by himself. The Embassy was especially unique “in the sense of how many people touched each song” (around 7-8 or 12-13 collaborators per track).  

During his last tour, Saturn Return, he quickly realized that performing with a live band allows the music to become something else entirely. That gave him the idea of going forth with a more collaborative album. Having multiple people in a room at a time helped the album grow its personality. 

Luc believes that the most important moments in life are “transitional.” 

“It’s when you meet someone, leave something or arrive somewhere,” he adds. According to him, that idea was the main source of inspiration that led him to the crafting of the album. 

Luc: “It feels like an arrival of where I’ve been trying to get in these past few albums.”

Luc: “One song that I’m particularly interested in because it was sort of something that was in a new direction that I want to chase a little further is the song ‘Arizona 2000.’” 

“Arizona 2000” is a guitar bass song that Luc single-handedly wrote on an acoustic guitar in his home. He  went on to describe the song as one that stands out from the rest, the reason being that it was the first time he used a string section. The passion behind the string arrangement, which was only presented for a brief moment, had Luc deeply interested in experimenting more with strings. 

Luc: “I think that sonically it’s quite different. I would be more tempted to call this a rock album than a synthpop album.” 

Bella: “Apart from the music itself, Parlour Magic has visuals that stand out attaching an identity to the album. From frosted doors, to long hallways and office spaces, The Embassy sort of gives off a noir and mysterious vibe. Who/what influenced these themes? Let’s talk about these color choices! 

Half of the album was recorded in Berlin during this past spring into summer. With friends who are also musicians, Luc recorded music in a studio called Funk House, which used to be an East German state broadcasting headquarters. 

Luc: “It has that very communist brutalist architecture. I think the vibe of that building really rubbed off on the aesthetic and themes of what became The Embassy” 

Visuals are important to Luc, but he emphasised that it will never be above the music. When working on a project, he tries to imagine the visual world in which the music is coming from. Inspired by Canadian photographer Greg Girard, Luc incorporated his work as the album cover. 

Luc: “That radio tower in the distance is very on theme. If you listen to the lyrics there’s a lot of stuff about communication, broken signals, faint radio signals and broadcasts. Besides how evocative it is visually, there was something about that photo that drew me in.” 

Bella: “Parlour Magic is preparing to begin their tour on the west coast with their next show being on Aug. 6 in San Francisco, followed by shows in Fresno, Los Angeles and, Aztecs if you’re interested by now, Parlour Magic will be performing on Aug. 10 at the Soda Bar. For more information go to parlourmagic.com.” 

Luc: “ It’s gonna be a really fun show and maybe you’ll make a friend or two along the way.” 

Bella: “Aztecs, thanks for tuning in and I’ll catch you on the next one!”