Flash Fiktion - Capsules of Sun

Following their excellent debut Leni / Science Of Sleep, the south London separatist trio, Flash Fiktion, release the euphoric Capsules of Sun.  Singer Matt Rokk says; “The song is about self-enforced optimism; using exterior chemicals to induce interior feelings of happiness and warmth.  We’re in a reality bypass right now – into old fashioned escapism rather than new fangled aspiration; we’re celebrating music, fantasy, bright colours and vivid stories.”

“This country needs to be less maudlin - there’s a tendency to grumble about everything.  We love the place, but everyone needs to get a grin on. We know times are hard and it’s been raining a lot, so let’s resurrect the blitz sprit. Recession, never mind, we’ve always been skint anyway. Bankers – aren’t they sweet? It’s great that they got paid, give me a banker over a library any day.  If they’re feeling a bit guilty they should buy some music or art. Is living in London tough? Dan, our drummer had to take a citizenship test to be here at all.  He now knows the name of every commonwealth country, if you had to learn that you’d appreciate what the Royal wedding  is about – Bill and Kate’s great adventure - we love ‘em, let’s have a street party, on valium.

“There’s this artist called Nicky Carvell who says “make the everyday exotic and the familiar fantastic” – and that’s the right way of thinking.  She asked her to design the artwork for “Capsules Of Sun” and it looked so special that we made a 7” picture disc – only trouble was that our name and the song titles got in the way of the brilliance of the pictures, so we pulled all the text off it.

Flash Fiktion are certainly not maudlin. Their name is appropriated from the writing genre of the same name, stories on the back of a postcard, flash rather than flashy, and this carries through the well crafted songs and self made videos. Mo Ping Pong is a vivid travelogue through Arabic North Africa. The video for Capsules of Sun is a hazy, roxy angel eyes, showing that with some warped imagination beauty can be one step away from grotesque.

Big fat tunes, afro cuban rhythms, south  London eccentricity.  Flash Fiktion are quintessentially English, with influences spread across the last few decades - Late Of The Pier, the Blockheads, Roxy Music and a youthful Blur. They’re (re)mixing in some interesting circles too - A couple of ace examples included – Is Tropical get all space invaders on their mission to the Sun of the title track and Old Arc double-lock Zane favourite, Leni,  in the cellar and dark him out something stupid.

Tracklisting:

A: Capsules of Sun
B: Mo Ping Pong

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