We chat to Pedro da Silva Pinto, lead singer of alternative Indie group 340million, about their upcoming performance at the Red Bull Music Festival. By Kwanele Mathebula
1. How did you get into music?
Growing up in Maputo, Mozambique, in the 1990s, we didn’t really have access to a lot of new music. We had limited access to the Internet and pay television such as DStv. We would spend time at a friend’s house during weekends, recording music shows such as Alternative Nation and Headbangers Ball on MTV. We recorded them on old VHS tapes, and spent hours trying to figure out the meaning of the songs. At some point, we were all in different garage bands playing other people’s songs before eventually getting together to write and make our own music.
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2. What inspires your music?
Our new music is inspired by electronic dance. It is also accompanied by a visual side, which is new to us. The interaction between sound and imagery has always been of interest to us, and we’re excited to explore it. Two of our members are also busy with live scoring – creating music specifically for film. We’ve combined this concept into the 340ml live set, and it works well.
3. How and when did you find out that you were selected to be part of the Red Bull Music Festival?
We have been in talks with Red Bull for a while because we wanted to bring this new show to Joburg. We respect what the company is doing on the music and culture space, and were happy to be invited to be part of such a big line-up for a global festival. For us to be part of a festival that aims to celebrate the city of Johannesburg and its contribution to music history is powerful. This is more than a music festival – it’s a space for the expansion of minds and ideas through creative expression.
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4. What can we expect from your performance?
It is going to be a full-on audio-visual experience, with seven people on stage. We will be surrounded by a myriad of instruments and a huge LED screen projecting visuals that are synchronised to the music. This will be energetic, and a lot of fun for us to perform. Expect to be given wings!
The Red Bull Music Festival takes place from 03 – 08 April 2018 in Johannesburg. Find tickets here.
