Q&A: German Duo Sugartin Bring Back ’80s Sounds With ‘Spaß Allein’
YOU BETTER BRUSH OFF YOUR GERMAN KNOWLEDGE — because you’ll need it while listening to Sugartin. The German synth-pop duo has just released their three-part EP, Spaß Allein, meaning “having fun alone.”
Daniel and Iris, the two members of the band, enjoy making music in their basement studio in the city of Stuttgart. Their creations draw heavily on the ’80s synth-pop scene, characterized by futuristic keyboard chords, reverberated vocals, and catchy beats.
Their mission? Become a one-hit wonder — and maybe more. Read below to learn more about Sugartin and their new EP, Spaß Allein.
LUNA: Introduce yourself. How and when was Sugartin born?
SUGARTIN: Sugartin is a synth-pop duo based in Stuttgart, Germany. We started our project at the beginning of 2022. Daniel has been producing electronic music since the early ’90s under the names of Cybordelics and Rework. Iris is a teacher and likes writing lyrics. One day we decided to put that together since we have a home studio in the basement.
LUNA: How has your music changed within the past few years?
SUGARTIN: In the beginning, we used guitars and bass along with the electronic stuff. We changed to only two synths, the drum computer, and the vocals.
LUNA: Who are the biggest influences on your music?
SUGARTIN: Fad Gadget, Yazoo, Erasure, and Anne Clark.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
SUGARTIN: “Running Away” is our favorite so far. The lovely verse captures your heart and makes you dream of running away. The chorus rewards you with a synth hook line you will never forget. The combination of synth sounds, heartbeat drums, and [Iris’] soft sugar voice will melt your heart.
LUNA: How did you develop your style? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
SUGARTIN: We try to combine ’80s sounds with a modern approach to bring it to the present. We already experimented with different genres and want to go more in the synth-wave direction.
LUNA: What inspired Spaß Allein? How did it come to life?
SUGARTIN: Iris loves shuffle beats because of their coolness and sexiness. [She] ordered this kind of beat from Daniel, inspired by Fad Gadget’s “Fireside Favorite,” which is one of the greatest shuffle-beats songs ever. Fitting to this the lyrics play with ambiguities. “Spaß Allein” means “having fun alone.”
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
SUGARTIN: We produce our tracks ourselves. Iris writes the lyrics, Daniel produces the music.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
SUGARTIN: Iris works as a teacher and Daniel works as a piano and guitar teacher. So we’re working on Sugartin on holidays, weekends, and evenings.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one?
SUGARTIN: No, maybe in the future. We played in Paris once. That was fun.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
SUGARTIN: The “big” Clarks: Anne Clark and Vince Clark.
LUNA: Where do you see yourselves in one year?
SUGARTIN: We want to become a one-hit wonder.
