London artist Slinkachu has been doing miniature work for the past 15 years or so. His work has always been fascinating to me because it’s the type of art that, unless you’re intently aware of your surroundings, you’ll probably miss it. It specifically encourages people to be more aware of their surroundings. I respect the fact that, despite all the meticulous work and detail put into each piece, he’s able to just place these little scenes out there in the world and let the chips fall as they may. It’s that impermanence factor that I find to be a key component to the appeal.
Fortunately, not only is Slinkachu great at fashioning his own worlds out of Preiser miniature model train set figurines, he’s also a great photographer (as you can see in the photos below). I’m sure that being able to capture a snapshot of these mini installations as they exist in a temporary puddle on the street makes it easier for him to walk away. He’s collected these photographs into a couple of impressive little books for people to fawn over.
Fortunately, if you don’t live in an area where he’s been known to place these creations out and about, all is not lost. He’s had gallery shows all over, where you can not only see his photographs, but you can get up real close to some of his miniatures in person and see for yourself how impressive they are.
First album you bought?
The first I was was a Best of The Beatles album on cassette as I loved my dad’s Beatles records, but he wasn’t going to allow a four-year-old to use his record player. The first I bought with my own pocket money was the seminal album ‘Serious Fun’ by The Firm – the ‘band’ that bought us this classic anthem:given
The Firm – Star Trekkin’
Last album you bought?
I mostly stream albums these days. The last I downloaded was ‘What We Drew’ by Yaeji.
First concert?
The BBC’s largest radio station, Radio 1, used to tour the UK during the summer. They would stage free live concerts on the beach near my home and I would go to these as a kid. The first I remember going to had 80s pop star Kylie Minogue as the main guest singer.
Last concert?
I was invited to a small Jessie J gig at Abbey Road Studios last year. I wasn’t expecting much, but she was an amazing live singer.
Was there one album that made a significant impression on you?
Bjork – Debut. I was a huge fan of Bjork when I was younger and still enjoy her music now. Her creativity was incredibly inspiring for me as a teenager. Her music videos have always been amazing too.
Who is your musical hero?
Ben Folds. I’ve always enjoyed his song writing, both as a solo artist and in Ben Folds Five. I love his storytelling through his music – sometimes ridiculous stories and sometimes heartbreaking.
How important is music to your creative process?
I have a very eclectic taste in music and also tend to prefer discovering new music rather than listening to older stuff. Because of this, I don’t often find listening to music to be a passive activity, so I mainly work with no background noise, or half-listening to podcasts instead. Music tends to inspire me more when I am not working or thinking about my work, when I am out of the house travelling or walking the dog.
BONUS: Is there any music in particular getting you through this strange time we’re living through?
If I want to check out and add some excitement to the daily dog walks, I’ll sometimes play some classic John Williams Star Wars scores. I’ve also discovered a composer on YouTube called Samuel Kim who creates over-the-top epic versions of cinema scores that help transport me away from our present day hellscape.
Star Wars Main Theme | EPIC CINEMATIC EMOTIONAL VERSION
Low – Lucy Camp
Rules – Doja Cat
raingurl – Yaeji
Gravity’s Rainbow – Klaxons
Kemosabe – Everything Everything
Old Friends – Pinegrove
Say Something Loving – The xx
All Is Full Of Love – Björk
Two Weeks – FKA twigs
Nico and the Niners – Twenty One Pilots
Backseat (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen) – Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen
One Armed Scissor – At The Drive In
Brick – Ben Folds Five
What Sarah Said – Death Cab for Cutie
I’ll Just Dance – Su Lee
Shadow – Chromatics
Wave – The Midnight
IMPORTED (with 6LACK) – Jessie Reyez, 6LACK
Fast Cars – Connie Constance
Piano Fire – Sparklehorse, PJ Harvey
Midnight City – M83
Check out Slinkachu’s playlist below on Spotify. Be sure to like Background Noise on Facebook for updates on future episodes. You can browse ALL the Background Noise episodes right here.
