LingLing

What's LingLing? It's two girls living in Brooklyn having a good time making music.

Before we could ask them a question, they hit us with one...







Ling 1: Do people watch that show World's Astonishing News?

Chief Magazine: No, I've been in Tokyo so I don't know...

Ling 1: It's Japanese.

Oh. World's Astonishing News? Hmmm...

Ling 1: It's probably called something else in Japanese...

I don't know it... do you know Hard Gay?

Hard Gay?

Yeah, it's this guy who goes around in leather mini-shorts and a police hat - very '80s gay. You can find him on youtube, he's hilarious.

Ling 2: YMCA?

Exactly, that's what I was trying to think of. YMCA.

LingLing: Nope.

Well, okay... thanks for the interview!

Ling Ling: Cheers!

So, are you guys called Ling Purse or LingLing? I've seen both...

LingLing: LingLing.

Ling 2: Together. At the same time.

Ling 1: If you were to say it properly, you would say Ling twice at the same time. But you can't say it right. Here, in this interview.

Okay. Good to know.  And what's the "lingpurse"?

Ling 2: That's just our URL page, because someone else had taken "lingling."

Oooh.  Bitches.

Ling 2: Yeah.

Was it that little guy named Lingling from Drawn Together?

Ling 2: No, it was a restaurant.

Ling 1: You mean the missing dog?

No, it's a cartoon, he's a rip-off of Pikachu.

Ling 1: What's Pikachu?

It's a... a Pokemon. You know what it is.

Ling 2: There's a missing dog.

Ling 1: Really? I guess I was in the bathroom for that.

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So I heard you guys are Siamese twins? Where were you born?

Ling 2: Well, we born in Japanada. Which is another dimension.

Ling 1: Well, sort of in a porthole between here and there.

And you guys got lost?

LingLing: Well, our mother did.

Ling 1: She fell in to a porthole, which fucking sucked, 'cause she was about to give birth to us.

Ling 2: And when that happened, we flipped out and fell into this dimension.

To here. So... how did you become unattached?

Ling 2: Well... we--

Ling 1: We didn't really have bodies when we came here. It's hard to explain, but we didn't - we're not three-dimensional where we come from, we were

Ling 2: We were two-dimensional...

Ling 1: RIght, so we had to pick some kind of texture to fit in here.

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So you picked hot girl bodies. Could you have been guys?

Ling 1: Well, we didn't really pick pick.

Ling 2: It all just kind of happened at once.

Ling 1: Yeah, and we weren't always hot. That kind of developed over time.

You're doing well with that though. The hotness... it's working out.

LingLing: Thanks!

Ling 1: Boobs are cool.

So how did you guys get into music?

Ling 1: It's funny, we never-

Ling 2: Really fit anywhere-

Ling1: We were raised separately and I ran away to join the circus, so I never really went to school. By the time we met up, we really wanted to bond, and find out where we came from, so we started a multi-disciplinary art project, which is LingLing, which is everything from multimedia art, to music...

LingLing: To dance, performance art.

Wow, I didn't know that!

Ling 2: Yeah, the music is just one facet of what we do.

Wow, okay. So you guys do performances and stuff, too? Do you have anything coming up?

Ling 2: We're working now on something now... it's more along the lines of dance... yeah... so we're working on that right now.

Cool. So you guys were separated? How did you find each other again?

Ling 2: It's actually really, really weird. Basically, I was walking down the street, on 1st, and all of a sudden I felt this, like beating sensation.

Ling 1: I started vibrating.

Ling 2: And then we bumped into each other, and then-

Ling 1: there was electricity in the air, my hair was on end. There was a fire all along the sidewalk.

Damn. So before that did you know the other one existed?

Ling 1: Well, I always knew there was something missing in my life. In this dimension.

Ling 2: I felt... I would always sing, "Somewhere out there" every night at my window... yeah, I knew there was some other part of me... missing.

And then when you saw each other, you knew?

Ling 2: Oh yeah, we knew.

Ling 1: And we have matching scars.

Oh you do?

Ling 1: I'd show you, but it's in a really weird place.

Okay... so, you guys hadn't done any music before you met?

LingLing: No.

Ling 2: A few piano lessons here and there.

Ling1: And I was with the circus - we were kind of musical, I guess. Creative.

Ling 2: I was also helping orphans.

How'd that go?

Ling 2: Good, good. I still... you know... help... orphans from time to time.

So what's your process of making music, now? You guys have two albums, is that right?

Ling 2: Well, we just put out an EP with Television Personalities. We did a remix of their "Dark Places." That's the most recent thing. We haven't really put anything out yet, we have a hard time with our album 50/50, because of the whole - nobody wants to put it out, obviously, because we use 50 Cent, so there's all these issues.

Ling 1: We don't have the rights to it.

Ling 2: Yeah, but you know, whatever.

Oh, okay, so that was your first album, but it's not actually produced and out because you, well, you can't.

LingLing: Exactly.

Ling 2: We have other things out with other people, like remixes for Gidget Sparks and so on.

I was going to ask about that actually. How do you know them?

Ling 1: Through friends and the internet.

Ling 2: I came about Gidget Sparks through Paper Rad. She sings about dinosaurs. We thought it was really sweet, and we asked if we could do a remix, and it's taken some time but we did it and - have you heard it?

On MySpace, yeah. Actually, she has that LingLing, the guy from Drawn Together on that page.  In fact, there was another remix you guys did that I saw on myspace, what was it, kudu?

Ling 2: They're a band out of New York. They play at Nublu alot.

So where do you play out? Do you play out?

Ling 1: Oh you know, really random places.

Ling 2: Like the park. Sometimes in our heads. Living rooms.

Didn't you guys do a Chief party?

LingLing: We couldn't. We were moving.

Oh. You live together?

LingLing: Yea.

Where did you grow up?

LingLing: Here.

Both of you?

Ling 1: Well, separately. My family was all carnies - she had a more normal upbringing, but we were both in the city.

So the first track I heard from you guys was "Postman" 07 Postman.mp3 I thought that was fucking awesome. And then I heard "Lover" 03 Lover.mp3 and I can't get that shit out of my head.

Ling 2: Thank you!

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So what was the inspiration for the 50/50 album?

Ling 1: It was just this weird idea we had one day.  It came from listening to 50 Cent, to 50's music.

Ling 2: Yeah, it's like, she's 50, I'm 50, so together we're 100%!

Right on, cool! What gear do you guys use?

Ling 2: Obviously a computer.  We collect and record random sounds.

Ling 1: We're not very high tech.

Ling 2: Whatever we need to do to get the sound we want.

Ling 1: Basically we sit and meditate, and wait for stardust from a rainbow to fall into our hands and then we mix it together, create electricity and whatever happens happens.

What programs do you use on the computer?

Ling 2: Logic. And ProTools... mostly Logic.

So you guys can't really put that out, but with the internet, everybody's hearing it anyway, right?

Ling 1: It's all in fun, you know what I mean? It's about, it's like really cool to have an idea and make it happen.  It wasn't about trying to market it or anything.

It seems like everyone who hears it loves it, so that's kind of cool right? That's rewarding.

LingLing: Yeah.

Ling 1: We just kinda did it, you know.  It's like taking a poo. You do it and see what happens, you know?

So what about this new EP? What's that called?

Ling 2: The one with Television Personalities? It's called Rainbows Under Tunnels. And it's out through Domino.

The New York record label?

Ling 2: Yeah. They just contacted us, and asked if we wanted to do a remix.

That's fucking awesome. They just called you up?

Ling 2: Yeah, well...

Ling 1: I couldn't believe someone actually contacted us through MySpace.

Ling 2: So weird.

That's sweet. You're blowing up.

Ling 2: They have a huge following. Apparently they were Kurt Cobain's favorite band.  That's what comes up when you google them.

That's awesome.  What about CDA(Shuffle)? I saw that - is it an album? - on MySpace.

Ling 1: Well, we have two pages, and one is more what we've done with other people, like Self Satisfied, a band out of Grand Rapids, and we do stuff for random people, random projects, and that was one of them...

Ling 2: They only allow you four songs on MySpace. It's very annoying.

That is annoying. I didn't know that.

Ling 1: Yeah.

So you guys just go out there, have fun, find people to work with?

Ling 2: Or they come to us, yeah.

Ling 1: We fell into the universe, so you know. Into the asshole of the universe.

The musical asshole.

Ling 1: Yeah. But we're not just concentrating on music. That happened relatively by accident. We're just fucking around.

Ling 2: We want to do a comic book and we have a bunch of ideas.

About your history?

Ling 1: And daily adventures. Like a web comic.

That's a great idea, you should definitely do that.

Ling 1: And our live shows, will be more performance art. We will play our music but...

Ling 2: It's hard to describe... I mean, if there were words to describe it, I would use them but...

Lingling: [look at each other and giggle]

Ling 1: It's like a big marshmallow.

Aw, that's sweet. Lingling, the big marshmallow.

Ling 2: Yeah.

So do you guys DJ your live shows?

Lingling: Sometimes.

Ling 1: We're really corny.  Sometimes she'll DJ and I'll dance, sometimes vice versa. [Pause] But we don't make out when it's over.

You don't?

Ling 1: Not usually.

Well, you are sisters.

Ling 2: Well, things are different in every realm.

What is it like, in your realm? In Japanada?

LingLing: I don't know.

Ling 1: We wish we did.

Oh, you haven't been.

Ling 2: We're trying to find our way back.

Ling 1: I don't know, I don't really wanna go back. I'm comfortable here.

Ling 2: I need to see my roots

Ling 1: I thought we talked about this. Fuck it, who cares.

Ling 2: Go ahead, run away.

LingLing: Sorry.

It's cool, sibling rivalry. Get it out.  So where do you find new stuff to mix?

Ling 2: We record random sounds. You know, take a tape recorder, and if there's a protest going on, we'll record that. Or a crazy person on the street.  Anything that's interesting.  Plug it in, see what happens.  Come up with stuff, with instruments on ProTools.  Literally sit on ProTools for hours working out sounds, like doot doot doot doot. You know, whatever.

That's interesting.

Ling 2: We also take, like old 70's songs, remixes. Whatever we hear. Chop it up, and you know, just make the sound.

You guys have any favorite bands and singers?

Ling 1: Favorite's a tough word. We have inspirations.

Okay, shoot.

Lingling: Ace of Base.

Right on.

LingLing: [Laughing] Milli Vanilli!

Ling 1: Marilyn Manson. Full House.

Ling 2: Kimmy Gibbler.

Ling 1: Daria. Unicorns.

Ling 2: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. It's a movie. About an old vaudeville--

Ling 1: Performer. We like dance stuff.

You have a background in dance?

Ling 1: Yeah, we both do. I mean, separately, of course. 'Cause we hadn't met.

When did you meet?

LingLing: Four years ago.

And 50/50 was your first joint project?

Ling 2: First musical thing, yeah. We had done some videos with painting and dance before that. Performance art.

Are you really into rap?

Ling 2: I'm not gonna lie. I like 50 Cent. I listen to Tupac.

So is everyone ever surprised that the magic behind the music is two skinny white girls?

Ling 1: Yeah, sometimes.

Ling 2: Pretty much.

Ever get comments from people.

Ling 2: [Laughs] People seem to be responding to it, though. I don't know.

Ling 1: We got a hate mail once.

Really? What'd it say?

Ling 1: I don't remember.

Ling 2: Love mail, hate mail, it's all the same.

Is it?

Ling 2: Well, it's all a reaction.

True, true.

Ling 1: All publicity is good, right?

Ling 2: The music/performance/dance stuff is-

Ling 1: We really want to integrate a bunch into our live shows. The music part took off, but-

The music is what's taken off but you guys are going to be doing a whole smorgasbord of shit. Good shit.

LingLing: Yeah.

Ling 2: Audience participation. We want to build up our music so it can go with our dance.

Ling 1: Musicians, unicorns, acrobats...

I would love to see that. The unicorns.

Ling 1: The unicorns can't come to every show. The acrobats, the snake lady, always there. But the unicorns, they come when they want.  And sometimes you need special glasses to see them.

Oh, they're 2D? Or wait, you need 3D glasses?

Ling 1: We'll need to pass out glasses.
Ling 2: We're going to have to eat a lot of Cheerios.

Why?

Ling 2: Because that's where you find the glasses.

Oh, right. Well, you could pass them out, and then they'd have to eat them.

Ling 1: The shows would get expensive for us, though. Cheerio boxes for everyone.

Fuckin' Cheerios are like four bucks. LingLing's worth that much right? I think people would pay the money. And they'd get Cheerios.

Ling 1: I think that's what we've made so far. [Laughs]

So what's the craziest thing that's happened to you in the last week?

Ling 1: I got naked and people left. That was weird. And we cleaned.

Ling 2: Yeah, that was weird. We cleaned. She gets naked all the time, so...

Ling 1: But people leaving was weird.

Website

myspace.com/thelingpurse
myspace.com/thelingpurse2

Downloads

05 Lee.mp3
06 Fools.mp3

Photos

Jun Zee Myers

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