Sonic Panda and Oblique

Industrial-pop provocateurs Sonic Panda and synth-wave veterans Oblique join forces on “Silence Is In Vogue,” a bold and satirical collaboration exploring modern polarization, creative freedom, and the power of music to challenge perceptions.

1. “Silence Is In Vogue” tackles themes of social hypersensitivity and polarization with a satirical edge. What inspired you both to explore these topics, and how did your different perspectives shape the song’s message?

Sonic Panda: Seni is Chinese and I (Pere) have lived in China all my adult life so culturally we are very familiar with the idea of certain topics not being adequate to be discussed in public; But in the last years seeing the increasing tensions in western culture has been quite shocking. Plus we were being constantly warned of things we shouldn’t say in our songs or show in our videos (fun fact: our mv ‘foreigners’ was pulled off the internet in its first 24h, and we had to come up immediately with an alternative to replace it).

2. Sonic Panda’s industrial-gothic energy and Oblique’s synth-wave sensibilities create a unique fusion on this release. How did the collaboration come together, and what did each band bring to the creative process?

Oblique: Pere from Sonic Panda contacted us through social media, and we decided to check their Instagram and YouTube. We felt that what we saw and heard was of high quality, so we decided to combine styles to create something different. Oblique contributed the analog synth element, and the Sonja-Pere vocal duo rounded out the equation.

Sonic Panda: ‘Silence Is In Vogue’ wasn’t going to be included in our upcoming album, we felt that there was something amiss. But I came across a remix they did for OBK a Spanish renowned artist and I loved their sound. I binge-listened to their catalog on Spotify and those 80s vibes won me over. And it was then that I thought that ‘Silence Is in Vogue’ was a perfect track to do with them.

3. The song is highly danceable while also carrying a strong social commentary. How important was it for you to balance entertainment with a deeper message, and what reactions do you hope to spark in listeners?

Sonic Panda: Entertainment and comedy are all part of the message. The lyrics are simplistic on purpose, yet conveying a bigger issue. Complaining about being afraid to say something by kinda saying nothing at all. The music video of a comic nature, fun, entertaining with a seemingly unrelated story but again touching some of the things that you are not supposed to (guns, sex, violence). We don’t really have any expectation regarding the reactions, we just hope people enjoy it for one reason or another lol.

4. Beyond sharing vocal duties, Oblique were also involved in the production of the track. What was the most rewarding aspect of working together in the studio, and were there any unexpected creative discoveries along the way?

Oblique: On the creative side – since we were each on opposite sides of the globe – the process involved blending ideas from both bands to craft the final song. A connection formed from the very first minute; everything flowed perfectly, as if we had worked together before.

Sonic Panda: I had the feeling that working with them was going to be easy from the get go, and so it was. We clicked, and they really added value to the song, we love Sonja’s voice and that catchy solo synth break in the track, that’s all on them. We cannot forget also Matt Pop, who did an amazing remix and was such a pleasure to work with.

5. The EP’s audiovisual concept is particularly intriguing, with three different videos presenting the same story but leading to different endings. How did this idea develop, and what does it add to the overall experience of “Silence Is In Vogue”?

Sonic Panda: Part of the concept of the track is about how we perceive something we read, hear or see. And how we get offended or hurt by it depending on our bias. So since each version of the song has its own personality I thought to also give it three different perspectives and possible outcomes to the same premise. But if you want to know the cannon ending, that’s on the comic book that is also included with the EP lol.

6. This single serves as the first preview of Sonic Panda’s upcoming album Neomelodrama, while Oblique have recently released Until There’s Nothing Left. What can fans expect from your respective future projects, and would you be open to collaborating again after this release?

Oblique: With “Until There’s Nothing Left” we offered an almost meditative experience where the music became a space for introspection; and next we are going to be presenting it live on July 17th in Deskomunal (Barcelona).

Sonic Panda: On July 10th we will play in Sugar Cube in Tokyo, and after that we will finish up our album with Carlsed our wonderful producer, so that it can be ready after the summer.  And about working again with Oblique, wouldn’t it be fun if we say never again? Lol Nah – that’s a yes for sure -well if they have us, we can be intense lol.

SONIC PANDA Official: Instagram | Linktree