Team LG is the partnership of Mr L and Little G, a duo who released their debut EP 'The Way We Do It' earlier this year on Manchester's Twisted Nerve label (home of Mum & Dad, DOT, Sirconical, Aidan Smith) as part of their 'MP3 Weekly Adventures Series'. 'The Way We Do It' was an EP of lo-fi production, toy-like percussion, bizarre samples and of course, eclectic music tastes.

Recently, the pair have completed their second EP - the strangely titled 'One Of Us Is Going To Have To Lose Weight', which is also out this week through the Twisted Nerve label. Juliet Flanton caught up with the friendly duo for a lovely chat about all things feline.

For more information on Team LG and to purchase their two mp3 EP's, check out the Twisted Nerve site for : The Way We Do It and also One Of Us Is Going To Have To Lose Weight

Greetings Mr L and Little G, how are you both?

Mr L : Very well...nice of you to ask!

Little G : Hello!

Your second EP 'One Of Us Is Going To Have To Lose Weight' was released this week as part of Twisted Nerve's 'Weekly Mp3 Series', do you feel MP3 only releases are going to become the dominant source of purchasing music within the music industry?

Mr L : I think that all depends on how many people continue to buy CDs or records. I know that sounds trite but it really is that simple. If I was 14 years old now I think I would be more likely to start a collection of great mp3's than a record collection. Also it is much easier to download exciting new music than it is to travel to the nearest good record shop that may or may not have what you are looking for. However personally I love a good piece of vinyl and would always buy that over any other format.

Little G : I agree with Mr L because he said I had to.

Mr L, you make your vocal debut on 'Little Anne', is this going to be a more permanent fixture into Team LG? It's not bad by the way...

Mr L : Thank you! It was scary to start with, but it didn't come out too badly. I'm sure there will be more songs. We don't really have any masterplan, we just do things for fun, sometimes they work...sometimes they don't!

You have some pretty interesting recording methods - according to the Twisted Nerve website, you "started recording ideas onto a sampler and a four track and have been doing it that way ever since. Not working on a computer means that nothing gets backed up or saved. It is all about capturing the moment and moving on." Don't you find this method restricting at all?

Mr L : Nope! It's the opposite, you never have time to get too bogged down in tweaking things to infinity, you have to make a decision and live with it. That way you are acting on a gut instinct which is easier than endless conversations about snare sounds in the middle 8.

Don't you ever feel like spending weeks or even months on tracks, trying to develop them further?

Mr L : I think a "proper" band would act like that, but Team LG is about me and Little G making songs for each other and the songs reflect a certain mood on a certain weekend, or they are a reaction to an argument, or just about something stupid. It would seem odd spending lots of time over songs that had already served their purpose when we could be writing new ones! AND on top of that Little G has no patience for that type of behaviour!

Little G : That's right, are we finished with this interview yet?

Another interesting method is the sampling of your pet cat Minou on 'Who's Bothering Puss Puss', are there any other unusual objects you incorporate as a musical instrument?

Mr L : Umm the usual claps, snaps and funny noises you can make with your body. I sample the road outside our flat a lot, and Little G's mums piano stool has a nice squeak. We also sampled a rattly toy gun which when we slowed it down sounded like a creaky old sailing ship. That was my favourite.

Some might see it all as being a bit pretentious...

Mr L : I would hate that! I think we are homely and honest. But on the other hand lots of people like pretentious stuff, if people hadn't been pretentious we wouldn't have had great records by Eno or Herbert or errr...Flock of Seagulls!

Little G : Or Steely Dan

Would you ever take your music to a live environment or would it be too difficult?

Mr L : We are in the process of finding that out at the moment. I might be too nervous to do it, or it might just not work. I fantasise about it a lot, when I wander around listening to our music I imagine string sections, proper pianos and me and puss puss in dinner jackets.

Little G : Our stuff is so much about hiding away together in the flat, it would be odd to bring it out into the world but I think we will, if only to see puss puss in a dinner jacket.

The next EP due for November will be recorded over the space of a weekend and made available for only one day - why so?

Mr L : That will be our third EP for Twisted Nerve and we didn't want to do just another EP, we thought it would be a fun thing to do. It also makes full use of the immediacy of the internet, isn't that what it's there for?

Little G : Yeah, isn't it, chaps?

Your music is similar to that of Psapp, are you familiar with their work?

Mr L : Yes they are friends. We have similar values and tastes in tea.

My jeans have 5 zips on them, guess how many constantly unzip by themselves while I'm walking and where they are?

Mr L : You did say Walking??

Yes! Why what do you have on your mind filthy boy! But seeing as you are gagging to know, it was behind my right ankle and it's very frustrating.

There's been a couple of EP's out now, but is there a full-length album proper in the pipeline?

Mr L : Hopefully, discussions are being discussed at the moment.

What is this mix CD of 'English Eccentrics' you did for the Leaf Label? What's on it?

Mr L : It was a radio mix for them - we had Ivor Cutler rapping over DOT, and unlikely gems from people like Matt Johnson and Kevin Shields, it was all a bit random! We are doing another one of cover versions next...

What have been the best releases for you this year?

Mr L : Madvillain album is genius, I love the Mum album (how DO you make those squiggles?), The Nouvelle Vague album is beautifully done and the forthcoming Elliott Smith album is very special.

Little G : I've gone crackers over the Cocorosie record, Joanna Newsome and Sufjan Stevens, and although I said it was stupid at first, I suddenly really like the Clouddead record, an absolute CORKER.

This has cropped up in the past, but have you seen 'Crossroads' starring Ralph Macchio (the guy who played Karate Kid)? On a serious note...'Crossroads' IS a life-changing moment if you really 'get' it.

Mr L : And Karate Kid wasn't life changing?? Wax On, Wax Off my friend...

Little G : I'm too young for this but I'm sure it's very funny.

I'm only 19! You're probably older than I am..

Who did the drawing for the recording of '...Puss Puss'? No offence, but don't give up your day job...

Mr L : It was done by Little G in the time it took for me to have my morning ablutions….there, bet you wish you hadn't asked now!

Little G : I had a TIME LIMIT, as when he is not pooing, he is bothering me and smudging my masterworks, you nasty pigs.

Thanks for your time!

Thank you, you managed to offend us both a little bit, but I think we have all come out of it better people. Team LG xx

Oh alright...the drawing wasn't THAT bad! Take care xx