At the beginning Peter Kernel was a quartet. Because of a broken heart and a new girlfriend during the time it has become an international team of friends around the world and two core members, Canadian Barbara Lehnhoff, and Swiss-Italian Aris Basetti.

On the drums now the number 7 member, Ema. „The first time we met Ema was in 2010 and we thought: “Naaa, he’s a 2 meter tall rasta playing drums in a metal band, he can’t be right for us”. From the latest album Thrill Addict on On The Camper Records

More about the twenty some members

And there is Camilla Sparksss, electro noise wave alter-ego of Barbara. Short interview on rnr666.

Peter Kernel

great little big band of Aris Basetti and the Canadian Barbara Lehnhof
in Switzerland. Their music brings Sonic Youth, Breeders and Pixies to my mind.

High Fever

from the album Thrill Addict on On The Camper Records (Switzerland).

Full album stream until 18 January.

RNR666 interview with Barbara about her electronic project Camilla Sparksss

Barbara Lehnhoff didn’t want to become a musician – like so many other individuals, but her debut album of this year under moniker of Camilla Sparksss is better than the new Laibach. You can find danceable technoid rhythms and electro-industrial punk tunes on it.

Vinyl     CD     Cassette     Fashion     RNR666 interview

These songs are like the cross of (Dutch folk punk) The Ex and The Breeders. Free download.

Free singles by Swiss/Canadian art-punk band PETER KERNEL. These songs are like the cross of (Dutch folk punk) The Ex and The Breeders.

Taken from the upcoming album Thrill Addict out in January 2015. Free from here

One of the two key members is the bassist Barbara Lehnhoff, with whom you can read an interview with reference to her amazing electronic side project, Camilla Sparksss here. Peter Kernel was formed because there was need of a soundtrack for her film.

Barbara Lehnhoff didn’t want to become a musician – like so many other individuals, but her debut album under moniker of Camilla Sparksss is better than the new Laibach. You can find danceable technoid rhythms and electro-industrial punk tunes on it.

Barbara grew up in Canada amongst Indian reserves with a little brown bear. She is master of tracking and trapping, and knows the smoke signals.  Then she went among alpine natives of Swiss-Italian borderland to learn economic, graphic design and film making.

„I started playing bass in 2004 when I was studying video in Lugano, Switzerland. I needed a soundtrack for a short film I was working on and so I met up with Aris and we started recording.” And art punk band Peter Kernel was born from this co-operation. They were invited by Spencer Krug from the Canadian band Wolf Parade to open for their European tour in 2010.

How does Camilla Sparksss started?

Camilla Sparksss started while I was unloading my 8×10 Ampeg bass cabinet for the 15th time while we were touring Peter Kernel. I looked at Aris and said “we need to start a lighter project”. (…and of course we’ve always wanted to start something electronic).

(An 8×10 Ampeg bass cabinet’s dimensions: 120 x 66 x 40, around 65-75 kg. – editor’s note)

CS is absolutely another musical world than P. Kernel. What are the main musical influences of CS?

I think CS is a different style from PK, but if you listen carefully both projects are very similar. They’re both minimal, instinctive and raw. The main difference lies in the production and instruments used. At the begging we wanted to transform PK into electro, but as we started writing the songs we became nostalgic of the “acoustic” punch of a live band. So we decided to give Peter Kernel a little sister called Camilla Sparksss. But both projects are influenced by what we’re experiencing in our everyday lives and how we feel in the moment. Musically we listen to very different kinds of music, at the moment my favourite band is Moonface. It’s the solo project of  Spencer Krug.

Are there any non-musical projects?

I love making clothing, especially hand made T-shirts. You can check them on my Bandcamp page. And of course videos. Oh, and I love cooking, but I’m not very good at it.

*

On her shows there are two dancers. Anahì Traversi, a Swiss-Argentinian theater actress, and Miriam Vile, a Swiss-Italian „Gangsta” jewellery designer.  Next shows: 07 Jun > Luzern, Südpol (Switzerland), 19 Jun > Lyon, Sonic, (France), 21 Jun > Vesoul (France), 07 Jul > Lugano, Elettrolake Fest, Piazza Manzoni (Switzerland).