Most of you probably have never heard of British nu-chill duo Lemon Jelly, even though Nick Franglen and Fred Deakin have garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Perhaps you've noticed their distinctively-packaged Stateside debut, Lemonjelly.ky, which compiles their three out-of-print vinyl-only EPs. Their trademark sound, a futuristic update of '60s spy themes, '70s funk, '80s new-wave and '90s house is sure to find favor not only with the nation of beat-heads, but with legions of fans not generally enthralled by electronic music.

Splendid hooked up with this on-the-go duo via e-mail and asked them a few questions about life, what exactly is going on with their artwork, and what they have planned for the future. Hopefully, their cheerfully glib responses will help explain and endear the quixotic duo to those of you who have not yet experienced the powerful entity that is...Lemon Jelly.

(Editor's Note: Because Nick and Fred didn't say anything particularly quotable, we've concocted a few interesting pull quotes for the graphics below. We wish that Lemon Jelly had actually said these things, but they didn't. It's fine if you imagine them saying them, but bear in mind that unless we're psychic or something, these things didn't happen. Especially if you work in Beggars Banquet's legal department.)

Splendid: When/why/how did Lemon Jelly form? Under what context did you two get together to create music?

Lemon Jelly: We got together to muck about with some music; it was very exploratory and simply done to have some fun in the studio. It was so much fun that we kept on doing it!

Splendid: To me, Lemon Jelly's premise seems to incorporate a certain level of aestheticism. Was that planned from the beginning, or was it a byproduct of the music you were creating?

Lemon Jelly: We are quite aesthetic people and have a level of perfectionism that some might call unhealthy. As soon as we realized that we wanted to put our music out into the world, it was inevitable that there would be a high level of aestheticism involved.

Splendid: Along those same lines, the album's artwork seems very patchwork and quite random? With that in mind, do certain images (i.e. man in wrestling mask) represent certain elements of the music or yourselves in general?

Lemon Jelly: There is a story around the images on the album, but it's not the only one; many people have given us their own interpretations, which have been just as good if not better!

Splendid: What do you make of the claim that you are "The British Air"? And along with that, what is your take on the so-called "nu-chill" movement in dance and your role within it?

Lemon Jelly: It's always flattering to be compared to bands that we respect. Hopefully we have enough of our own character to inspire our own comparisons in the future.

Splendid: Is there a Lemon Jelly full-length in the works? If so, when will it see the light of day (either in the UK or here in the States)?

Lemon Jelly: We are hard at work on an album that will hopefully see the light in early 2002. But it takes us ages, so don't hold your breath!

Splendid: When I listen to Lemonjelly.ky, I can easily visualize the songs being performed by a full band. Do either/both of you have any interest in touring as Lemon Jelly?

Lemon Jelly: A tour is something that we'd love to do. Given that it will have to embody the same ridiculous levels of perfection as everything else we do, it may be a little while before we hit the road, but we're determined to get there.

Splendid: How much of what Lemon Jelly is/will become is drawn from what was going on at Impotent Fury?

Lemon Jelly: The two projects share a common sense of eclecticism and exploration that will certainly continue to be part of Lemon Jelly.

Splendid: There is a fair amount of sampling on Lemonjelly.ky. Did you at any point run into problems with getting the samples cleared? If so, what types of obstacles were thrown up, and by whom?

Lemon Jelly: Most samples were trouble-free. We have been lucky to work with some top people who smoothed our passage with great efficiency.

Splendid: Much of your music seems tailor-made for use in commercials. Have any companies come to you seeking to use your music to soundtrack their ads?

Lemon Jelly: We've said no to all commercials so far. If the right one came along we might consider it, but it's not why we make music.

Splendid: Why choose Lemonjelly.ky, other than the KY Jelly reference? Wouldn’t it have been just as easy to secure Lemonjelly.co.uk, or Lemonjelly.com? Was it a strategically planned move to distance yourself from the glut of other bands/groups that use those particular URLs?

Lemon Jelly: We both have family members in the Cayman Islands where a lot of our business interests are based, and so it was a natural move to involve relatives in the internet industry.

Splendid: Lemonjelly.ky's packaging is unique. It also does not fit into conventional safety cases here in the States, which means that some stores will not carry it. Was there any reservation about the size/shape of the packaging from a retail standpoint, or did you simply see it as an extension of your art and as such not something to be tampered with?

Lemon Jelly: Definitely the latter.

Splendid: Lately, I’ve been seeing your name lumped in with the Big Beat massive (Fatboy Slim, et. al.). Do you feel that that tag/classification has any merit? Or is it something done by the record companies to try and stir up interest in Lemon Jelly as a "if you like this then you’ll like this" album?

Lemon Jelly: Once a record is out in the world it takes on a life of its own and the game of genre classification and comparison begins. It's nice to be part of the geography of music, so if people want to stick us in some new and unusual slots, then why not?

Splendid: Do either of you have any side projects? Are there any other artists that you are currently working with/will be working with in the near future?

Lemon Jelly: Who knows what the future will bring. At the moment we're full time Jelly boys.

Splendid: Are you huge in Japan?

Lemon Jelly: Massive, mate.

Splendid: Finally, where do you see yourselves/Lemon Jelly in five years time? Doing a brilliant reunion tour? Living as hermits on some deserted island? Reinventing yourselves as a crusty anarcho-punk outfit?

Lemon Jelly: We will be operating a barrel organ in a local park. Nick will be turning the handle while Fred dances lop-sidedly to the organ's rhythm, cap in hand, collecting pennies. Small children will point and laugh, which will be our main creative solace.