Allah Las’ latest record is the soundtrack to a film that doesn’t yet exist. Titled Sirenas, the instrumental work conjures a heat-hazed, hallucinatory narrative of worlds within worlds. Recorded between the deserts of the US West Coast and the mythical architecture of Hydra, Greece, it casts the band’s signature hazy, free-floating melodies into more cinematic territory. There’s the soft steel drums and retro synths of lead single Pasiphae, named for the ill-fated figure of Greek legend, the rolling, dramatic Krautrock propulsion of Snakes of Hydra, the Ennio Morricone flourishes of Caldera II, and the heavy bass stomp of closing track Thill of the Bill. Tracks bleed into one another, stitched together by sampled sounds: the gentle break of waves, the dry crackle of a fire. Both instrumentally and narratively, Sirenas is an audacious piece of world-building – characters are born, landscapes take shape, and stories emerge.

During a sweaty three-night residency at London’s Moth Club, at the height of a summer heatwave (blistering temperatures seem to follow Allah Las around, or perhaps the band leads the way), photographer Luké Simmonds captured a series of images of the group. Afterwards, Luké and Allah Las drummer Matt sat down for a chat.

Luké Simmonds: Hey Matt, how’s it going? Where are you at the moment?
Matt Correia: Hey man! I’m on tour through UK and Europe at the moment after some time home in Los Angeles. Felt like I haven’t unpacked all year. Los Angeles is a great place to come back to, and its great place to leave behind. Lately I’ve been gone more than home, which I don’t mind. You were just in Corfu, how was that?

LS: Ah man, we’re doing a sliding doors. I’m currently in Utah visiting my partner’s side of the family. Yeah was cool, man, very different to the usual Greek islands, just swam every day and had some fun with this new underwater film camera I just snagged. I was thinking I subconsciously put a bit of a Greek theme to the shoot we did together, and I noticed one of the tracks on the new album is called Snakes of Hydra – is there a Greek influence to the album? Also, congrats on the release – I’ve been enjoying it on the long drives in the US.MC
MC: Thank you, glad you’re enjoying the record out there. I need a proper trip through the Southwest again soon. Greece casts a spell for sure, as you know. Endless islands and layers to explore. I’ve been returning pretty constantly since we first toured through there in 2014, and the same with the other guys. I did a sailing trip through the islands a few years back, which was very inspiring. I used a lot of the photos and video from that trip for the album, design and videos for Sirenas – a water camera comes in handy out there.

“Iggy Pop calls that version of ambient, “pastoral psychedelicism” – I’d like to believe that we’re a part of that, or that I’m a part of that.”

LS: I’ve been really digging the visuals for the new album. Yeah, Utah is cool, we just hit all the national parks in the South of Utah, which feels like you’re on Mars. Back in Salt Lake now as we’re off to Mexico in a few days, so don’t think I’ll make any other states while I’m here. How’s the vibe of the tour been so far? Been having fun?
MC: Touring has its highs and lows, but it’s generally exhausting and taxing. I’ve had some awful airport experiences. Most recently, an airline delayed my cymbals and then airport security wouldn’t give them to me. I argued for five hours, with jet lag on top. I eventually had to buy a cheap ticket out of that city, go from departures to arrivals, and steal my own bag from behind a fence. Made the first show, but it was brutal.

“There’s definitely a connection between what we do and the sea.”

LS: I respect the hustle. What’s your usual travel essentials when you’re on tour? I basically can’t leave the house without five or six film cameras, the security guys love me.
MC: I usually bring an SLR and a point-and-shoot of some kind. Keep it as light as possible unless I’m working on something on the road, when I might bring some motion cameras along. Getting film safely through some airports is a whole other war. Had any rough times with airport security?

LS: Yeah, I wish I could pack lighter – I admire those who can. I’m pretty indecisive when it comes to cameras, I feel like each camera does something different and has its place and time. I used to get stressed and fight with the security guys, then I just bought a couple of LED-lined film bags to keep my film safe, so I could just chill. Every now and then someone still wants a fight, but it’s definitely easier now. Been getting in the sea much lately? I regularly miss the ocean, living in London.
MC: I just went for a swim at Brighton beach this morning. First sunny day we’ve had so far on this tour. I’m excited to get to the Mediterranean in a week and then meet up with you guys in Portugal the week after.

LS: Nothing like the British seaside! Although the Mediterranean has a special place in my heart, especially this time of year when the tourism quietens down. In my opinion, there seems to be an underlying theme or relation with the band and Mediterranean culture. Is there a connection there, and if so, how come?
MC: There’s definitely a connection between what we do and the sea. I was actually just rewatching the BBC documentary, Krautrock – The Rebirth of Germany, which focuses on Popol Vuh, Cluster, Can, Kraftwerk and all the musicians and filmmakers involved with that influence. There’s a scene in that where Michael Rother explains the parallels between his music and the ocean and rivers he’s always lived near. My father’s family comes from Cape Verde and I’ve always had a close relationship with the sea. I was exploring all those records and films when we started Allah Las. The trance-like rhythms of Neu! and La Düsseldorf really connected with me. I learned to play by drumming along to Klaus Dinger. Iggy Pop calls that version of ambient, “pastoral psychedelicism” – I’d like to believe that we’re a part of that, or that I’m a part of that. That’s also part of the story behind recording Sirenas – being more affected by the natural world.

LS: I feel like from the beginning you’ve had a pretty clear visual identity along with your music, was it easy to keep it consistent over the years?
MC: Yeah, all of our records have had a theme that connects to the music and to each other, I hope. For Sirenas, the art direction came on a trip through Mexico. Listening and forming ideas in a new setting, I played around with a sequence which began to feel like a soundtrack. Walking around a small village, I found a book of photography which reminded me of film score art. I figured I could use some old footage and shoot some new imagery to make little visual reels for each song and string them together with the ambient sounds from the coast. The front cover features a shell slide provided by Dominic Santos. John Zabawa laid everything out. Dom and John are some of my favourite creative minds. The shell also feels like it’s circling back to the theme of our first record art. The music is very different, but the spirit is the same.

“Walking around a small village, I found a book of photography which reminded me of film score art. I figured I could use some old footage and shoot some new imagery to make little visual reels for each song.”

LS: What have you been listening to lately? I’ve had a lot of summer holiday vibes with a Mediterranean twist on the go lately. Dream Machine by Mark Farina, Suzanne by Leonard Cohen, and Con la Misma Pierda by Julia Iglesias have been my on-repeat records of the summer so far.
MC: I’ve been listening to Leonard as well. Mostly I’m You’re Man. I’m planning to visit Hydra for the first time after this tour, so he’s been on my mind. I’m always on the hunt for Euro-pop while travelling through here. Sweaty summer hits from all decades. Always listening to jazz, classical, ambient, film scores, etc. There’s a compilation of songs by the Berlin band I.A.O. released by Left Ear Records. There’s a variety of lovely sounds on there. I found it a few years ago and it remains a favourite record to listen to and share.

LS: On a more fashion-related note, I realised that we both seem to have a bit of a shared love for quirky tourist merch from our travels. When did that become a thing for you, and how do you spot the gems?
MC: Yeah, true! I really love a good travel hat. There are no brand logos on tourist merch and it’s usually cheap if you’re curious enough to dig.