As you can see from our review, one of our favourite albums of 2009 thus far is Black Moth Super Rainbow's 'psychedelia meets space rock meets hip hop (and all getting along famously)' Eating Us. As we found the album to be somewhat enigmatic (from the band playing under pseudonyms to the deliberately obscure lyrical themes), we thought we'd try and ask the band's leader Tobacco for some answers to the many questions thrown up by the LP. We started with the question everybody wants to know... Is Tobacco your real name? "No", replied Tobacco. Well, with that world exclusive in the can early doors, we swiftly moved on, congratulating him on the LP. Though Black Moth Super Rainbow play live as a full band, there's a conception that it is essentially a Tobacco solo project..is that fair?

"This one was different in that I finished it on my own and then passed along any songs that were missing something to Ryan Graveface to add bass or guitar. Then we went to Tarbox (New York studio frequented by the likes of Flaming Lips) with Dave Fridmann to re-record all of the drums with Iffernaut.

If the name Dave Fridmann seems familiar, it's because the producer has worked with the likes of Weezer, Mogwai and MGMT. In varying degrees, they're all bands you can hear over the eclectic course of Eating Us. So did he seem like a natural fit with what you wanted to achieve?

"He was perfect for the wide live sound I wanted. And really easy to work with. I think he didn't want a whole lot of input because he was already a bit worried about changing our sound, but he did add a few string touches and some great little nuances all over the place."

It certainly worked; his production bringing a widescreen quality to Eating Us that was evident but rarely explored on the band's earlier work (I've just read that 2007s Dandelion Gum came on scratch and sniff pink vinyl. I want..). The real surprise is that, despite Tobacco's hip hop roots (he has released solo records which have featured the likes of Aesop Rock), the choppy, almost trip hop beats prevalent throughout Eating Us were not actually Tobacco's idea..

"Not so much, no. I had beats written, and that's sort of what my stuff usually ends up sounding like, but for the most part, Iffernaut redid the drums and put her spin on them. The choppiness was Dave's idea, and that's something we haven't really touched before."

When I ask who Tobacco would like to collaborate with in the future, his answer is unequivocal (and ace): "Biz Markie. He was where it all started for me." Now, I think he means that he would like Biz to provide some of his legendary beats, though I can't help giggling at the potential prospect of Biz trying to sing (if you've ever heard him try and harmonise, you'll know) through a vocoder about his video games collection over a dreamy piece of psychedelia. It's a marriage made in (mental) heaven. Tobacco isn't an indie kid playing around with rap themes; he's a genuine aficionado who claims that his music always resonates with hip hop influences "because it's what feels best to me." On that note, any plans to indulge that side of your psyche with another solo record anytime soon?

"Definitely - another Tobacco album is where I'm headed! I've gotten the BMSR stuff out of my system for now, and I really need to get back to making dance-murder-party music." Excellent stuff. Especially the invention of the most awesome genre ever in 'Dance-murder-party music'. But it seems strange that he is almost dismissing a really rather excellent piece of work already. What with the surprising admission that there are "no plans" to take BMSR's perfectly suited soundscapes to any summer festivals (though they are currently playing American dates with School of Seven Bells, as you can see from the comedy live youtube clip above), you could be forgiven for thinking that Tobacco isn't truly committed to his current project. Not so. He's just one of those creative characters that is always looking ahead, always looking at the next opportunity. Personally, I hope he makes that call to Biz Markie, and makes the 'dance-murder-party album of our dreams..."

COMPETITION: Yep, we are running our first competition. We have a couple of copies of the new Black Moth Super Rainbow album to give away. Just drop us a line to competitions@flashlightmusic.co.uk with your name and address, and we shall contact the winners accordingly. If you want an insight into the band's sound, you can listen to the lead single from the LP, the superb 'Born on a day the sun didn't rise' here