Factory 93‘s Secret Project has released set times for this weekend’s double header in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
Featuring performances by Peggy Gou, Marcel Dettmann, Roman Flügel, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Bonobo, DJ Tennis, Tale of Us, Carl Cox, Âme b2b Dixon, Bicep (live), and Octo Octa, Secret Project is set to go down from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. across both days this weekend in the creative community surrounding Chinatown’s Naud Street. There will be a strong local artist contingent as well, including Masha, Sonns, Jeniluv, Corey Sizemore b2b Richie Panic, and Goddollars & Paradise.
Secret project has also partnered with a range of local businesses, such as David Chang’s Majordōmo, the Apotheke bar, and A Club Called Rhonda to create bespoke experiences on-site, as well as street walls and projects from local artists..
You can find more information and tickets to Secret Project here, with set times below.
Early next month, Swedish producer Dold will debut on Luke Standing’s Blue Hour Music with his latest EP, Express Route.
With the release of Express Route, Dold becomes the first new artist to release a solo EP on Blue Hour, following a string of highly acclaimed releases from Standing’s Blue Hour moniker and a set of high-profile remix EPs. The four-track EP marks the 11th release on the label with a collection of mind-bending techno of the highest order. Driven by an inspired take on breakbeats, the tracks on Express Route explore the retro-futuristic techno landscape with aplomb, confidently striding from the deep and cosmic “Horizon” to the title track’s hyper-active grooves and the classicist electro of “Colliding Worlds.” The standout release marks the next chapter for fast rising label and positions itself as one of the best techno releases to land this year.
Ahead of the release on November 5, you can pre-order the record here, with the title track streaming in full via the player below.
In support of XLR8Rplus and independent music, we’re now compiling 10 of our favorite Discogs gems into an easy-to-digest list each month; all submissions come from independent labels. You’ll perhaps know some but you’re unlikely to know them all—but these are some of the tracks that are on repeat week after week in the XLR8R offices.For our second edition of ’10 Discogs Gems’, we’ve gone for more of a house, garage and minimal inspired list.
XLR8Rplus is a monthly subscription service to complement the main XLR8R site. Each month we share three unreleased tracks from three different artists—both known legends and lesser-known pioneers—that we feel are pushing the scene forward in inspiring ways. These tracks will be available for download in high-quality WAV format for the duration of one month; only subscribers for that particular month will have them. They will not be available anywhere else and there will be no access to archived material. You can find more information here.
You can find information on the latest edition of XLR8Rplus here. XLR8Rplus 004 features cuts from Hunter/Game, Cosmin TRG, and John Dimas.
Mark Archer and Danny Taurus recorded tracks under the name Slo Moshun while co-founding Dansa records in 1993, which is still releasing music today. Influenced by house coming from the US, which was then being sped up on London pirate stations and developed through the Sunday scene parties, eventually evolving into speed garage. After 1996, Danny went on to produce solo tracks and Mark Archer took on the Slo Moshun name solo, which led to the formation of this Cutz remix. Cutz was an original member of Unique 3, a group from the late ’80s, which also included LFO and Edzy. Wait for the changeup midway through “Believe,” a garage party starter that could easily be worked into a house, garage, or techno set now.
Cosmin TRG—real name Cosmin Nicolae—has grown to become one of dance music’s, and in particular techno’s universal figures. He grew up in a post-communist Romania, discovering as much music as he could at a time when access wsa limited due to the political landscape. His earliest material surfaced around 2007, released as TRG, and kickstarted the now legendary Hessle Audio founded by Ben UFO, Pangaea and Pearson Sound. His work was initially amongst the distorted realms of dubstep and its various sub-genres, and contributed greatly to a vibrant UK underground music scene. His recent release for XLR8Rplus—which you can hear below—was inspired by the ‘afterparty’ institution with its slightly lo-fi attitude and “noise-from-next-room” sound treatment.
San Fransisco-based label Lo-rise Recordings had a reputation for special releases in the early-to-mid 2000s. The elusive Seafoam (Brian Cavender) will be in most dance music aficionados record collection and is somewhat of an icon for those that love deep house in its purest and most effective form. We could have picked a host of his tracks but went for a classic “Dirty Sex,” with its beautiful bassline and endless groove still sounding ahead of its time almost 20 years later. The less said on this one the better, the music does the talking.
Firecracker Records is a world renowned Edinburgh-based house/techno/electronic label run by Lindsay Todd and helped start the career of Linkwood, among many others. Linkwood went on to release one of the best albums of 2015 with Expressions, and a number of outstanding EPs including the recent Fresh Gildans, which came out in early September. His first release in 2004 was “Miles Away,” which landed on a three-track Various Artist EP that emerged with little fanfare, but has gone on to become a track that when brought up in conversations always gets everybody talking in superlatives no matter where you are in the world. It’s a fusion of jazz, house, and soul that can best be described as a piece of art.
The word pioneer is used loosely in this day and age but it is fully justified when talking about Marcus Kaye. The late Drum ‘n’ Bass DJ and producer was instrumental in moving the sound forward, touring and playing out from 1991 until his death in May 2017. He was the owner of the labels Soul:r, Revolve:r, and Birdie and was a figurehead of the Manchester underground. He learnt his trade working in a record shop which is where he met Lee Davenport (ST Files) as discussed in a previous XLR8R feature, “I was into hard Belgian and Detroit techno and the angrier acid house, and he just wanted to buy happy Italian piano-house cheesy bullshit.” Eventually, the pair mellowed out and found a middle ground in producing breakbeat hardcore and proto-jungle, an era Kaye remembers fondly. “I was unaware of potentials then,” he says. “I was just a kid who worked in a record shop and loved music. I lived my life for drum & bass and it was all very stress-free and not complicated. When you start to get success it makes you aware of what you can do and what you can’t do.”
Growing up in West London, Steve O’Sullivan’s early years were filled with dub, reggae, and electro before the ’90s when he unearthed a love for minimal techno, leading him to eventually become one of the biggest influences in the UK underground house and techno scene. The head of the hugely significant and respected Mosaic label, which has been a springboard for the some of the finest talent out there including Baby Ford, Ricardo Villalobos, Roman Flugel, and Mr C. to name just a few. As a producer, O’Sullivan produces slowly-evolving, minimal, soulful club tracks showing his love for subtle sounds and dub effects clearly evident on the elegant masterpiece that is “She Don’t Do Chicks”.
John Dimas grew up in Greece, and found his way into DJing while building a homemade mixer as part of a high school project. He began producing in 2007 has conssitnatly produced quality tracks since, appearing on various imprints across Europe, pushing a minimal-house sound with intricate drum patterns and wonky basslines. In joining the likes of Dubtil, Melodie, and Barac, Dimas became the first non-Romanian to appear on the label. In 2012 he set up the label Elephant Moon, using his skills for record digging to search out and support new talent with releases from the likes of Lee Burton, Lopaski, Zendid, and Plantae, among others. Most recently, the label celebrated its 11th release with Dimas’ excellent album debut, One Against Time. And it’s from here that his XLR8Rplus contribution arrives—stream “Lost Dimension” below.
The final chapter of UK-based label Emotional Response’s beautiful Schleißen series is this charmingly thought-provoking and hypnotizing album. The legendary Colin Potter teamed up with two of Italy’s finest experimental producers in Alessio Natalizia and Guido Zen for two tracks on the A-side. German native and ambient expert Cass. (Niklas Rehme-Schlüter) takes care of the B-side with six incredibly moving songs. We have chosen “Emotioncode” but the whole album is a must.
Martino Bertola and Emmanuele Nicosia are Hunter/Game, two friends from Milan and established producers in their own right who started making music together in 2011. They have since developed a reputation for their blend of deep and brooding techno appearing on Innervisions and Kompakt and it was through the latter imprint that they put out their debut LP towards the back end of 2016. “The Island” features the voice of the talented Bakja and was released through “Last Night On Earth”, a label run by DJ and Producer Sasha. This month they are part of our XLR8Rplus subscription service and gave us their exclusive track “Diffirent Idols,” which can be heard below.
Seeing an Ion Ludwig live set is one of dance music’s great auditory spectacles so it’s no wonder his vast array of productions are so effortlessly good. One of the scene’s most admired yet enigmatic characters with over 30 EPs and three full-lengths to his name, details about him remain scarce, yet he is revered by those who pursue similar soundscapes. During XLR8R’s investigation into the Romanian scene, almost every artist cited Ludwig’s work as an inspiration in theirs. This deep and intelligent house track from Ludwig is one of those gems that you would happily listen to on repeat, simple yet genius with unforgettable piano chords. We also want to highlight “May The Fourth” on the a-side which almost made the cut—a complete record.
Jules Rosset (a.k.a Povoa) is preparing to release “Yel,” a new single via Moshi Moshi Records. It’s the second track to be taken from his forthcoming Hiatus EP, following the release of his debut single, Okopipi.
Povoa explains that “Yel” offers “a groove without boundaries,” evidenced as he weaves psychedelic splashes of color into a danceable groove. “My aim for Yel was to turn familiar scenes into abstract visuals, in order to create tension and intensify that incredible bassline,” he continues. “The use of water helped to create the sense, and pace, of the music continually moving forwards.”
Rosset formed his Povoa project whilst studying at the American School of jazz music in Paris, where he fell in love with electronic music in the dark basement of Paris clubs. From that point on he began to produce his playful and immersive take on electronic music.
In support of the upcoming Hiatus EP, out next month, you can download “Yel” in full below—or here for EU readers due to temporary GDPR restrictions.
Peter O’Grady (a.k.a Joy Orbison) has dropped a new EP, 81b.
The six-track EP, out now, has landed via Hinge Finger, the label Grady runs alongside The Trilogy Tapes’ Will Bankhead. It follows Tom Of England’s The Care To Destroy EP which landed earlier this year.
It’s O’Grady’s first solo EP of the year, having earlier released a split 12″ with London-based saxophonist Ben Vince, Transition 2 / Systems Align, and a 90-minute mixtape via Cav Empt. He released two EPs in 2017.
Tracklisting
01. Seed
02. Coyp
03. Tennov6teen
04. Belly
05. Sin Palta
06. 81b
81b is out now digitally via Hinge Finger, with vinyl coming soon.
On November 9, Brooklyn-based label Bastard Jazz will launch the fifth volume in their Tempo Dreams compilation series, curated by Los Angeles producer Free The Robots. In each run of Tempo Dreams, the curator presents music from artists who are “on the fringe of widespread acclaim,” highlighting people they’ve connected with all over the globe that are still digging their roots into the public consciousness. Previous curators in the series include Pomo, Teeko & B. Bravo, Soul Clap, and Tall Black Guy.
Free The Robots selected an eclectic mixture of artists for Tempo Dreams, Vol. 5, bringing together new works from Mophono, Never Ending Echo, Kuromoji, RSI-MSK, The Breathing Effect, Cazal Organizm, Lefto, Chubby Boss, Caliph8, TITLE, NOIS IV, The Heavy Twelves, Mu., and Markey Funk. We’re told to expect a reflection of his “eclectic and evolving sense of taste” that bridges “jazz, psychedelia, hip-hop, electronic, and sounds from the unknown.”
Ahead of the digital launch of Tempo Dreams, Vol. 5, you can stream the opening track from San Francisco-based Mophono, titled “Bernardwuar”. Full of hard-hitting drum breaks and psychedelic motifs, the layering is minimal yet the tonality is powerful, winding down a darkened corridor of sound. You can pre-order Tempo Dreams, Vol. 5 here, with the track and tracklisting below.
Pintate los labios que nos vamos de after is the new min-LP from Spanish DJ and producer Modernphase.
One third of Gameboyz alongside fellow Spaniards Xar Lee and Da’well, Modernphase is also co-owner of Spanish label Melómana Records. Pintate los labios que nos vamos will be Modernphase’s debut on Shara Music and features six deep and trippy acid tracks. Each cut goes down the acid rabbit hole with twisted, warped bassline and all encompasing atmospheres.
In support of the album, Modernphase has offered up “A que hora cierra,” an early-morning club cut, as today’s XLR8R download, available via WeTransfer below.
Novation has announced the next generation of its SL keyboard controller range.
The controllers, which come in both 49 and 61-key versions, are designed to act as a studio centerpiece, able to “connect, control and create with your entire setup.” Featuring an eight-track polyphonic sequencer, the SL MkIII controllers are equipped with USB, MIDI in, out, and thru, two CV/gate and Mod outputs, three pedal inputs, and an analogue clock out. The controllers are also fully integrated with Ableton Live—the full color LCD screens give you full visibility of your parameters—and any major DAW with its InControl software. The keyboards also feature expressive synth-style semi-weighted keybeds, with a sprung action and Novation’s highest scan rate.
You can find more about the controllers over at Novation, with a performance video below.
Titled Romantic Fiction, the album draws influence from his youth growing up in NYC in the ’80s, as well as a range of styles Curses has made his own over the last few years, namely new wave, post-punk, EDM, and industrial. Across the nine tracks—hint: there’s a hidden track on the vinyl release—Curses skillfully weaves these styles into a set of immersive songs equally at home in headphones as they are the club. On the album, Curses manages to mine the past whilst creating a modern sonic palette full of escapism, angst, and introspection. Romantic Fiction also features guest spots from Perel and Dischi Autunno boss Jennifer Cardini.
Ahead of the forthcoming release, Curses has offered up a full stream of opening cut, “Surrender,” a seductive slice of post-punk, available via the player below.
A lot has been written aboutIglooghost but surprisingly little is really known of him. The young British artist, real name Seamus Malliagh, has been in the spotlight for some time—ever since his frantic, grime-infused 2015 breakthrough on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder—but has remained shy of the media, declining interviews out-right and comically circumventing any questions that threaten to puncture his playful persona. Malliagh is as intriguing as the music he produces.
Malliagh was born in Belfast, raised in London, and started experimenting with music around the age of 15. “I was trying to make like silly rap beats for other kids on the internet,” he once said. He’s been releasing music since the age of 17, much of it through his own Bandcamp page or through one of several imprints, including Error Broadcast, Activia Benz, and, of course, Brainfeeder. It was through the latter that he released his Chinese Nü Yr EP accompanied by the chimerical phantasy of a gooey worm-like creature and his witch hat named xiāngjiāo, before returning last year with a debut album that told of cartoonish adventures set in the fantastical realm of Mamu, once again with a bizarre visual aesthetic and outlandish computer-generated sound that blends footwork, IDM, hip-hop, bass, two-step, and more. It often feels as if sounds are strewn on the canvas without rhyme or reason.
More recently, he’s self-released the Clear Tamei and Steel Mogu, two EPs that explore Mamu as it was millennia ago and cement Malliagh as one of the most innovative and interesting producers out there. In light of this, XLR8R dialed him in to investigate the method behind the madness.
You appear to have picked up music production very quickly. Is it as easy as it seems?
Sometimes it’s so piss easy I want to scream with joy, and sometimes it’s so hard I have to get on my motorbike and do 200MPH on the M25 and just scream for 30 minutes.
What determines whether it’s easy or not—is it your headspace or is it more random than that?
I think there’s probably some chaos-theory-esque equation to figure out why it feels different depending on the way the wind’s blowing, but it’s got way too many factors for my puny brain to comprehend, innit.
Do you have a process for dealing with creative block?
Steal new noises, look at new pictures, run around outside—but I try to never ever pussy out and use it as an excuse to go into a cozy little slump. That’s wack as hell and just increases the stage-fright whenever it’s time to sit back in that chair.
So you always try to push through on “hard days”?
Yeah, I usually try and brute force my way through. It’s a kind of tough reality—but all my favorite stuff I’ve made has come from absolute ass-shattering, maddening, horrible processes, hahaha! It’s worth it though! I can buy mushy peas and chips whenever I want! But if it really feels like a terrible use of my time I’ll take pictures instead.
It’s interesting that you feel you make some of your best stuff when you’re struggling for inspiration. Has this always been the case?
No, it really depends, and I do sometimes wish I understood the logic and inner-workings of it all. Sometimes it’s scarily easy. Sometimes it’s as easy as saying: “I wanna make a song that sounds like an art version of “Loyal” by Chris Brown with loads of sound design,” and then exactly that gets made in like two days and is really fun. But I’m happy with staying ignorant as to how it all works behind the scenes in our brains though; I think that makes it all more magic and unpredictable.
Which tracks or releases specifically have come from these challenging periods?
That “Niteracer” track came out of not being able to make music for like four months despite trying all day everyday….then right after that, it felt like it unclogged a big pipe and I made a million cool songs really quick.
Do you feel that your best ideas come when you’re outside of your comfort zone?
Sometimes, but it’s not that simple. I have made songs I like wrapped up in a big duvet gargling seven hundred cups of tea but also with a headache and bogeys up my nose on a European train on an uncomfy chair.
Your music is very out there, with lots of elements and textures. How much of this creative process is based on instinct and how much on conscious analysis?
It’s all literally an accident. I’m a really bad producer because my intention is just to make “donk” music. It never goes as planned because my IQ is so low so it ends up sounding like Iglooghost.
How do tracks come together—and how long do they take, speaking generally?
I made these two new recent EPs in a day.
Is this the same for all tracks, or does it change?
I finish some of my tracks in one minute but Clear Tamei and Steel Mogu took about 10 minutes each and then I spent the rest of the day considering if I should put them in the recycle bin and smash up my hard drive or not, so I count that as a whole day’s work.
So is it fair to say a lot of your studio time is analyzing your work rather than making new music? If tracks are made in a minute then you’d be making many albums each day.
Yes. I have 7,000 albums made that I will never release. I never listen to them though because they make me feel sick and worried.
How is a track actually created? Can you shed some light on the actual process?
Throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks. There is no process and I get really worried when I find myself making shit in the exact same way. I think that’s a gross way of falling into becoming a boring ass producer. I know motherfuckers who have a saved preset rack of all their favorite sounds… like cool!!! Everything will sound like a remix of the same song. That’s some shit I’m really trying to avoid right now.
How much of your work ever sees the light of day, and how much goes in the bin?
I don’t ever finish or export anything I think is shit, so the unreleased tracks in my vault are at least okay to me. It can sometimes take me ages to make one song so it’s usually a big commitment to stick to composing a song when I think the original idea is ass.
You say it “takes you ages to make one song,” but you also said tracks are finished in a minute? Which is true?
It really depends, in truth. One time I made a song about being a crystal called “Pyong” who goes to high school but one time I made a song called “God Grid” and it took three months!
Do you find it helpful to revisit old sketches, or do you always start from scratch?
There are always bits in my finished tracks that come from loops that I’ve put in the bin. I think it’s cool to always remember that there are bits in some of my favorite stuff that originally existed in A TERRIBLE, UNLISTENABLE, SHITTY LOOP.
On any given day, what determines whether you start from scratch or start with an old sketch?
I usually swipe bits from whatever last failed project is open, and then start something new.
How do you feel the Clear Tamei and Steel Mogu dual EPs differ from your earlier work?
Hardly at all, they’re total shit.
Do you like the music that you make?
Yeah, it’s wicked. I’m cool. My next stuff is really good.
Can you elaborate—how is it different, or better?
It’s big and slow.
Where and when were these two EPs produced?
I produced them in the backseat of a car with horrible little iPhone earphones that hurt my ears. It was a bumpy journey and my friend driving kept stalling the car and running red lights. I kept looking out the window to look down manholes because I could see blinking eyes poking out of them.
Can you talk me through the specific production process behind one of the tracks? How come they’re produced so quickly?
I do it bar by bar by bar by bar by bar, and try and copy and paste as little as I can but also not get stuck in hypnosis, hacking away at one loop.
Where do you do the vast majority of your production? Where is your studio?
Me, sat in a chair with an aching back on a laptop. I like putting tons of objects around me.
What sort of objects and why?
Treasures and stuff I found that look cool together. I found a toy alien in a jar the other day—the cork on top is hot pink and the liquid has glitter in but the alien is hella ugly. It rules.
So are each of your tracks produced in different spaces, on the road, at home, etc?
Yes. But wherever it is I want it to be as uncomfortable as possible. Sometimes I make really complicated Rube Goldberg machines that are designed to repeatedly kick me up the ass while I make songs.
Why uncomfortable?
I don’t ever want music to be some indulgent escape that’s pleasurable enough as a process. It should be about what I manage to poop out at the end.
Do you find it easy getting into the creative headspace when your environment is changing so often?
Yeah, ‘cos I’m well clever.
So it’s a conscious effort to get into this headspace or does it happen naturally?
I usually plan ahead knowing I’m gonna start making stuff in like the next hour or something. Ninety percent of the time I’ll take a big long run-up.
Like psyching yourself up.
Yeh, I used to force myself to start the second I woke up but that makes music feel like forced labor.
And how long do sessions normally last?
All day.
What do you need to begin producing? What are the basic requirements?
A laptop, eight cups of disgusting pungent smoky tea, me slapping myself on the head and screaming sometimes. I eat whole cucumbers usually while I make songs.
Why cucumber?
They’re well good. Pure big ass crunchy cold juicy grass energy. You can pretty much taste all the sun and energy inside them.
Do you eat it with hummus?
Dunno, that feels too slimy. Hummus is alright. I don’t wanna get water in it though, you smell me?
What are the key pieces of gear behind Clear Tamei and Steel Mogu?
I made them on my laptop—but I turned it upside down so the keyboard and the screen were the wrong way round. That’s why they sound so good.
Why do you need to do this?
Bit of fun, innit? You ever made music with an upside down laptop? Don’t knock it till you try it.
Do you believe that unconventional approaches sit behind your unconventional music? Are you always looking to break the rules?
I like breaking rules but legally. Loopholes are cool and funny to me. I never got a detention in school but I was still sneaky as fuck. I wanna slip weird noises into people’s ears using a trojan horse of semi-normal 4×4 song structures.
How have your techniques and processes changed over time?
I think when I started making music I thought it was a good use of my time to go to parks and try and record field recordings of gates slamming and birds chirping and shit—not knowing that really I could just steal this stuff off freesound.org. I stopped messing around with hardware and toys and gadgets a few years ago when I realized it just doesn’t result in getting shit done for me. It’s honestly just a matter of strapping myself to the chair and being clever with MIDI and soft stuff. I hate touching things in real life and I’m glad I finally ended up admitting that I get no enjoyment out of pretending a fucking $300 Microkorg sine wave can’t be recreated in two seconds on a DAW for $0.00.
So, in terms of making your music, it’s all digital rather than organic?
Yes, the only gear I like is when it’s on a screen and downloaded from a torrent site! My favorite torrent team is Demonoid! Not even the cucumbers I eat are organic mate. It’s straight GMO to the tomb.
What software are you using and why?
I use Reason. I think I first got it ‘cos I wanted to remake Tyler The Creator beats when I was younger. Free Earl!
Have you ever tried producing on gear?
Yes, but I’m actually looking to destroy gear rather than acquire it usually. I don’t enjoy using hardware—so I don’t understand how anyone else could enjoy hardware. I’m usually correct about literally everything so I’m probably right about this. Hardware’s shit mate!
Why do you have this aversion to gear?
Yeah, it’s wank. People will spend literally £300 on a knob that just has a low pass filter on haha! You could buy 600 cucumbers, you morons!
Can you talk to me about your earliest memories with production? How did you first begin experimenting with music?
I made really horrible hardstyle beats when I was 12. That’s not even one of my stupid answers. Here’s the link.
What inspired you to start making music, and what were you trying to replicate?
Just wanted to impress girls and make a million dollars. I was 12 so I probably wanted to buy loads of those white chocolate buttons you get with the multicolored sprinkles on. They used to be my favorite things in pick n mix.
What were you using?
I used to use like a ‘90s ass software tracker. It was vertical and I had it on my old shitty whirring Dell laptop. I didn’t know what a BPM was!
How did you learn to produce?
I taught myself but probably in the wrong way. Nobody uses Reason so I never had a mentor or whatever. I am a lone wolf and I want everyone to pay.
Do you think this lack of musical training is fundamental in the unconventional nature of your work?
How dare you?!?!? I’ll have you know I’m near virtuosic at Toshio Iwai’s 2005 Nintendo DS game Electroplankton.
No seriously, I’ve heard it said that by following the rules you’ll just end up sounding like the person who wrote them. What do you think about this?
Yeah, maybe. It doesn’t matter as long as it sounds good in your own brain though. Depends how much you care about adding to the big fat musical cultural art conversation. I like dipping my toes in but then running away and making fun of it from afar.
As a producer, what do you think you’re good and not good at?
I think I’m good at squashing loads of things together like pictures and videos and talking and turning it into one package. Something I’m trying to get better at is escaping echoing older songs. That used to be fun to me but now I’m trying to make shit that sounds ten percent like older songs.
Something original, you mean—that’s your focus?
Yer.
How do you determine originality?
I dunno. I just wanna make stuff that’s only in my head and doesn’t exist already.
Do you find yourself to be more productive at a certain time of day, or do you need to be in a certain headspace to make music?
I tour a lot so I’m trying to get good at making shit in planes and trains etc. But I’m a massive diva and need everything right or I can’t do it. Actually, I made the song “Clear Tamei” on a bus from London to Bristol really hungover so that’s not true.
But “Clear Tamei” is an exception?
Nah, I’m just trying to say there’s no real consistency in the methods.
In what environment do you feel you do your best work?
It’s so inconsistent… sometimes I’ll wake up at 6 AM with a spring in my step, go on a run, eat bananas all day—and produce absolute fucking garbage. Then sometimes I’ll roll out of bed at like 4:30 PM, get to my laptop at like 5:15 PM and make the best shit I’ve ever heard in like one hour. I just want answers!
Would you say that tracks are normally conceptualized prior to writing and recording, or are they a result of spontaneous jamming and random ideas?
I make a lot of them in my head on train journeys ‘cos I don’t listen to music anymore, then I’ll go home and make them.
Why do you not listen to music?
‘Cos I keep losing my iPhone headphone adaptor!
How do you record these ideas, if at all?
Play them again and again and again in my head, or write them on my phone.
What forms the basis of each project?
Dunno, I get bored, innit.
Is boredom really the root of your work?
I think it’s mostly a deep-rooted mental affliction myself and a lot of people have, where I feel like I need to be removed from the planet if I don’t make anything of worth every day. It’s just fun accidentally hahaha.
It sounds like a love-hate relationship with music, is that fair?
Nah, I love it loads and it’s a bit baffling that music even exists. I like it more than pictures or smells or physical feelings or video or film or taste or anything—even though it’s technically just one dimension of a big puzzle. It’s insane that something that can only reach your ears can be that compelling. I’ve just slightly started prodding at about 0.000000000000000000001% of it and I don’t even wanna go a tiny bit any further because I like that it’s one of the only magic things that exist to me on planet Earth.
Are you critical with your productions?
Yeah. I’m trying to make a really really really good second album so I stop seeing myself in the mirror and thinking, “Who the fuck is that, I want to knock him out!!!” then realizing it’s myself. I wanna make a thing and be really proud and look in the mirror and look smug and think, “What a cool, clever, fit lad!!!”
Are you proud of what you’ve made so far?
Nah, it could be 400x better. I hate self-reflecting.
How do you know when a track is ready?
When my laptop runs out of RAM or I pass out.
Even though tracks are often done in a minute? You must have a shitty computer.
I make music on a DS Lite.
What’s next release-wise?
A big enormous album that sounds like slow motion god slugs.
