Anthony McLean, a producer based in Brooklyn, New York, has been making electronic music since 2011, but it was only in 2015, when he became WTCHCRFT, that he began to take it seriously. After years of making beats for local Brooklyn rappers, he found himself putting out music of his own—beginning with Schizoid, a 10-track album characterized by its dark and dreamy melodies. As he continued with rap production over the next few years, however, McLean felt under-appreciated, so he invested more time in his own solo production, teaching himself to make functional industrial techno and electro sound. Through the pandemic, he’s accompanied a slew of self-releases on Bandcamp with higher profile outings on San Francisco’s Flenser Records and Posthuman’s I Love Acid / Balkan label. Just yesterday, he put out The Ooga Booga on Brooklyn’s Sorry Records.

It was in the suburbs outside New York, where McLean was born raised, that he first became affected by electronic music, notably the work J Dilla, Benga, and Aphex Twin. It was clear to him, even in high-school, that he was drawn to an abrasive acid sound but he never really afforded himself the time to explore it because he was wrapped up in education and working with Soundcloud rappers, so it was only a matter of time before he began to feel jaded. The only way to fall back in love with music, he figured, was to follow his intuition, so he dived into local nightlife and read up on the history of acid music. It soon became clear to him that he knew he had to make it. “At that point, I set the intention that, from here on out, this acid sound is what I’m going to do,” he recalled in an interview with DJ Mag. And through the pandemic, his inspiration has boomed.

To celebrate his latest release, McLean has compiled a podcast for XLR8R. At just over one hour in length, it’s a mix jam-packed with speed-groovin’ acid and breakbeat freak-outs. McLean recorded it on the fly in a friend’s Brooklyn apartment earlier this week, guided by intuition and luck. It’s a mix, he tells XLR8R, that’ll help you “dance your worries away.”

01. What have you been up to recently?

Well, right now I’m at home quarantining after a positive covid-19 test so get tested ya’ll. But before that, I was playing shows. I just got back from Europe a month ago and I’m gearing up for a new EP release.

02. What have you been listening to during lockdown?

I’ve been listening to a lot of hard techno specifically Spiderwrap, STEPSISTERS, and DJ Spytt.

03. How has 2021 been for you?

Bittersweet. Lots of personal goals have been accomplished but, at the same time, the world feels like it’s in disarray so there’s a very weird dichotomy thing going on and I’m over It.

04. What was your childhood like?

Great! Some hiccups here and there in regards to rebelling against my parents and whatnot—typical teenage wastelands shit, but it’s all good now.

05. How did your first releases and DJ bookings come about?

I’ve been releasing music independently for as long as I can remember but my first serious releases came through Brooklyn’s Sorry Records and the UK’s I Love Acid and Balkan vinyl with Posthuman, who also happens to be an absolute sweetheart. My first show ever was in a basement in upstate New York with Boy Harsher back in 2014.

06. What drives you to make electronic music?

Having fun and seeing people dance! And the knowledge that I’m in a competition with no one other than myself.

07. Where did you record this mix?

I recorded it at my homie Lalit’s apartment!

08. How did you go about choosing the tracks you’ve included?

Pure intuition and luck.

09. What can the listener expect?

To dance your worries away.

10. What’s on your horizon for 2022?

Another vinyl, this time with Balkan Vinyl, and more shows.

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to hear the podcast offline you will need to subscribe to our Select channel to listen offline, or subscribe to XLR8R+ to download the file. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.

Full XLR8R+ Members can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R+ member, you can read more about it and subscribe here.