Interview: 44 Ardent Returns to His Electronic Roots on 'Me, Again'

What drew you back to the electronic sounds that first made you fall in love with production?
Electronic music blew my mind when I was younger when I realised how it was made, and got into making music with computers. The creative possibilities are endless and the only limit really is your imagination. I played piano but I was never very good, so not being limited by my technical ability on a particular instrument was really cool. I also loved computers and games at the time, so it kind of felt like playing a more productive and artistic video game.

How does working as 44 Ardent open a different creative door for you compared to cln?
I think it just gives me a dedicated outlet for a different sound. I can make whatever comes naturally and don’t have to feel too restricted.

When you named the project “Me, Again,” what part of yourself were you recognising or reclaiming?
It’s mostly a literal reference to this being my second musical project, and going back to my more electronic roots—sort of where I first started making music in the first place.

This EP feels deeply rooted in the influences of Caribou, Bonobo, Tourist, and Odesza. How did those inspirations naturally guide the writing?
I try to let the music that influences me happen subconsciously. So my strategy is to listen to a lot of great music (like the artists you mentioned), and then what your brain thinks sounds good when you are making music will (hopefully) actually sound good to others too. You don’t want to over-do it to the point where you are copying another sound. Ideally you want to be inspired but not let it impact your creativity.

What was happening in your world when “Chemicals” and the title track came together for the first time?
Honestly, I can’t remember. That project file is super old and has survived a few different computers. It was a forgotten idea that I found again when I was going through old project files. If you still like it after all that time, it’s probably a keeper and deserves to be released. A few of the songs on this EP are like that—old tracks brought back to life.

You mentioned wanting to focus less on social media and more on the music itself. How did that mindset shape the final EP?
Yeah I dunno, I think I am just getting a bit old and probably out of touch, but I don’t really have any desire to be a social media personality or make content. I like making songs and am pretty lacking in the social media skills department. I also don’t think I am cool enough for that world anyway lol.

The artwork comes from a photo you took inside a mountain cave. What does that place mean to you, and why did it feel right for this project?
The photo is from a mountain called Mt. Maroon in Queensland. It’s a beautiful spot with a bunch of locally endemic wildflowers that only occur on top of the mountains in that area. I really liked the photo, and it just felt right as the EP cover.

How did reconnecting with your early musical instincts shift the energy or emotion in your production process?
It took the pressure off a little bit and helped me to get over writer’s block. It brings a bit more fun to the process—I can just make things and see what happens, and I have more options to release them now.

Where do you feel the line sits between cln and 44 Ardent now that this EP has recalibrated your direction?
I guess the cln project sort of got to a point where it is very vocal-driven and calm/peaceful. I still really love making that sort of thing, but I also wanted the option to make fun electronic sounds too. I guess what I make mostly depends on my mood.

Looking back at the full journey of making “Me, Again,” what moment or realisation stands out as the turning point?
Hard question. I am not sure if there was a clear turning point for this one. I guess I played a few shows under this project last year, and had a fun time, so I wanted to write a few more songs that would sound good in a live context.