Where you are currently based and what is the music scene like there?
I’m based in Cambridge, a city that I fall in love again every morning that I wake. The music scene here is fragmented & broad in different genres with the largest proportion of the multinational student population consumed by commercial chart music, house, techno & D&B promoters seem to come & go quite quickly with only one or two long standing established parties moving in phase with the terms of the universities. It’s something we’ve struggled against with our own Motherchip Conexxion parties.
How did you first get into playing music?
the moment I first heard synth music on the radio as a child, I knew I wanted to make music, my first experiences of DJing was at a youth centre, I was 13, I was trained on the basic use of a mixer & turntables, I left home early aged 17 to move into a small flat which I used as a base to buy music gear, I’ve always worked hard to be able to buy my gear & that mind-set hasn’t changed.
What’s been happening recently?
Nothing out of the ordinary – work, come home, turn the rig on, write, mix, record, sleep, sleep, repeat. I recently took my first holiday since 2005, which was lovely, well deserved.
Your new EP ‘Scorched Earth’ has just been released, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP?
Most of the influence in this works came from the current global, political/social climate of which I find myself at odds with, fear, frustration, anger & brief phases of elation & triumph are the biggest human ingredients.
How did you go about writing the music?
It varies when I write an entire EP over the period of a year, some of it starts from samples, “The Air Beneath’ started with a selection of industrial field recordings I took last year & gradually layered it up, tracks like ‘chant #1’ started with just a kick drum & my ranting about Brexit, I took the Alpha juno “The What” patch & manipulated it to match the vocal rhythm & pitch, an incredibly detailed & time consuming process but also rewarding, it’s the timbre that keeps on giving when used well. The idea with the vocal came from the pure confusion & differing opinion experienced by the British current affairs & social media consumer.
Where and when did you record/produce?
I recorded ‘Scorched Earth at a variety of locations & pieced it all together at home over the last year, it was produced as the dance floor friendly Right-hand alternative to the abstract/Industrial ambient ‘Trepidation Ladder’ which has also just been released at the same time on Opal Tapes.
What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce?
The most prolific instruments I used was the Roland Alpha Juno 1, a Strymon timeline, digitech reverb, Korg MS20, Roland JP-08, Roland TR-09, Akai S2000 sampler, earlier this year after a lifetime of waiting for the right moment I acquired a Roland Jupiter 4 which I multi-tracked over the whole EP in places which was very exciting. I arranged & recorded using Cubase 5.0 & a Tascam DP008 multi track.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of Scorched Earth?
Without a doubt Chant#1 riff was the most challenging part of the works & took a few months of fine tuning & sculpting. Trepidation ladder was the most rewarding track to make because of the diversity of sounds used & it’s rich analog nature.
What’s your impression of the techno scene at the moment, how it operates and what do you think of it at the current moment?
I think for the most part pure techno is still a thriving genre, it’s disappointing that the heavily commercialised EDM/techhouse festival sound is being mixed up with purist techno, two very different things.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Surprisingly I’m not listening to anyone at the moment, during extended seasons of writing I rarely listen to any other artists as I like to remain unmoved & uninfluenced, I sometimes listen to classical radio whilst driving, lately my DJ sets have been more about playing only my own production with just a few other artists that I appreciate.
What do you like to do away from music?
I like photography & art, 3D modelling, graphic design, I’ve spent a lot of time this year trying to become fit again & look after myself, I’d also spent a couple of years with a University Kendo club but had to retire due to surgery, hoping to return when the time is right.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2019 going into 2020?
I’ve got some unheard works I’m trying to get signed as well as working on some organic new wave/disco type numbers, of course more techno, I always keep numerous recording projects running to avoid writers block or becoming stale. I have two video projects coming as collaborations with Rufus Ho – one for ‘Trepidation Ladder (Ossicle phases mix)’ & one for ‘The Air Beneath’ which is on Opal Tapes, I don’t like to be idle or grazing.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I don’t have a favourite food, I’m trying to refrain from eating any type of meat & I don’t eat a lot, I likeMilled Flaxseed, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Walnuts & Co-Enzyme Q10 in smoothies, I eat of lot of fruit & vegetables, my only food vice is chocolate!
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