Describe your sound in 3 words
Carefully woven structures
Your music is an exciting blend of numerous different genres. What is your creative process like?
If I have no specific idea in mind initially, then usually I’ll jam around with some chord progressions on a piano or guitar, maybe it’s just a bassline – and then once I’ve landed on something I like, it then becomes a process of developing that idea into what sounds, composition and beats will compliment it. Sometimes I will have a defined idea in mind e.g. I want a thumping drum-break to be centre-piece, so I’ll go find one, chop it (or play it myself) and arrange it first, then fit everything else in around it. If the drums are busy, then the other instruments tend to stay in the back seat.
Which song of your EP ‘Beyond The Curve’ reflects you the most?
Probably “Pocket Change” – it’s more understated and less bombastic than “Warsaw Tombola” but underneath is quite subtle in terms of the layering of the instruments and samples.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Quite a long list! But I’ll try and keep it short – from the perspective of producing a song from disparate parts and also playing live on their own records, then someone like RJD2 was a massive influence, his debut is a masterpiece. Loads of late 80’s/early 90’s hip-hop – De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Eric B & Rakim as they really pushed the artform of sampling before copyright started to restrict it. They also led me down the path of classic funk, soul and jazz that I may not have found otherwise. For sheer musical chops, inventiveness and exploration then Radiohead are right up there.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
My main hurdles are – time (I have a day job and family, so music gets squeezed into whatever spare space there is) and then also the puzzle of developing an initial decent idea into a whole song. It comes back to the time issue because half an hour here and there is nowhere near enough to get anything meaningful done.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Get a drumkit NOW! Also, challenge yourself by trying to learn to play more styles of music
You’d give up making music for…
Tough one! There are clearly many correct existential type answers like world peace, childhood poverty hunger etc, which obviously go without saying. Being more selfish…I’d go with something like taking off in boat and sailing round the world, or a ride on one of these commercial spaceflights…with the caveat that I’m only giving music up until I get back!
Thank you!
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