LuckyMe's next release comes in the form of a Scottish three-piece band, going under the name American Men. A label much hyped for bringing Hud Mo, Rustie, Mike Slott and more further into the conscious of beat addicts globally - this EP demonstrates their super-wide taste maker skills. For those who are hitting Sonar, be sure to check them out on the Saturday night as part of the LuckyMe showcase.

We got in touch to see what American Men are about, and a little over a week later they replied with...

"Yo, sorry for the delay. Ali has been doing maths in Bavarian nunnery so he was only able to get his answers to me today..."

IA: So you guys have been in some pretty acclaimed bands, could you fill us in on your history up until now?

Claude: We've all been in bands, on and off, since we were at school. I've been in bands that were hyped locally, and did a couple of Peel Sessions and T in the Park - which was pretty epic for me at the time. More recently we were all in a band called RUSSIA alongside longtime friend and collaborator Tony Jaguar. We all thought the band was totally awesome, but (for me at least, and I think for T-Jag too) the internal pressure of that was immense. It was genuinely difficult to do or think about anything else during that period. That said - if I'm honest, the kind of music we played (complicated and largely instrumental math rock) was never going to be that popular - I think it's the kind of thing that a few people go nuts for but largely passes by unnoticed. There was a certain mythos about us at the time but that was largely just self-created hype…

Paul/ Scott: Five years ago, I got an UNSOLICITED email from Claude saying he was looking for a drummer and would I like to hear his band’s demo (Claude: I got his email address, and a strong recommendation, from David Roy, then of Multiplies and now of Dananananaykroyd). I’d been drumming in various bands for years and was definitely looking for a new project. I loved the demo and joined him and a friend in RUSSIA. We played together for five or so months before I moved to Canada for a year, during which time Claude unearthed Alilloyd from the Edinburgh Post Rock Bassist and Guitarist Pool (it’s like a swimming pool only with more strings). RUSSIA became a four piece; we played a couple of gigs and split up unexpectedly. During that time, Claude, Alilloyd and I remained pals and talked about forming a new band during a visit to the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. We procrastinated for a year or so, became lawyers, studied uber-mathematics or joined Dananananaykroyd until Claude wrote a pile of songs, forced us to learn them and American Men was finally born.

Alilloyd: While I was in RUSSIA I was also in a band called Eunoia with Miami Hair (who completes our live line-up). I wouldn't say we were acclaimed, but hopefully a few people were into it.

IA: How did these bands shape the sound you have with American Men? How are you finding balancing your time with this and your individual projects?

Claude: I think AM definitely has a lot in common with RUSSIA, I mean, being in that band was a pretty formative experience for me musically. On other projects - I have a pretty involved day job and AM is taking up a lot of time so other projects are taking a back seat for the moment, which is cool really.

Alilloyd: RUSSIA is now a yardstick against which I measure any music, especially stuff I am involved with. Eunoia was essentially sad music I think, so ultimately it doesn't have too much bearing on AM. So the little time I have to do solo stuff is really a continuation of the less upbeat part of my creative output.

Paul/Scott: – I see American Men as an extension of RUSSIA. The time we spent in that band allowed us to develop the intuition we have now. Playing in Dananananaykroyd is my full-time job so I can’t give American Men as much attention as I’d like although I’ve had more free time than expected recently, so we’ve been able to play a few gigs and be on the radio and stuff. I’ve got another project on the go just now called Ghost Pants. It’s just me playing guitar ham-fistedly over a drum machine all drenched in reverb (to cover up the mistakes).

IA: Your first release has got some pretty heavy remix work on the flip. How did you go about deciding on who you wanted to re-work your stuff?

Paul/Scottt: – Most of the credit has to go to LuckyMe.

Claude: Yeah it was really sorted out by LuckyMe - Dom Sum knows ikonika and falty dl so he got them on board, and then Machinedrum and Hudson Mohawke are affiliated with the label so they were into doing mixes. It’s held up the release of the ep, but hopefully people will think the wait as worth it :)

IA: From the videos I’ve seen, you're live shows look immense. How have they been going? What have you got planned for your slot headlining the LuckyMe showcase at Sonar?

Claude: It's funny; we're still finding our feet live really, but the reaction has been pretty awesome. Our first show was at cargo in London to maybe 4-500 people, a pretty clubby audience, and they went mental. All the shows have been great actually. Because Scottt/Paul is busy with Dananananaykroyd for the last couple of shows our friend Robbie Cooper (from the consistently amazing Laeto) has been standing in, and he'll be doing that at Sonar too. We're actually the first act on at the LuckyMe showcase - we're on at 2am just after Fuck Buttons - and the plan I guess is just to be as tight/energetic/engaging as possible. We’ll probably have some lasers based on jets, visuals and base-jumping.

Ali: Playing live is for me the best part of being in a band, so I've been really enjoying them. And I suppose it helps that the reaction has been pretty good. 

Paul/Scottt: - We took quite a while to work out exactly HOW we were going to do it. We wanted it to be instrument-led rather than sample-led and thanks to Apple (lol), we found a way of doing it. Also, by putting the drum kit at the front of the stage, it adds a different visual element. We figured people might get a bit bored of watching guys lurched over keyboards. (Also, I’m the best looking one so I should be at the front.)

IA: What other gigs are you particularly excited about over the summer?

Claude: We'll be playing some pretty diverse shows I think. The Friday after sonar we're playing at a fashion show after party in Studio Warehouse in Glasgow (hopefully with Robbie and Paul both drumming at the same time), and then we'll be lining up one or two European shows I would think. I'm hoping to play Hoya:Hoya in Manchester and maybe also a show in Leeds organised by our friend and LuckyMe label mate Respite.

Alilloyd: I'm going to interpret the question differently and say that I can't wait for the RNCM Symphony Orchestra's forthcoming performance of Stravinsky's Rite Of Spring, alongside one of Jonny Greenwood's pieces.

Claude: In a similar vein the Kronos Quartet is playing Different Trains in Edinburgh in August, which will be tremendous so I’m very excited about that.

Paul/Scottt: – I’m apparently playing a festival with Sepultura later this summer, which should be… weird.

IA: It really appeals to me how LuckyMe feels truly independent as a record label. With a sense of pushing homegrown talent, as well as finding affiliations with people from further afield. How did you come about getting hooked up with those guys?

Claude: I've known Dom Sum and Martyn (FineArt) for about 8 or 10 years so the affiliation has pretty much been there from the off, but I guess the AM involvement was me visiting Dom in the clothes shop he was designing for and playing him some of my stuff offhand as we were talking about music. I think he was the first person outside of RUSSIA to hear it. From LuckyMe’s perspective they didn't want to be pigeonholed as a hip hop or (worse) "wonky" label - so it made sense to branch out a wee bit – although to my mind our sound isn't a million miles away from the likes of Rustie, Hud Mo or Mike Slott so we do fit in I think.

IA: What does Glasgow mean to you? From somebody who has never been, there does seem to be a certain amount of musical mystery about the place.

Paul/Scottt: – I’m the only band member who actually lives in Glasgow and I think it’s fair to say I’m fiercely proud of my city. You can go see a band any night of the week here. There’s a pretty big DIY scene, always has been. Everyone is in a band. I’ve lived in a few different cities around the world but Glasgow has always and will always be home.

Alilloyd: When I cam to uni in Edinburgh, almost all of my favourite bands were from Glasgow. It had this mythical status to me. So I ended up going there a hell of a lot. The first time was like a pilgrimage, particularly going to Nice 'N Sleazy's and verifying that they really did have Slint on the jukebox. There always seems to be something interesting and different happening there musically.

Claude: I'm not from Glasgow; I'm from Edinburgh, so to me it's the other city, the deadly rival, haha. I think I probably hate it and love it in equal measure, it's messy and noisy and brash but the gigs and clubs are a billion times better than Edinburgh. I've been to at least twice as many good gigs in Glasgow than the city I live in so I owe it something..! As a teenager I'd go through once a week minimum with enough money for the bus, the gig and one drink, and I know that period had a huge impact on me musically.

IA: What are your outside influences? Musical or ideological.

Paul/Scottt: – I grew up on indie rock so Sebadoh and Pavement influenced me most when I was younger. Recently, I’ve fallen back in love with Devo. I’d like to incorporate some of their precision when doing rhythms for the next AM record. With regard to American Men, I’d say musicians like Boards of Canada, Steve Reich, Don Caballero and the writer Thomas Pynchon have been key. Outside of music, I believe firmly in Infinite Source and the Law of Attraction. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me.

Alilloyd: Musically I guess mainly early post-rock and math-rock, 70's prog, 90's alternative rock, Warp-style electronica, and minimalism. Ideologically; Bertrand Russell, John Gray, David Hume, Will Hutton, Naomi Klein, among others.

Claude:- All of the above plus a load of Scottish bands, specifically Laeto, Stapleton, Okker, Sawyer, Senator, and a load more I can’t remember right now. Also, Phil Collins, some of whose songs I think are genuinely brilliant.

IA: Who are your favourite American Men, past and present?

Claude: Rick Froberg from Drive Like Jehu, and Thomas Pynchon.

Alilloyd: Yup, Thomas Pynchon, David Foster Wallace, Paul Cohen, Steve Reich, David Lynch, David Cross, Jason Noble and Steve Albini. There are doubtless others...

Paul/Scottt: Bill Murray, Lou Barlow, Harvey Milk, Steve Reich and David Byrne.

IA: If you had to ask one them to join you on stage, who would it be and what would they be playing?

Paul/ Scottt: I’d like David Byrne to play ‘lamp’ at our next gig.

Claude: Rick Froberg, singing, because he's the best male vocalist I've ever heard.

Alilloyd: Either Jason Noble, who would probably play guitar, or David Lynch who would provide visuals and inter-song banter. I'm thinking the sort of non-sequiturs that comprise his twitter feed.

You can listen to the title track of their forthcoming EP, 'Cool World' HERE

LuckyMe | American Men Myspace | LuckyMe Presents - Sonar 2010

Far removed from the joyless showboating and beef many in the Grime scene have been indulging in over the past few years, Elijah & Skilliam, a DJ duo with a penchant for earth-shattering instrumentals, have been working away consistently bringing the best in new Grime to the fore via their Rinse FM show. After gathering new material from the likes of Terror Danjah, Swindle, D.O.K. and Royal T to name but a few and exposing new artists through their blog, they've smashed raves across Europe and all over the UK in a fashion unheard of for Grime DJs. This year they launch their label - the first release on which sees new riddims from Terror Danjah, SRC, Silencer and Royal T. 2010 will undoubtedly be a huge year for Butterz.

Inverted Audio got in touch to ask them a few questions:


IA: Am I right in thinking you guys haven't been DJing all that long? What made you want to start?

Elijah: I have been DJing since 2008. Been a silent listener to pirate radio most of my life, and Grime was the soundtrack to my teenage years. I felt that I could do something that nobody else in the scene was doing as a DJ and I had a small profile because of the blog, so it was worth a try.

Skilliam: I've been DJing on and off since around 2003/04 and it's only recently where it's picked up and really taken off. I began when I was at school with a group of MCs as they needed a DJ and it all started from there. It's one of those things where once you start, it's hard to stop through the sheer enjoyment of it.


IA: How did you guys get hooked up with Rinse show then? And how has it developed you as DJs?

E: At the time they were looking for Grime DJs, we got recommended and done a demo show and we are still there today. Having a radio show is a distinct advantage over other DJs. It keeps you on your toes, every week you need to be listening to new music, new producers and new mc's and playing around with new ideas to keep the show fresh. Since we started people have developed along with us, so we started playing Royal Ts early stuff, and now he is one release in, and has improved a huge amount. On the other hand you have Swindle, who was already a name in the scene when we started, but his style didn't fit alongside what was getting played by the top DJs. We accommodated smooth styles as well as the rough.


IA: To me, what you guys have done with pushing that instrumental grime thing, shaking off the need for MCs is kind of reminiscent to what Dilla and Madlib did for instrumental hip hop. Do you think grime could ever reach that level of success?

E: Possibly, I think as long as Grime gets taken seriously as an electronic music genre in the future my job will be complete.

S: I don't think it's about trying to imitate or emulate other scenes. I think its best that the Grime scene finds it's own way of progressing and developing.


IA: What are your thoughts on the scene at the minute? The whole P Money and Ghetts thing? The recent resurgence of sending and war dubs? Wiley going mental on Twitter?

E: Creatively it is in a better place then it was last year. Producers collaborating, MCs working with each other more, Dubstep producers starting to work with MCs again, all of that is great, I'm not too fussed about the beef or politics in the scene, I just play the music. I don't really pay attention to YouTube MCs.

S: Things such as those help to keep a buzz in the scene. I noticed that people, who were disconnected from Grime saying it was dead, did start to take an interest in Grime again.


IA: The Butterz label seems like a pretty natural progression. What are your plans with that? Is it all the fun and games you thought it would be?

E: Again it's just an outlet for the people we play. This time last year, nobody wanted to release this music, now as soon as I play a tune, I get an email asking what label its coming out on! Total turn around. I feel like I can bring something different creatively, sometimes I feel like the formats are to regimented. Like you can only do one tune a remix and a B. Fuck that, I want 15 remixes I'll get 15 remixes. Quality Street [the first Butterz 12"] as well, 4 big producers on one vinyl. Value for money and for the producers they are getting more stuff out there that wouldn't have come out if we didn't ask.


IA: Tell us a bit about releasing on vinyl, why did you choose to go down this route? I can only think of a few Grime labels who are on this right now, perhaps most prominently No Hats No Hoods.

E: Vinyl/Digital combination is the industry standard way to release electronic music. So just stick to the script, play by the rules, so we can get compared to what else is going on out there in vinyl/digital world regardless of genre. I service the music to DJs that I rate that play similar styles, whereas Grime labels previously would have just given it to Grime DJs. So you will hear 'butterz' tunes in Oneman, Alex Nut, Brackles, Bok Bok, Starkey, Joker, Toddla T, Ben UFO sets etc. People before us haven't really done that, that's why Grime isn't as big as it should be.


IA: Any tips you can give us on future label releases, stuff in the pipeline etc?

S: It is quite a fluid process, things can change, we have a rough idea, but expect an Air Bubble Remix 12" and a Swindle EP. Even if it doesn't come out on Butterz, there will be stuff popping up elsewhere that we have had a hand in via Rwina, Planet Mu, Numbers, No Hats No Hoods Etc. All about what's doing best for the producers.


IA: It seems like to an extent you've taken Grime back to raves, almost sneaked in through the backdoor by just being a couple of guys djing without an MC, playing predominantly instrumentals and therefore overcoming the negative connotations that Grime carries. Right now it seems like if you want Grime DJs for a night, you'd go to you guys. How's playing out been and as radio DJs/label heads/bloggers how important is the club arena to you?

E: The club is why I do it. Hearing the stuff on big systems, making people dance, go crazy to this music is the motivation. Building up a tune like Air Miles on the radio, then seeing the reactions to it in a club when your dropping it for the first time is the one. What you hear on the radio is pretty much what you get in a club, and that is not us trying to conform so we can get bookings, it is the side of Grime we have both liked and has been underexposed from the start. End of the day it is club music, so if we didn't play in raves my motivation would slow down very quickly.

S: The most fun and exhilarating thing is the club arena. That's where you really feel the power of the music. It is also useful for producers, we might play their music and give them feedback on how it sounds and reactions it received to help them develop further. Also there hasn't been any grief at raves both inside and outside of London and UK that we have played at which is definitely a plus point.


IA: You've taken your sound far from London, where ironically it must be one of the hardest places right now to get bookings as a result of police pressure on Grime/the 696 form. How does it go down in the places you've played all over Europe? Any stories? 

E: We play at Dubstep raves most of the time, so the ears are tuned to hearing 140bpm beats already so it isn't that difficult, only that most of the time they dont know the tunes. You just an honest reaction, you can tell when they aren't feeling certain bits, but then when you bring in something they like they are receptive. Watch the Prague video and the 'Bare Places' video to see what I mean!

S: It is actually quite well received abroad. We say it a lot; and think it's partly down to core instrumental sets. You don't have to speak English or understand the slang to relate to the music we play. Each time we have gone away, it has been a good experience and the crowds tend to be very receptive to what we play.


IA: To me Terror Danjah kind of seems like the godfather of the sound you're pushing and producers like Rude Kid, Swindle, SRC, D.O.K., Royal T etc. are making. How much of a part do you think he's played in the development of instrumental Grime?

E: Without him it wouldn't have been possible. I'm glad you feel that way because he is instrumental (no pun) in making a lot of stuff happen for us, and other producers coming through. When we first met I had just started on Rinse, and I was finding it difficult to get music, and he was one our first guests on our show and he let us break a lot of his tunes. Creatively he really got me involved in what he was doing: playing stuff to me as he was making it, seeing what I thought and going back in.

S: He has embraced all those producers, helped them with label stuff, appeared on their releases, given them remix work and played them in his sets and if all of those producers and other guys like Silencer, Joker, Starkey etc do the same we have a little movement there. There are other producers coming through as well, and now that Terror is DJing again he has his finger on the pulse when it comes to new beats.


IA: What a lot of things you're involved in, such as what you play out, on the radio, release through the label etc have in common is what I'd describe as this kind of technicolour sound, quite playful and fun, which arguably is what Grime has been missing. Is this playfulness something you're interested in?

E: I know what you mean by that, I just don't think everything has to be rowdy or angry to be grimy. 'Air Bubble' is exactly that, a lot of my favourite Grime tunes are not even dark. They're the ones with the cool melodies like Geeneus 'Jamhot' and DJ Oddz 'Champion'. Another element I felt was missing over the last few years was really 'danceable' grime tunes, but now we have Rude Kid 'Jack Daniels' , Swindle 'Air Miles' and watch out for Royal-Ts Whistle Song.


IA: What influences you outside Grime?

E: I listen to a lot of DJ mixes and a lot of Rinse FM so a lot of House, Dubstep, Funky and alternative hip hop. I might hear something and try and apply it to what we do, or certain techniques I see DJs using to promote themselves I will give a try. I like to check out other DJs at random nights to see what the hype is about as well, quite often I'm impressed more than let down which is good, the levels are very high right now.

S: I take aspects from everywhere and apply it to Grime. I like the DJing styles of House when it comes to radio. It's about enjoying the tunes, the combinations and the mix.


IA: Which producers, MCs and DJs are you feeling right now?

E: I only DJ Grime, so there are loads of producers I rate that I don't play, so outside of the people I play week in week out on Rinse I currently rate Zomby, D1, Geeneus, DVA, Silkie, Skream loads of heads. MCs P Money and D Double E are leading for me right now.

S: Producer-wise, you would probably hear the ones which we like and are accessible on our shows. I've also always been a fan of Footsie. MCs would be the Newham Generals and P-Money. DJs I'm not to sure at the moment. I've always been a fan of EZ so I'll say him for now.

Find the latest Butterz info on their blog, and check out their latest Rinse shows on Mixcloud. 

BUY Butterz 001, Bipolar

Facebook | Twitter | Rinse FM | Butterz | MySpace | Mixcloud

If asked who might be my choice mixer, it would undoubtedly be his guy. There were two things in 2008 that I just couldn't bring myself to stop listening to. In fact, at Bloc this year I was still forcing people to listen to it. So thank heavens there is a substitute for it now. These two things were Dusk & Blackdown's debut album, Margins Music, and Grievous Angel's Devotional Dubz mixtape. It was announced earlier this year that a remix album mix of Margins Music was to be released. Grievous' ableton skills have truly done it justice, and made what is perhaps my album of the year.

Here's a little interview with the man behind it to shed some light on it all.

IA: Can you just give us a rundown of your musical history?

GA: There’s been an awful lot. I had the benefit of an elder sister who was a real hipster, so I was into loads of stuff early on, like the Clash, Augustus Pablo, Scientist, Joy Division, James Brown and all the funk stuff. I got into Cabaret Voltaire and all the industrial stuff dead early on my own, I was just blown away by 2X45. So that whole vibe of out-there dance music that united black and white audiences was in me right from the start. Plus I was going out dancing to jazz funk and electro clubs in east London and Essex. All that led up to people like Tackhead and Renegade Soundwave who took the dub aesthetic and mutated it into techy soundsystem gear – and that’s the genesis of dubstep right there. I was well into garage first time round, that to me was the apotheosis of the whole current. I’ve seen a lot of good music come and go and trust me, this is a golden age, for all that’s wrong with the scene, this is a great time to be making and listening to music.

IA: What drew you to Sheffield? How do you find coming down to London for shows now?

GA: I had this vision of Sheffield being this fantastic, transformative place even though I’d never been there. This was back in the 80s. I guess Cabaret Voltaire had something to do with it, and a lot of it was wanting a big change from East London and Essex, but it was much more than that. By the end I hated living in London but I absolutely love visiting the place, it’s addictive. London is a state of mind, a city which is both imaginary and concrete. I’ve voluntarily and happily exiled myself but you can never truly leave.

IA: What made you want to start producing?

GA: I was always making music. I was in punk or post-punk bands at school, I’ve played in folk bands, I’ve been DJing for a really long time. It was always in the background. I was rubbish for years and something eventually came together.

IA: How has your own stuff developed over time?

GA: When dubstep and grime were emerging out of garage I was going in a parallel direction, doing stuff I called ragga techno, 3:2 beats with snare on the third and techno sounds. This was 2001, 2002. I’d been doing really terrible garage before then, and techno that was ok, and some jungle that was fairly good – Steve Barker used to review the jungle mp3s I put up in his column in the Wire. Kode got in touch in 2002 saying he liked some of it and sent me some of his stuff. I was too busy with babies to get into the scene properly and carried on doing my thing. Then an Italian guy who was managing this dance music label in Japan got in touch over myspace saying he liked my stuff. Eventually, and incredibly, that turned into the first album which was dubstep, some dancehall, some ragga techno. Then I started making garage properly, started making funky… it all went off.

IA: What was your reaction on hearing Margins Music?

GA: I loved it. Captivated by it. Didn’t listen to anything else for like six weeks. This was long before it came out.

IA: Where did you start with remixing the entire album? Could you run us through the process?

GA: I put together a really minimal Ableton template. Channels for drums, bass, lead, vocals, other bits. Two FX sends – a delay and a reverb. The parts for everything went into that. I had a really clear idea of what effect I wanted the remix to have but I had no idea whatsoever how I was going to execute it, I just trusted myself to do the right thing. I just started randomly shoving parts around, cutting them up and recombining them. It all fell into place. But it took a long time, months and months of editing. It was a joy.

IA: Is there something about working with other people's music you really enjoy? You seem to do it a lot.

GA: It keeps you away from trying to be too original, which I think is often the death of good music. You focus your energy on being original rather than on making a good track. Originality is simply the wrong objective. Originality is a bonus, its granted to you, if you’re lucky, once you’ve passed the hurdle of doing something worth listening to. I’d far rather make a great track that’s generic than a mediocre one that’s original. So remixing other people’s music is extremely useful because it cuts down your options - plus, you don’t have to work with a blank canvas, which is another big time waster. People start from scratch when they should be taking the last track that was good and mutating it.

IA: What other albums would you like to have a crack at playing with?

GA: I’ve always wanted to redo kode’s 'Memories of the Future'. I love his singles but I don’t think he landed that album properly. I’d like to go back and do it properly. Take some of the fx off Space’s vocals and turn them down a bit, but have some acapella bits, make it a bit more dancey, and of course do it as a DJ mix. I think all dance music albums should come as two CD sets with the mix as the main event. This is what long-form dance music is about. Collections of songs are just DJ ammunition. Which is fine, but it’s not an album.

IA: I was a big fan of the Woofah magazine you used to be an editor of. What was the story with that? How come you set it up?

GA: Woofah came about because my best friend John Eden wanted to do a reggae fanzine. He roped me in cos we do all that kind of stuff together. There’s no reggae magazine in the UK and there hadn’t been much in the way of fanzines since Boomshackalack but in France for example there are like three proper magazines. We thought it was about time that reggae and soundsystem culture in general needed coverage. The remit got extended to include grime, cos that’s obviously 21st century UK dancehall - but then, once you do grime, you need to cover a bit of dubstep as well, and since that was what I was into anyway, I handled all that. Of course it’s much easier to get dubstep interviews and review material than it is to do grime and reggae so it’s kind of over-represented, in terms of editorial mission it’s definitely third on the list. It doesn’t need the coverage and the stories just aren’t as strong. We wanted it to be all paper, all analogue, like DMZ –  with absolutely no digital content. You can’t even buy it that easily. You have to know. If you’re not clued up enough to get it, you’re really not the kind of person we want to have it. It’s VERY elitist. They take effort, nous and connections to obtain. And we don’t print many. Cos we come from an era when it was hard to find stuff, you had to form relationships to get underground music and books. You were starved instead of gluttonous and what you got was really valuable to you. It’s good to give people a little taste of that. What was going to be a little Stewart Home-style stapled pamphlet turned into something much bigger when droid got involved. He’s this genius dancehall and jungle selector who’s also an amazing designer. He turned Woofah into this amazing seminal cultural artefact.

IA: What's happening with that now? Is there another issue being put together?

GA: The next issue is in design. It’s been in design for a long time. I delivered all my stuff months and months ago. The bits I’ve seen are amazing. But there’s a lot to do. And the founders involvement has changed. John had to get his life back after organising the launch and the next few issues so he’s stepped back to being just a writer. I’m focusing a lot more on my music so my involvement is limited. Droid is running it but he’s got a lot on – his label, Ruff Revival, is doing some amazing records and they’re blowing up, plus he has some family commitments. I think another one will come out. But I’m not holding my breath.

IA: What do you think of the current state of the music press? What do you think people should be doing or focussing on?

GA: It’s all about blogs and forums isn’t it. There’s a historically unique ability right now to connect directly with experts at length. Reynolds is the classic example of that. I disagree with a ton of what he says but it’s crucial we have him, as well as antidotes like bokbok and Mos Dan and Mellissa Bradshaw. But the access to the collective voice is essential too. Forums have this issue where they go off quite badly as they get popular, just look at dubstep forum, but dissensus is still pretty on it. So much of the action now is on twitter.

IA: Who are you rating at the moment? Dj or producer wise.

GA: Live I just fucking love kode. He’s got sooooo good. Every time he plays it’s just a lot better than you think it’s going to be, he finds a way to tweak his sets so they always hit your palate in this particular way. And they’re so memorable. So much character. I can remember bits of every set I’ve seen by him. Like when he played word up at DMZ, I don’t think anyone can forget that. Dub Boy is just about the best DJ in the country though, especially for funky. He’s just devastating. So is Heatwave. When they play it’s just so outrageously dirty, there’s like fucking on the dancefloor. Shaka is still the ultimate. Utter bliss. But iration steppas make a whole world with their system. Never seen the DMZ clashes on it though. Mala used to be the best but he plays too much wobble now frankly. He wants to be making some house music in my opinion. Producer wise I get sent so much stuff and most of it is awful. But there’s a bunch of people I get hyped for when it appears… basically the same list as every other dubstep / funky / wheredoyoucallit fan. Blackdown of course, Cooly G, who’s made some of my favourite records of the year… Untold when he’s not being too glitchy, at his best no-one can touch Jack. Roska, though it’s getting to sound a bit samey. Kode though I don’t get much off him. Slackk is doing big stuff, after I did Ice Rink he started sending me all this Eski House which has been going down a storm, he’ll be big next year. MJ Cole and Zed Bias stuff deliver every time as does Baobinga, I’ve no idea why Sam isn’t massive, his tunes are brilliant. I’m a bit obsessed with Sully at the moment. He’s done this remix of 23Hz and Numaestro which is my tune of the year by a mile. I’m still listening to a lot of folk too, like 9Bach, Laura Marling, the Imaginary Village.

IA: How have your sets been shaping up recently? What seems to be going off?

GA: People love the funky. They like it hard and fast too. Soundclash moves the floor every time though I’m playing it less now. Ice Rink goes off every time, it’s apocalyptic. Thing is, when I play, I always start with some hard dubby 2step, and I usually kick off with So Solid’s Oh No (Sentimental Things). Once you’ve played that kind of stuff you’re rolling anyway, it’s proper UK music, everyone loves it, everyone thinks of it as THEIR tunes. Noone wants to hear wobble, not from me anyway, they’re not interested, they want hard stuff but they want things like Untold’s remix of Knowledge. So I play garage, dubstep and funky, bit of grime depending on what I’ve got ripped. I’d like to play a load of 94-era jungle too cos everyone loves it but I always run out of time.

DOWNLOAD GRIEVOUS ANGEL'S IA MIX HERE

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Radovan Scasacia is the man behind the experimental electronic music of Secondo, AM/PM and the London based Dreck records imprint. He recorded an exclusive mix for Inverted Audio a few weeks back, you can listen to it HERE. I've been a fan of Dreck and Radovan's work for many years, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to find out exactly what makes him and Dreck tick. This is what he had to say.

IA: What is you musical background and what got you into producing your own music?

RS: I started playing classical piano from an early age and was playing keyboards in my first band when I was about 11. It was in the early nineties that I quit the band and decided to play all the parts myself and make electronic music.

IA: What sounds did you grow up listening to?

RS: I've got two older sisters who inundated me with British Synth Pop while I was still quite young. Bands like Depeche Mode, Heaven 17 and Simple Minds stuck with me for quite some time after that.

IA: Do you think Architecture plays an influential role when create music and perform out?

RS: Definitely. We experience music in a certain environment and might even be transported into certain environments when listening to particular music. So if you look at architecture in a wider sense as being the environment around us, be it built or not, the two are pretty inseparable I'd say.

Lusine, aka Jeff McIlwain, took some time to answer some questions about his new album ‘A Certain Distance’, his creative process, album covers, making albums, and what’s next for Lusine. We also have an exclusive live mix from Lusineto celebrate his latest album 'A Certain Distance'. Download the mix HERE . The full interview is below.

IA: Hi Jeff, Thank you for taking the time to speak to us…In a nutshell, what was your musical upbringing?

JM: I played a little piano and violin when I was growing up.

IA: When did you first start making music?

JM: Started just out of high school back in ‘93 or so.

IA: Can you remember the first album you bought that you couldn’t get enough of?

JM: Probably Depeche Mode’s Violator. I think that album pretty much blew me away when it came out.

IA:  What attracted you to release your first album under Isophlux?

JM: I sent a demo to him when I lived in California and he liked it and gave me a call. I only new of the label through word of mouth.

IA:  Explain why have you decided to become more ‘pop-y’ and vocal in your new album?

JM: It just seemed like something that would be a challenge for me. I got a little bit sick of working with the same structures that were more oriented towards sound and static progressions and wanted to try working more with verse/chorus structures because it’s not something I hear very often with electronic music.

IA:  In what direction do you see your next project going?

JM: I’ll probably continue to work with vocalists and maybe incorporate more acoustic instrumentation, but still manipulated and strange.

IA: Have you thought about the fact that in the future your earlier music will be appreciated more than you might realize now?

JM: It would be nice if other people came to appreciate my earlier sound, but I am never 100% satisfied with anything I do, so I’m always trying to evolve and refine my music. When I listen to my older music, it’s interesting, but I feel like personally I’m not really in that space anymore.

IA: It’s so hard to classify music these days when there is such a wealth of textures out there, if you really had to give it your best stab how would you classify your sound?

JM: I guess I would say experimental electronic pop, but it depends on which releases you are pointing to. Some are more ambient, and some are more like experimental dance.

IA: Some people say all good music has a creative vision behind it; others just follow what sounds good… do you have a particular thought process when approaching a new tune?

JM: Well, I’m definitely influenced by what’s going on around me. But, I’d like to think that I bring something new to the table. I generally have an idea of what style and sound I want to try out when I start a new track (maybe based on other music that I‘m hearing), but it eventually veers in other directions once I get going, which I guess I would classify as “my sound”

IA: Now that you’re a refined musical tech-whizz you must be near to having a perfect studio set up…what hard & software do you use?

JM: It’s a very simple setup. I have a few analogs that I use, a couple other hardware synths, a couple guitars, an electric bass, mics and a minidisc recorder for field recordings. And I use a combination of Cubase, FL Studio, Soundhack, and Ableton Live for the most part.

IA: How did your relationship with Ghostly International begin?

JM: Sam contacted me back in 2001/2002 to do a 12” and sent me a bit of his catalogue. I think he heard a DJ spinning one of my tracks. Then we eventually released the Push EP.

IA: Do Ghostly determine your work or are you completely autonomous?

JM: Totally autonomous, but the music I send to Sam is usually something I feel would work for the label’s aesthetic.

IA: Do you have any future film projects in line? Have you any plans to produce your own film?

JM: No film projects coming up at the moment. No plans to produce a film, that would be something completely beyond me.

IA: Who designs your album artwork? They seem to fit the music perfectly.

JM: A Certain Distance was done by Mike Cina and Benjamin Hriber. They were the designs that I chose, and I asked them to expound on them.

IA: What upcoming producers / DJ’s do you rate?

JM: I think Michna has some really interesting stuff out. I like the sound of this guy Lukid on Werk Discs, and I think Dave Pezzner has some really promising material as well.

IA: Where would you ideally live and which place on earth inspires you the most?

JM: I love Seattle. The Northwest is a really beautiful place to be.

IA: Will we see a remix album of ‘A Certain Distance’?

JM: Maybe a remix 12” And another single for “Twilight”

IA: It has been suggested that Takagi Masakatsu plays a great deal in influencing your sound, is this valid?

JM: I honestly have never heard him. I should check it out. Susumu Yokota’s ambient material is a big influence on my sound.

IA: Your name means ‘factory’, is there a story behind how you chose the name L’Usine? 

JM: No, I just thought it was an interesting sounding name with a meaning that kind of contradicted the fluid pronunciation, which I felt worked with my music pretty well.

IA: Finally, Jeff, what can we expect from you through the rest of 2009 and beyond?

JM: Remix 12” on Ghostly, “Twilight” single, remix of Tycho and School of Seven Bells, and hopefully some more music incorporating vocals.

IA: In closing, thank you for taking the time to speak to us, Jeff. We wish you the best of luck with A Certain Distance.

JM: Thanks!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD LUSINE LIVE MIX

IA: Hi Matt, Thank you for taking the time to speak to us…In a nutshell, what was your musical upbringing?

M.E: I grew up in south London and was exposed to a loads of different music from an early age. My home town Catford has a large West Indian population and there were some amazing record stores just minutes from my house, So, when the electro explosion happened back in 82’, I had access to all the imports and rarities at my finger tips…From there, I just got into collecting music and then I had one of those “I’ve seen the light” evenings at the Milk Bar in London around the beginning of 1990. The rest of the 90’s was a real blur…..

IA: What were you doing - collecting or making tunes first?

M.E: I’ll always be a record enthusiast and collector first. I’m a huge fan of all sorts of music and I guess my music production came from being frustrated with what was on offer.

IA: What was the first record you spent your hard earned pocket money on?

M.E: Probably a James Bond soundtrack. I was a big fan of all the Bond films when I was a kid, and I think I’ve still got all of them stored somewhere!

IA: Your new Fabric mix is long overdue for many people! How come it hasn’t happened before?

M.E: It’s all about timing and although I was asked last year, the planning was for a 2009 summer release!

IA: Your last set at Fabric bought you plaudits for its variety… do you plan your set before or let it evolve organically?

M.E: I never plan my sets and I think I’m subconsciously making an effect to play as much variety as possible. There’s so much amazing music out there that it’s a shame not to try and make it work within a club environment. And Fabric is the perfect club to really dig deeper and not play the top 20 hits from Beatport (as many people do)!

IA: You describe the new mix as “something that people outside of the dance music snobbery would enjoy”. Can you elaborate on that a bit; do you get tired of some of the more anal stuff around “the scene”?

M.E: I was just making a point about people being so obsessed with having everything so super upfront and an old record being something from last month. Good records are good records and a record say like “La Mezcla” will still be in my box in 10 years.

IA: In a similar way, do you also strongly resist genre classifications? Do you think “Techno”, “House” have any meaning left - or should we leave them behind?

M.E: Leave the genres behind. I would still say the music we play in clubs is “disco”, as it’s made for discos, and if I have to describe the music I make and play, it would be “modern electronic”.

IA: Rekids has become one of the scene’s most respected labels, very quickly. Compared to Richie Hawtin’s label ‘Minus’ – Do you see your label as pushing the boundaries?

M.E: Yeah totally, I really hope that Rekids will develop into a label like Warp, and I’m sure we’re heading that way with some of the projects we have for the next year.

IA: Your father as a record sleeve designer, how inspirational was he to setting up your label?

M.E: My father was, and still is a huge inspiration. He worked as a typographer and art director for a large American publisher, so I was always pushed into doing something creative. I grew up in a house full of typography books and font catalogue’s which I’ve now kept for myself, and this is where I found the Rekids font.

IA: At what stage in your life did you decide to start Rekids?

M.E: Well, I would just say that it just happened naturally. My label partner James Masters had quit his corporate job and we’re actually brothers in law, so we were hanging out and I suggested we set up a label and the rest is history !

IA: Radio Slave was originally a duo, right? Did you and Serge Santiágo simply go down different paths?

M.E: The “Radio Slave” project was something I started but took to Serge as I needed an engineer to work with, and after a few years I decided that the partnership wasn’t working. And looking back I think that the separation did Serge the world of good as he left Brighton and started producing disco in London.

IA: Some people say all good music has a creative vision behind it; others just follow what sounds good… what about you?

M.E: Music is music, but I do admire people and producers with vision. I’ve always been a huge fan of Carl Craig and I really love the way he’s always pushing things forward, and in that way I’d like to do the same with the projects I’m working on!

IA: Looking at your discography, you’re still first and foremost a remixer. Do you just enjoy that more?

M.E: At the moment “NO”, as I just wanna make my own tracks. I’m dying to get the next Rekid LP into production and remixes really slow me down. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy doing them but I wish I could remix more pop stuff again as I love re-working songs.

IA: Which remix did you enjoy creating the most, Kylie, Sir Elton?

M.E: The one that always sticks out for me is the “Gisli” mix for EMI, as it was a great song and it was one of the first remixes I did without Serge and I still feel that it has stood the test of time.

IA: We’ve just heard about your mammoth 28 minute mix for Hell and P. Diddy! Do we take it you always write music like it’s a journey, rather than patterns that make people dance?

M.E: I just believe that there should be no rules within music, and who ever said a dance track should be 8 minute’s ? So, with the Diddy mix, it was the perfect opportunity to say “ fuck  it”, let’s keep the track rolling and really explore the song. I actually planned to make the mix around 45-60mins long but I didn’t have the time!

IA: Studio-wise, are you a hardware connoisseur, or are you integrating more software into your setup these days?

M.E: I’m using mostly software as it’s just convenient. But in 2010, I’ll be building a new studio, which will make the best of both worlds.

IA: What is your set up when performing out?

M.E: There’s me, my E&S 400 portable rotary mixer, 3 Pioneer CDJ1000’s and two Technics 1200’s, records and cd’s.

IA: Musically, where would you like to be in 5 years time and where would you like Rekids to be?

M.E: I’d like to be making more LP’s, and doing more art based projects, and I just hope Rekids will continue to release great records.

IA: You are now focusing on artists from Canada, such as James Teej, who contacted who and what’s the story behind it?

M.E: After hearing his release on Tic Tac Toe I just had to find out who this dude was, so I did my home work and we signed him ! James is a a great character and a lot of fun and he really blew people away when he performed at the Rekids night at the P bar, and his music is very emotive and has this really deep quality which makes him so unique and fresh sounding.

IA: The internet has sucked away a lot of money from artists and producers, ideally how would you solve online piracy?

M.E: I’d be up for visiting each and everyone that illegally uploads music with a gun and baseball bat, but James and I are working on an alternative !

IA: What upcoming producers / DJ’s do you really rate?

M.E: I’m really into the Romanians like Boola. I love how he morphs the US 90’s house sound into something completely new. I’m also Michel Cleis’ biggest fan, he’s got a really fresh sound and I think this dude is gonna continue to produce hit after hit ! Just check his remix of India’s “love and happiness”, It’s beautiful ! I’m also loving our new signing “Nina Kraviz”. She’s this super talented, and “hot” Russian chick, who’s obsessed with Detroit house and we’ll be releasing her first 12” on Rekids at the end of October, plus her “Pain in Ass” track is actually featured on my Fabric compilation.

IA: Was moving from England to Berlin a natural decision, do you think you could be where you are without being based in the ‘home of techno’?

M.E: Yeah, I don’t think moving to Berlin has changed me. I really, really love the city, but I don’t go out that much and although I shop regularly at Hardwax I don’t think I’ll be making “dub techno”. And it was a move I needed to make. I was having a bad time in my personal life around the summer of 2007 and I had to get away from Brighton. It was a real shame that I couldn’t stay there as I miss my wife, friends and cat, but I needed a change.

IA: Finally, Matt, what can we expect from you through the rest of 2009 and beyond, a reemergence of your previous monikers / projects?

M.E: Well, there’s a few releases ready to drop and lookout for a 12” on Innervisons in October. I also have an Lp planned for 2010 and as I’ve said, I’m dying to make the next Rekid LP. I’m also gonna be making a record with my good friend Tom Gandey who recently performed the piano solo on my Diddy remix, And I might kill the Radio Slave name just to confuse people !

IA: In closing, thank you for taking the time to speak to us, Matt. We wish you the best of luck with the new Fabric mix and Rekids Revolution.

M.E: Thanks for the support, Matt

To coinicide with both the release of The Mohana E.P. and his August performance at Fabric, Inverted Audio has conducted a very rare and exclusive interview with Nathan Jonson for him to shed some light on the dark disturbing world of Hrdvsion and his insatiable obsesion in abusing sound.

IA: Hi, Nathan. Thank you for taking the time to speak to us.

NJ: Bzzzzt, chicken salad! aka good to be here!!

IA: Where did you grow up in Canada – the Vancouver area, right?

NJ: Victoria actually. (ed - whoops. Blame wiki.)

IA: Did you feel part of a fertile musical “scene” there, and did this influence you?

NJ: There's a scene in Vic for sure. I'm not sure if I was a member of it. I think perhaps I belonged to a sister club born out of wedlock between kissing cousins.  

IA: What about the parties?

NJ: Raves were rad. I think my friend Jesse and I were the only sober ones there most of the time. It was cool meeting people wrecked on drugs thinking that they were really nice and somehow within this situation were able to actually love me within moments of us meeting. Back-rubs were a little rough, but you got used to it after your fourth or fifth one in a night. I think we caught the tail end of it as they turned into "parties" and became more mainstream, though we definitely experienced some great ones. It was a great place for us to go because we felt free, and able to be whatever we wanted.

IA: How close were you to your brother Mathew while growing up, and did you share the same musical upbringing?

NJ: We had a similar musical background, but Mat was into it much earlier than me. He was a drummer in the Penticton Pipe Band when he was 5 or something. I remember driving with my mom to pick him up from practice. I got into piano and electronic music when I was about 8 as we had a MIDI keyboard, Soundbank, and 2 track MIDI recorder that had a believable piano lesson front. I took the lessons for 2 or 3 years, but found writing and experimenting with the gear more exciting. 

IA: What came first: collecting music, or making it?

NJ: Collecting on a serious level only started around 1996. Before that I listened to all sorts of music, but up until then it had been all on cassette or CD's. After I found Squarepusher's "Hard Normal Daddy" album, the need for everything to be on vinyl began.

IA: Some people suggest all good music must have a creative vision behind it. Others just follow what sounds good. Where do you stand on this?

NJ: Good music is a diary entry. Honest and revealing.

IA: Moving onto your new E.P.“The Mohana.” (out now on Wagon Repair.)  Mainly through it’s melodic structure, track one “The Mohana” creates a folk-inflected atmosphere (at least to my ears.) Is that something you were intending & what inspired that?

NJ: It's a sound version of inspiration and emotion, losing all meaning in translation.

IA: On both tracks from the E.P., you employ a great deal of micro editing. Fun/not fun?

NJ: After the song is written I tend to tune and move things around. I love pushing things in a direction they aren't normally comfortable to see their breaking points

IA: The live version of “Sliding Into Air” - tell us about how and where that was performed?

NJ: The sun belted in through the windows and sweat dripped to the floor. The vinyl chairs were sticky from the extreme heat and in a most impossible way levitation was born. The smell of smoke drifted through the air as eyes rolled back into their skulls. 

IA: To me, this E.P. explores the area between the functional and experimental, allowing you freedom to twist timbres while retaining a solid rhythmic base. Are you frustrated with the “conventions and rules” of typical dancefloor music?

NJ: There are moments when I find it frustrating. It can hurt the heart when trying to perform a piece of music to a crowd that only wants to dance. Sharing a piece of yourself only to be thrown aside as being weird is a puncturing wound difficult to recover from. On the flip side I love slamming people with dance tunes too. It's a balancing act. A circus.

IA: Similarly, do you strongly resist genre classifications? Do you think “Techno”, “House” now have any meaning left - or should we leave them behind?

NJ: I don't tend to classify music into genres. When I think of Techno or House I think the stuff that is only that. As if that is the only way you can describe it. I like music that isn't one or the other.

IA: You are known for live performance, and that definitely comes across in your productions and on this E.P. When producing, do you start by outlining a song structure, rather than build from rhythmic patterns as more traditional dance producers may do?

NJ: I write a song in a variety of different ways then get the scissors out and cut it into a million pieces gluing it back into an unrecognizable frankenstein machine.

IA: Would you agree that the same can be said of most good electronic music – i.e., it’s still fundamentally a song, and not a series of patterns?

NJ: If it's just a series of patterns  then it's just a series of patterns. When a series of patterns has something else, noticeable or not, is where it becomes a song. 

IA: Studio-wise, do you remain a hardware connoisseur, or are you slowly migrating to a software setup?

NJ: I have always been a software connoisseur. I can do things in Reaktor and Ableton that is impossible on gear. I love gear also, but I've always used hardware more for jamming or playing live that actually composing on. I'm a much more visual person and I like to see what is happening all the time. I am a control freak.

IA: So, most of the interesting electronic music still remains rooted in a hardware environment?

NJ: Yes.

IA: Finally, Nathan, what can we expect from you through the rest of 2009 and beyond?

NJ: Coming this year I have another 12" of Starting Teeth on Creaked. A remix of Florian Kicks on Remute's self titled label, and an EP on Living Records. After that a collaboration with Remute and an album for Wagon Repair due out sometime mid 2010.

IA: In closing, thank you for taking the time to speak to us, Nathan. We wish you the best of luck with the new E.P.

NJ: Thanks for having me!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE MOHANA E.P. REVIEW

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Singing Statues is the latest project from producer Ben Thomas. Although Ben is relatively unknown in the scene he does have a cult following. Now at the age of 22 he's been producing music for the past four years under various monikers, Jackhigh, Bnjmin 141 and Rewolf.

Ben's music first appeared on a small Cologne based label named 'Up My Alley' in 2007. They released "Beatnicks Vol.1" on vinyl featuring "Earth Changes" under Ben's 'Jackhigh' moniker, this was followed up with 'a second release  'Beatnicks Vol.2' featuring "Arachnid Eyes" in 2008.

Singing Statues is his latest project and his attempt at combining a little bit of everything he has done before. We caught up with Ben to find out more.

IA: Whats your name and where do you come from?

BT: My name is Ben Thomas and I was born in Bournemouth, currently residing in London.

IA: How many people are involved with Singing Statues?

BT: At the moment its just me, but I'm planning to start playing my music live with others musicians really soon.

IA: How did the name Singing Statues come about?

BT: The name singing statues is actually a short story by J.G Ballard, who recently passed away. I'm really into his works and needed a new name, as   the previous aliases I'd recorded under were pretty different musically.

IA: Can you explain your sound, what and who inspires you?

BT: I'm influenced by all sorts, from detroit techno to folk music. My aim with this project was to try to fuse the electronic and organic influences into one thing. As far as explaining the sound I'm with John Cage when he said that talking about music is like dancing to architecture haha. I wouldn't really know where to start!

IA: You mentioned you had recorded and produced music under different names or projects, can you tell us more?

BT: I used to create music under aliases Jackhigh, Bnjmin, 141 and Rewolf. Some of these were more temporary than others - jackhigh is the music that I began making when I was 18, and since then have been interested in other genres hence the other aliases. I'd like to think that singing statues combines the best bits of all the different music I've made over the years, plus new influences like Animal Collective, Grouper, Gang Gang Dance. It's my attempt at trying to combine the organic and electronic, using instruments and voice along with electronics and samples. I finally feel like I've settled on a name and direction.

 IA: How did your collaboration with Teebs come about?

BT: The project with teebs was pretty natural. I heard his music on MySpace and then contacted him, or he contacted me - Can't remember which way round that was. Anyway it was really easy to work on tracks with him, we'd send each other ideas and get tracks finished pretty quickly. iI hasn't been released yet, we had some label interest but nothing happened in the end. we're hoping to get that out really soon, just need to sort some artwork for the EP.

IA: Can you tell us more about the Beatnicks Volume?

BT: Beatnicks vol.1 was my first release, actually the beatnicks tracks are the only official releases I've had, apart from a few remixes. I think labels find it hard to commit in these times, which is understandable.

IA: Whats your set up in terms of equipment?

BT: It's pretty basic, just a laptop and a Shure mic to record vocals and guitar. 

IA: 'Summer Smile' has a very shimmery sound, can you explain more on how you came about this?

BT: That's probably due to the way I EQ things, or the synth sounds I chose on that track. I don't really have any set plans for tracks, I make music on the fly and whatever happens happens. Thats just the way that track turned out.

IA: What was the first record that still sticks in your mind?

BT: My dad bought me Deep Purple - Made in Japan. Still sounds great today!

IA: What upcoming bands/producers do you really rate?

BT: Wow this is a tough one. I just got turned onto a guy called Blue Daisy who is pretty amazing, also a guy called Talvihorros who makes amazing ambient/post rock type stuff.

Dominic Maker and Kai Campos are a rare breed. Together they are Mount Kimbie and this young duo are, for our money, producing some of the most exciting and essential tunes in electronic music today; music which effortlessly blends genres together to create a truly unique sound that seems to have as much in common with Burial, Flying Lotus and Shackleton as it does with Robert Johnson and Skip James. Earlier this year they released the fantastic EP entitled "Maybes" on Scuba's influential Hotflush label which was met with much critical acclaim, following on from massive support from Radio 1's Mary Anne Hobbs and Electronic Exploration's Rob Booth. With another EP in the pipeline, 2009 looks pretty big for Mount Kimbie.  We caught up with them to pick their brains:

First off, resurrecting the ghosts of Blind Date, what are your names and where do you come from.
 
D: I'm Dom, I come from various different places but have lived in London and brighton for 3 years now.

K: I'm Kai, from Cornwall also a london resident of 3 and a bit years

K: 'Dubstep' wise I'm looking forward to more Untold this year. Outside of dubstep I'm listening to this album 'Years' by 'Years' that's pretty much all I know about it. Theres also a U.S (i think) band - Bell. And a london group 'The XX' who we've done a remix for and i think are really really good. Listened to the song we were remixing a lot and it got better and better which is rare for an indie(ish) band in my experience. Something amazing about their music for me.
 
D: The Lukid material that Kai has shown me is great.

Buy "Maybes" EP

Once in a while a producer comes along who's music is so effortlessly accomplished that it completely knocks our socks off. 23 year old dubstep producer Kevin McAuley, better known as Pangaea, is one of them. With only three releases under his belt, he has already developed a style that is disctinctly his and is one of those artists working within the dubstep scene that is truely pushing boundaries. In his beautiful, richly textured productions you can hear elements of 2-step garage, dub, techno, house, idm, and many more. Not only is he a producer, but he also co-runs the esteemed Hessle Audio imprint and the Ruffage night in Leeds. We asked him a few questions to find out more:

Starting off with the boring stuff... could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Erm, my name's Kevin... Born and Bred out in the West of England, I discovered dubstep in Leeds and now I'm living in London.