INTERVIEW: The Summer of Shortstuff

*Please note: the following conversation happened on AIM.*

Shortstuff: Yo. The first part of the EP is out on August 2nd. You got the files right?

Sonic Router: Aye. You wanna do a pre time interview? Get the word out?

Yeah man. Sure

Cool… now?

Yeah man.

Cool... So where have you been? Working hard?

I've been concentrating on finishing this EP, doing lots of remixes, working on the label, and playing out and about…

So what’s the deal with this new, Summer of Shortstuff EP?

I think it captures a real progression in my stuff from about this time last year to when I finished the last track, in early 2010. I wrote the A side for my Mary Anne Hobbs guest mix, and the rest follow on chronologically from there. All the project files are dated, so I can tell you that ‘Swine Time’ was written on the 11th of October 2009, when I was laid up in bed, suffering from swine flu.

It's also a bit less frenzied than my first Ramp release, and some of my other singles

Do you think that’s a good thing? I’m all about the Shortstuff frenzy…

Well…The frenzy is still there. It's all still quite twitchy and uneasy, but most of the tracks that made it on there were made very quickly, out of an initial idea or vibe, without too much time being spent overcomplicating them for the sake of it. ‘Galaxy’ for example is made largely from the same record, drums and all. I sat down and wrote the whole arrangement in one session, with each bar triggering the next.

There are heaps of tracks that didn't make the cut that might be more polished and typical of the ‘zaney’ style you hear on some of my other stuff, but I'm happy that the ones which survived each capture a moment in my head, without too much thought for a style that people might expect from me.

So the title ‘The Summer of Shortstuff’ does that refer to the staggered release schedule?

No it does not. It's a Seinfeld reference

OK.

Basically... There is a Seinfeld episode called ‘The Summer Of George,’ where George receives a load of severance pay from his old job and vows to do something big with his the time off...



In reality, he ends up sitting around doing nothing. This speaks to me on so many levels, because I, like George, am a deeply lazy individual, hampered by my own neurosis; who overthinks things and drives himself to distraction in the process. So, given that it took me 12 months to come up with 7 tracks that I was happy to put my name to, coupled with the summer release, Summer Of Shortstuff seemed perfect.

It's definitely NOT stating that this summer is all about me. The opposite in fact

But you are you releasing it in several parts?

Yes. It is coming out on three 10"s throughout August. August 2nd, 15th and 30th. Roughly… The 3rd record will coincide with a digital release where you can grab the digital bonus track

So you will be omnipresent throughout the main summer month though…? Ha.

Yes I will. Hovering around like a bad smell.

Indeed. So… more gigs etc?

Yep. I'm playing Tomorrowland festival, Boom festival, a Field day afterparty, shows in Hamburg, Barcelona, Greece, Bristol and a heap of other stuff

Wowzer. Back in the game.

I was never out of the game. Just off AIM.

Who did the artwork?

One sec. Getting his website [goes idle]. It's a Japanese guy by the name of... OK I'll get that. Tom's getting his address for me. Next question?

He's wicked though…

Yeah he did my first Ramp single too. The ‘A Rustling’ single was sick, but he does all this stuff with actual paints, that was what first attracted us to him, and he really came up with goods. It looks like the record sounds. Better in fact.

All the Ramp stuff has nice art.

Yeah, Tom takes a lot of care with that side of things. I wish it sounded like his art looked...

So is anything lined up after these 3 x 10"s

After this, I have some remixes, including one Brackles and I did of Deadboy's 'If U Want Me' and my remix of 'On A Mission' by Hem, which was featured on Oneman's Rinse CD. Then, to celebrate the 5th Blunted Robots single, we have a tune Brackles and I did with an MC from Nottingham called Terrible Shock. Other than that, I'm working on lots of new stuff, vaguely aiming at a larger project, but trying not to think too much about it. I work much better if I don't think too much.

Cool! And finally… Damage or Take That?

Going to have to remind myself of Damage…



And yes, before you ask, this has already been discussed today…

Oh.

It's gotta be Damage…

Yeah. They had an edge. Somewhere in all that polish, there was an edge…

Allow the Eric Clapton cover though…

Yeah… ruin the first song I ever learnt to play the guitar solo of why don’t you…

LOLOL.

::

Catch Shortstuff at The Summer of Shortstuff launch party – Fri 6th August at Rhythm Factory, London.



Links:
www.myspace.com/djshortstuff
www.myspace.com/ramprecordings

Photo: Stevey Braiden