Having lost count of amount of times we’ve read or even described someone’s music ourselves as being subtle, it begrudgingly seems perfectly apt when describing the work of Canadian producer Kevin McPhee. Built from a different more placated mould, his work, which we’ve been hearing in fits and spurts since the 3rd quarter of 2010, is finally hitting shops at the beginning of the year. Releasing on two of our most revered imprints, the Irish [nakedlunch] and the Bristol based Idle Hands (which is soon to be a physical record shop just off Stokes Croft in the city centre, seemingly filling the void left by Rooted Record’s closure last month) stands him in good stead from the off but it’s the fragility and soul of his music on tracks like the as yet unsigned ‘Try’ and ‘This Feeling’ that really connect.
His drum work also shouts just as loud as his twisted use of vocal snippets and samples with the [nakedlunch] signed ‘Bridges’ being a great example of what we’re attempting to shout about. Constructed from homespun and self recorded samples it traverses a drum pattern not a million miles away from the work of Mount Kimbie, but focuses a little harder on the punch of the kick drum, using those bitcrushed scratches and ticks around it to frame the resonance of the low frequencies. A track like ‘House 44,’ not included on his mix - an introductory production showcase of 100% McPhee material – is a perfect example of McPhee at his percussive best, all insistent thump underneath whilst a swamp of textures takes over the top layers hypnotically.
He really has nailed his sound deep, almost oceanic sound palette and after a bout of complementary AIM conversations we shot him some questions, playing on our own interest in his background as much as his music and he delivered our 66th Sonic Router mix. Split, in McPhee’s own words, between “slower and faster tempo tracks,” it’s a perfect and concise showcase of a truly magnificent talent.
Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
Sure, My name is Kevin McPhee, I am a producer from Toronto and I try to produce somewhat danceable music anywhere between the 110bpm to 140bpm range. I have releases forthcoming on [nakedlunch] and Idle hands early this year. I really enjoy collecting and playing vinyl and cutting dubplates.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
To be honest I don’t do too much. I buy too many records, drink too much coffee and look at too many pictures of obese cats. I also go to school full-time.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do so?
I got into making music around the time I got my first guitar when I was 12. Rather than rely on others, I wanted to make tracks all on my own so I began experimenting with Reason and soon after I began to focus on sample-based production. It seems to have stayed that way ever since, however; I’m ever so solely attempting to move away from this approach to music production.
What’s your production set up like?
I use Logic, a turntable for sampling, a mic for recording percussion, a tape deck for adding some real stinky grit, and whatever guitar pedals I’m able to steal from my brother when he is not around.
How would you describe your sound? Hmm, well for the longest time I felt I never had a sound, and the more I thought about trying to make things fit a “McPhee Sound” the more rigid my tracks became. Now that I don’t really focus on one set style anymore I feel like my sound is kind of coming together for me naturally.I tend to rely on vocals a fair bit, some may say too much, but I feel there is a lot one can do with vocals and I feel I can still get a lot of use out of them. That being said, I would like to begin to produce less vocal-driven tracks, as I feel that I’m at the point where I can produce equally interesting percussion-based tracks as well.
I’ve always had an interest in making tracks sound as organic as possible. I try to spend as much time choosing samples as I do arranging them. I feel it’s one thing to be able to make an interesting beat, but it’s another to be able to make one that sounds like a whole unit, that is, all the sounds compliment each other in such a way that it appears as though the beat is simply a loop cut from a previous recording.
Kevin McPhee - Get In With You -[nakedlunch]
You share an affinity to a lot of the more subtle producers out there. I can hear a bit of Actress’ muffles in ‘House 44.’ What kind of music do you listen to in your own time?
I tend to listen to a lot of electronic music, but I try to keep my mind open to everything. I only recently started listening to house so that has begun to take up a lot of my listening time as there is just so much great music out there. Once I started listening to dance music, I kind of pushed my previous musical interests to the side, I feel as though this wasn’t as beneficial as I thought it would as I began to take inspiration from only one source. Now I’ve slowly begun to take up listening to just about anything. Whether it be jazz, folk, or ambient music, I’ve learned that there exists merits to all genres, it’s just a matter of being able to push aside your initial inhibitions to get at them in some cases.
What is an inspiration for you?
As lame as it sounds, pretty much just other music. I’m not going to lie and say the wind on a crisp fall day helps me make music or something like that. I just tend to find music I enjoy, note what intrigues me about it, and then try to respond to it in such a way that appeals even more to what it is that I’d like to hear out of a song. Sometimes it works, usually it doesn’t, but I have fun regardless.
Whats your native Toronto like for music? Are there many likeminded peoples out that way?
To be honest, I don’t know much about what’s going on in Toronto, I mean, there is certainly a wide variety of nights, some focusing on the more dancefloor-oriented style of music, while others offer a wider range of sound, however, I don’t tend to go out often so I can’t give an accurate description of what’s happening here. There is certainly a large group of like-minded people here. They just may not be as vocal as others. I think that’s what really gave me the push to begin taking production seriously and actually send songs to labels. I’ve had such great support from everyone here and I can’t stress enough how thankful I am for having like-minded individuals backing what I’m trying to do.
Are there any producers you rate that the world should know about? Any peeps not getting the props you think they deserve?
Three producers come to mind (In no particular order): Klaus, XI and TMSV. These three guys offer a wide range of sound and I feel as though this year each one of these producers will get the recognition they truly deserve. Klaus offers a bizarre in-between of ambient yet horrible deep and emotive music. I try to include at least one Klaus piece in all my sets as he was really the first artist I interacted with that offered tracks that worked well with my own. For the longest time I would simply mix my own songs together, however, talking to him caused me to realise that there exists a lot of music out there that fits with what I’m doing. He’s had quite an impact on not only my Djing but how I approach production as well.
XI is just in his own world right now, you can hear just about everything in his music, yet it doesn’t sound forced or cluttered. He is taking previously established styles of music and flipping them on their heads, it’s really inspiring to see such a positive response to his music as it suggests that people are still interested in hearing complex yet still dance floor friendly (deadly?) music.
TMSV is giving the deeper side of dubstep a serious kick in its butt. I think I’ve wrenched my neck a few times just bobbing along to his simple yet hard hitting style of music. It’s cool to see that people are still down to hear dubstep that doesn't resort to clichés or mid-range drops.
You’ve got 12”s forthcoming on [nakedlunch] and Idle Hands. Can you tell us a bit about that and shed some light on what else people can expect from you in 2011...
Of course… the [nakedlunch] EP has been in production for a long time now. I think it was around this time last year that I sent them my first set of tracks (‘Get in With You’ was among them). Since then, I’ve tried to work closely with the label as I felt at that point in time I was only just beginning to explore what it was that I wanted to hear in my songs. Micky offered up great criticism (something people tend to try to avoid) and has had an enormous impact on every aspect of what it is that I’m trying to do with my music. The EP provides some slower tempo stuff (‘Bridges’) and more mellow tracks (‘Get in with You’). The LV remix is a great take on my track as they’ve created an upbeat interpretation that puts the vocal in the back seat and makes room for a seriously memorable bassline.
Kevin McPhee - Get In With You (LV Remix) - [nakedlunch]
After the [nakedlunch] release I’ve got a 12” coming out on the Bristol-based Idle Hands label, I had got in touch with Kowton back in the fall and sent him over a few songs. He put me in touch with Chris from Idle Hands and soon after he expressed interest in doing a release. I am very pleased with the tracks he chose as I feel they are a nice contrast to each other and are two tracks I feel that are really a lot of fun to mix, yet still work well on their own. Being that ‘Sleep’ was my first attempt at making slower tempo music, it means a lot to have others supporting it.
I feel that I am very fortunate to have my first two releases on labels that I had followed closely before I began to take producing seriously. The support given to me by both label owners and those I’ve met as a result of them have helped me become more confident in my music than I was this time last year. I hope people enjoy the releases as much as I enjoyed the whole process of making them.
Tell us a little bit about the mix you’ve put together for us…
Well the mix is just a showcase of my own productions. Although it’s a relatively short mix, I feel as though it offers up an all-encompassing approach to my music. I included both slower and faster tempo tracks as I feel that they exist as one style, rather than two separate entities. I made sure to incorporate a few tracks off both the forthcoming releases as mentioned above, and also some unreleased bits as well. Pretty much all the tracks in here are “exclusive” as this is really the first recording I’ve done and the first time most will have heard anything by me. I hope people enjoy it.
Any words of wisdom, for our readers?
It’s very easy to sell yourself short and simply settle when it comes to releasing/producing music. I think more people are concerned with simply getting their music out than they are with trying to use the process of releasing music as a way to improve your overall knowledge of production or how to conduct one’s self when it comes to promotion. I feel as though it is better to wait and approach a label you can see yourself on, rather than offer a lack-luster product to anyone who’s willing to listen - or even worse, having great music that goes unheard simply because it was never given the opportunity to be heard. That being said, there is always a chance to change things. I feel as though you are only as good as your last production, so people should always aim to improve upon what it is that they are doing. Don’t simply sell yourself short for instant satisfaction.
Kevin McPhee - I Will [???] Kevin McPhee - Try [???] Kevin McPhee - Sleep [Forthcoming Idle Hands] Kevin McPhee - Bridges [Forthcoming [nakedlunch]] Kevin McPhee - Sucre [???] Kevin McPhee - Be [???] Kevin McPhee - This Feeling [???] Kevin McPhee - Get in With You (LV Remix) [Forthcoming [nakedlunch]]
We’ve been down with XI for some time over here at SR. The producer from Toronto last year released music under the two lettered moniker on Immerse, Surefire Sound, Formant and Surface Tension as well as commemorating the very first plate for Orca Recordings – on which he returns for this, the label’s first release of 2011. Also working under the Ultragamma guise on some more contorted pseudo hip hop/electronic stuff it’s been his heavier handed tracks like ‘Ghost’ and ‘Slippin’ that have had the most impact up until this point, but here he takes a slightly more colourful side-step with the two cuts on offer. In some ways it’s a natural follow up to Orca’s last outing, the fantastic ‘Phoenix’ by Hyetal, but hands down this is XI at his most supple and funky.
Sitting somewhere in the micro-bubble that connects the dots between the shiny boogie friendly house of recent Night Slugs outings from the likes of Jacques Greene and Optimum, the aforementioned Hyetal and the flexible Sepalcure on Hotflush, ‘Gamma Rain’ hides a whole heap of brooding melancholy funk thats brought on by shimmering synths and expertly cut up jazz loops. Paired up with some seriously flexible wood carved garage beats this one really hits home hard – a low key anthem in the making. Then we get ‘Medicate’, which doesn’t quite hit those highs moving instead in deeper more spacious circles it’s got a subtle vibe to it but harbours plenty of weight. The colour and personality running through it sounds like the soundtrack to orbiting the earth in the Mir space station while playing zero-g pong.
Highly addictive.
Words: James Balf Out: 31st January 2011
XI – Gamma Rain [Orca]
XI – Medicate [Orca]
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XI was also named one to watch for this year earlier this week by FACT. Check his minimix and interview here:
Tracklist:
XI – Medicate XI – Nitelite XI – Gunnery V XI – ArmourHP XI – Virtualayz
XI is one of those cats that had us all hyper from the get go way back in January of this year. Releasing two plates - the debut release from the Orca label and bits on Immerse - in tandom he hit out with a deep kind of toughness. Tracks like ‘Ghost’ were a little reminiscent of the way Headhunter and Modeselektor hit, with all that warming darkness of the bassline mirroring the serious pressure of the drum work the Canadian producer was pouring in.
Since then though, he went quiet, reportedly holed up in his studio working on a lot of music. With a flurry of communication in the past week or two, its evident he’s aiming to go big in January of 2011 too with another single release imminent, again for the Orca stable, at the tail end of the month. ‘Gamma Rain’ and ‘Medicate’ both plot of decidedly more melodic route for XI, melding ideas and snatched sounds with a more stuttering fusion of drum patterns. They’re more colourful, both tracks blessed by a producer who seems to have found his feet somewhere different, combining his love for the slower more breathy climes of his hip hop tempoed work and that punishing snap he’s delivered so well previously.
In anticipation there’s a generous gift floating around cyberspace as of now: a free download of XI’s ‘Nitelite’ – a seductive roller that keeps banging ever rising upwards – which you can as always, grab at the link below...
"Kontext is set to perplex the world with his album project 'Dissociate' on Bristol’s Immerse imprint. Famed for its more drum-funk heavy productions from players like XI, TRG and October, the label is treading out into a new format with one of its most treasured producers at the helm. Steering his work through militant bass loaded kick drums and shimmering swathes of echoed synthesizer, the Russian producer–who incidentally just upped a free EP here – coats his work in completely fluent bass frequencies, using flicks of noise and glitches for his percussion. Consequently sharing more similarities with people like dBridge & Instra:mental than any of his dub techno brethren." - SRURB003
Having hit DJG up with a successful pitch to helm one of our mixes months ago after hearing a couple of rips of ‘Avoid The Noid,’ our correspondence fell by the wayside, caught in the midst of conflicting schedules and missed myspace messages; he recently got in touch admitting a pang of guilt at his failure to seal the deal. Delivering what he’s nicknamed his ‘Deep Rave Tape’ on the eve of a string of awesomely assorted releases has only really made us love him even more; and I can confirm we’re super stoked, proud and excited to be able to bring G’s Sonic Router Mix - the 40th (!!) in our ongoing series – to the internet’s attention.
Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
Gladly, my name is Dean Grenier and D.J.G. are my initials. I’ve been making dubstep since 2007, inspired early on by DMZ and N-Type’s Rinse.fm show. I was born in San Jose, an hour south of San Francisco. I’m a middle child. My mother is from South Africa and my father is from Sri Lanka. My favourite fruit is watermelon. My astrological sign is Gemini, and my Myers-Briggs Type is INFP.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
I’m a workaholic and thrive off doing too many things at the same time. Predominantly I split my time pretty evenly between making music and doing freelance graphic design. Creative work is all I’ve ever been good at. I also help run the Surefire Sound record label, consult a San Jose-based shoe company called PLSTK, and travel a lot for DJ gigs. I live in the Lower Haight district of SF and as far as daily… lately I’ve been redoing my kitchen and living room cause my girlfriend and friend Ryan Comma just moved in to my apartment!
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do produce?
I’ve been making music all my life. Some of the earliest memories I have are playing the violin. I was in punk and industrial bands as a teenager and started messing around with samplers, sequencers and computer-based music about 11 years ago. Probably more than anything I think what inspired me to make dubstep music is going to the DMZ 2 year anniversary in March ’07. In all honesty I probably visualize the inside of Mass at least once every time I build a track.
What’s your production set up like?
Well it used to be quite a bit more exciting sounding because I have a background in using gear in my studio (also known as “my bedroom”) like old mixing consoles and hardware compressors and effects and synths. A few years ago though I ditched just about all of it and now solely work in Logic with an Apogee Duet and a simple midi controller. It just allows me much more freedom to work how I need to at a given moment without physical constraints, while adding the benefit of greater control over the sound of my mixdowns.
Where do you take inspiration from when making music?
This is a difficult question to answer for me; when I start to think about all the music that has inspired and affected me over my life I get overwhelmed and could probably write a short book about it all. Aside from my friends and peers I would say I take inspiration from the city, San Francisco; the nature, the ocean, the trees, the culture, the food, the insane people, the crackheads, the beach, the hippies, the hipsters, the romance, the moodiness, the weather, the magic. This city kind of has it all and it’s a daily source of inspiration. And in sort of a reactionary way I also feel inspired to write the kind of deeper dubstep stuff because I’m one of very few people in America doing this sound - the role of subversive or renegade suits my anti-social side very well hahahaha.
How would you describe your sound?
I’m gonna steal XI’s answer to this same question: manic depressive.
What draws you to the deeper, melodic, rolling end of the dubstep spectrum?
It’s really just what resonates with me as an artist; it’s not much more complicated than that. I just love emotive music, music that is personal and expressive, but I also have such a strong love for the energy of a dark room full of people dancing to bass music through a massive sound system. These two things propel me to make the music I make. I often am just trying to blend those two vibes (to varying degrees of success).
There are some tech-ier elements to your sound, does that come from a profound love of techno?
Yes I would say I have a deep love of some styles of techno, both conceptually and sonically. Obviously I find a lot of the emotive tension and sort of tribal repetition - within a dance-music context – inspiring and I tend to draw from those ideas. My techno education begins with Berlin, and through all that back to Detroit. Most of the stuff I like though is 10 or 15 years old now. A lot of the newer stuff feels a bit rehashed.
What’s the scene like over in San Francisco, who’s representing?
I would say that the dubstep scene in San Francisco is pretty vibrant. Like the rest of the States the drum & bass influenced ‘brostep’ sound has sort of taken over the big shows but there are a few nights like the monthly Surefire Sound event where experimental sounds get support.
You’ve done a few collaborations (Headhunter, XI and Jus Wan spring to mind), how did they come about and how did you work together?
Those all just came about through friendship and mutual respect. I generally always like to have one session in the studio then I like to work on my own. A lot of producing is just tedious busy-work and experimentation which is best suited for loners like me.
Are there any other collabos on the cards?
Yes...
You’ve got a positive glut of releases hitting wax and shops imminently. Can you take us through them?
Indeed I can. In the last three weeks three records of mine have come out, after almost no releases in 2009. My 12” for LoDubs (‘Obsessed’/’The Gate’), Surefire Sound 002 (‘Putney Says’ w/ XI) and my Pushing Red 12” (‘Avoid The Noid’/’Duality’) are all out in the shops now and selling quickly. In the next few months my 12” for N-Type’s Wheel&Deal label (‘Pressure’/’Spacecake’ w/ Headhunter) as well as a 3-track 12” for Headhunter’s Transistor label (‘Time Is The Fire’/’Lost Time’/’Escape Pod’). I’ve also contributed my track ‘NYC’ to a Various Artist album N-Type is putting together.
What else have you got coming up?
The most over-used word in music today: album.
Can you tell us a bit about the mix, what did you just have to put in there?
Well I really just wanted to try and capture the kind of set I’ve been playing in the dances and raves over the last 12 months. I made the tracklist as I went along, though it did take two takes to record as the first one was just too sloppy! I recorded it with turntables, so it’s not really surgically perfect or anything but I enjoy hearing that to be honest. It’s not very conceptual, but I think it does present a statement about what I do with dubstep, and features a lot of my own tracks which was important to me. I wasn’t able to get everything I wanted on there; I sacrificed quite a few tunes by other people so that I could fit more of my own stuff. In a way I approached it less as a DJ mix but more of a presentation of the kind of sound I’m feeling - heavy deep rollers.
If there’s a problem inherent in any producer attempting to pull off a variety of different moods, it’s the danger of watering down through lack of focus. With the release of his latest two 12”s, Toronto native XI neatly manages to sidestep any such issues, marking himself out as impressively eclectic in style. Across two plates for Formant and Immerse, his music flits as though weightless between icy broken beat, two-step and austere techno, leaving a frosty tundra landscape punctuated by sudden shards of warmth and emotion. It’s appropriately chill for its Canadian origins.
Of the two 12”s, the Formant release is warmer in tone. The wispy drama and skittery percussion of ‘Glass’ recall the more abstract moments of 2562’s ‘Unbalance’ album, and ‘Light FM’ sends glacial chimes rippling through an ascend-descend bass melody that never really takes any drastically different trajectory - instead exploring every permutation before dissipating. Appropriate to the label’s output, which tends towards dark, percussive minimalism, his Immerse 12” further relegates melody to a supporting role, barely making an appearance at all in the sub, voice and drum battle of ‘000.’ 'Slippin' on the flip is another slice of particularly delectable ghostly garage, joining the ranks of an ever-swelling sub-genre that manages to encompass (amongst others) Burial, recent work by Instra:mental and Scuba, and Clubroot’s aquatic ambience. It’s also probably the best – and most dancefloor-ready - of the four tracks here, underpinned by razor-sharp, hard-panned hi-hats and a techy two-step flex.
Regardless of their relative energy levels, the common trait running through all four tracks is a deliciously palpable tension between XI’s complex, spiraling drum patterns and their backdrop of swelling, oceanic ambience – leaving his music suspended in some tranquil vacuum between waking and dream. The overall effect is oddly disconcerting, neither entirely dance-immediate nor calm enough for comfortable headphone listens, but all the better for it.
Sonic Router is incredibly proud to be able to present the first exclusive mix of 2010 from Candian producer, XI. With music forthcoming on a multitude of labels and a multitude of production styles, we first got wind of him through his forthcoming, ‘000’ 12” on Immerse Records. With a percussion heavy style his music has all the energy of the garage, funky hybrid perpetuating the airwaves but manages to retain some of those simple sine wave step hallmarks that first struck a chord with our ears back when.
After hearing more of his music thanks to another 12” on Formant, we reached out and touched our keypads, pinned XI down to an AIM username and shot him a few questions so we could learn ourselves a little something.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
XI: Sure, my name’s Christian, been producing beats since the turn of the millennium, got seriously into dubstep late in ’05. Started out doing experimental and moved to jungle early on. Always been an electronic music fan, also grew up on a lot of abstract hip-hop and metal from the 90s. Been DJing clubs since the age of 16, went to recording school at 19, and it’s been a wrap ever since.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
Music takes up a massive portion of my daily life, between playing shows, working on music by myself or with friends, working at local record store Slinky Music, or doing mix-downs for friend’s bands/projects; there is really only time for a few things. I like to collect comic books and trades, and was a competitive video game player for a bit, but those days are pretty well over.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do produce?
Hearing artists like Aphex Twin, DJ Shadow, and Photek made me do a 180. I was totally captivated by the artist’s sonic palette and become obsessed with figuring out how to mimic the sounds and arrangements I was hearing. I copped a free version of Fruity Loops and started having more fun than I’d ever had doing anything. Ever.
What’s your production set up like?
I like to keep it minimal; I run a small basement studio with a Novation Xio Synth, and an MPD32 for control/performance. Aside from that I do a huge amount of my work inside Ableton Live.
How would you describe your sound to someone zoning in for the first time?
Manic depressive.
Whats the deal behind the XI moniker?
For a good while I was producing jungle under the name “35k” but was also making a good bit of experimental breaks, 2-step and hip hop. I wanted to have a different name for that project so I took the first 2 letters of my name’s short-form (“Xian”) = XI.
What first brought you to the dubstep sound? What inspires you musically?
The versatility was easily one of the biggest draws for me. Each producer in the early days of the sound came with a unique style, but no matter how they differed, they all fell under this one BPM umbrella. I personally thought it sounded like the drum & bass I loved turned into crunk (which I also loved). This fusion of UK music and hip-hop totally piqued my interest, and has definitely had an influence on how I make my beats to this day.
From the feel of your forthcoming 12”s on Immerse and Formant, you’ve got a keen interest in percussion. Is that your main focus when you start making a track...?
I almost always start with drums. I played drums in various bands though my younger days, so rhythm has always been a sticking point with me. For me a track can be little more than a complex drum pattern and bassline, with one or two other sounds accompanying it.
What’s the scene like in Toronto? Is it a healthy place musically? Who’s representing, other than yourself, the out there?
Toronto is doing its own thing, I haven’t really been to any other city like it in terms of the community. I wouldn’t say it’s the most healthy musical environment, but the tools for artists to progress are here. There is a lot of talent in T.O such as producers Bombaman, Egyptrixx, and the boys from Zed’s Dead have sent me some very impressive stuff. We have tons of talented DJs as well. The scope here among some promotional outfits seems to be a bit limited, but I’ve always been doing my own thing, I think that’s the only way to keep going around here. I’ve taken back up promotion as well, kicking off the year by bringing NYC’s Falty DL to town on the 21st of January.
Do you find it hard to keep up?
I suppose that comes down to your definition of keeping up. These days there are so many new artists, so much new music, and legions of new fans of the music. I just keep my head down and trawl around for the stuff I like. I’m finding right now to be one of the most exciting times in music ever in my life, so in keeping up with stuff that makes me excited, no, I wouldn’t say it’s hard, though it does take some effort.
I see you work with Bombaman as Loetech. How did you two hook up and what makes the project different from your tracks as XI?
Bombaman and I started producing experimental hip-hop and jungle together many years ago. We met through a mutual friend around 2002. Being that we are basically the same person it is very easy for us to throw down in the studio together. The way our collabs differ from my solo production is that Bomba’s more party and dancefloor driven attitude plays off of my braindance-y complex arrangements, forming something uniquely intelligent, energetic and groovy.
You’ve also got the Ultragamma project, which feels more hip-hop influenced, judging by a quick listen and your mix tracklist for the CC 001 mixtape. Tell us a little about that one?
Ultragamma is another solo-project I’m working on. It started a couple years back in much the same way XI did, just dabbling around with some other styles under a pseudonym. I actually love working on this kind of stuff, I never really intended for anyone to hear it so I was free to just do whatever I wanted, the main point originally being to create a more tweaky sound palette for my dubstep productions, but after a couple people heard the beats I got the notion I was on to something a little more important.
What up and coming releases have you got coming out?
I’ve got several XI plates dropping early this year, ‘000’ on Immerse Recordings out of Bristol, ‘Light FM’ on Texas label Formant Recordings, my collab with DJG, ‘Putney Says,’ on Surefire Sound out of SF and ‘The Ghost’ b/w the Headhunter remix on Orca out of London.
I haven’t started working on releasing any of the Ultragamma stuff, and am not in any particular hurry to.
Since 2010 is the most futuristic sounding date since the year 2000, have you got any future forward predictions for the year ahead?
Given the current climate I wouldn’t be surprised to see a total blurring between underground and overground styles. Not just in music, but in culture in general. People are takin’ it back this decade.
Can you tell us a little about the mix you’ve done for us and how it came together?
I wanted to do a bit of a producer showcase, to give your readers an idea of my production spectrum. As I stated earlier, I love versatility in music and try to keep my style varied and interesting, so for this I decided to start off on the lighter side of things and work my way into some of my more slammin’ work.
