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You recently released your new EP ‘Microcosm’ on Rosebay, what inspired the concept
behind it?
About 2 and a half years ago, my Mum decided to digitise a load of VHS footage taken by my grandmother (her mother) from 1997 until 2003 - the years between my birth and her death. I have precious little firsthand recollection of my gran; what I do know about her and our relationship has been mediated through what I’ve been told by other family members. Getting to see this footage felt like an opportunity to communicate with her directly and do something in her memory that was both meaningful and mine.
Almost as soon as I started watching, it felt like a given that I would make something out of it. My gran hardly ever appears in the actual video - she’s always the one holding the camera - but her offscreen commentary is such a vital part of the whole thing. And she was a music teacher before she retired. So what I’m saying is that music seemed like the best medium through which to convey something substantial.
Each track on Microcosm is centred around a conversation between my gran and me, sampled as audio from the footage. I made a very deliberate creative choice to use the snippets of conversation like musical samples, rather than pieces of spoken word to sit above an instrumental. Clips are chopped, tuned, looped, placed on the grid and very much integrated into the whole composition. I even filled out the mixes with “off-cuts”, like the ambient hum of the tape or background chatter. All of this served as both a guide and a real challenge to the overall music-writing process.
The word “microcosm” means a miniature version which shares all of the characteristics of something bigger. So the EP is meant to be a microcosm of the VHS footage and my childhood generally, but it’s also a microcosm of the kinds of drum and bass I love. All of the tracks sound like me, but each one has its own flavour and is my homage to a different style or subgenre. I’m so pleased that my debut solo release was something so personal. I’m a big believer in the idea that dance music can be “about” stuff as much as a traditional song or piece of classical music or something. I also want to shout out Rosebay Music and Greg Submorphics for believing in the concept right from its inception and giving me a platform for the project.
"People will always be interested in good music, even if they have to wait for it."
How do you feel your production style has developed since your earlier releases?
I’m only just now starting to develop the technical and creative skills to realise an artistic vision I’ve had all along. I’ve joked about this a lot, but I really love “one-chord rollers”, i.e. tracks that just take one really effective musical motif and sit in it for, like, 6 minutes. This is absolutely a core tenet of two of my favourite non-dnb genres, too: funk and minimalism. So, I always wanted to bring this ethos to my drum and bass production. But when you’re writing music that hinges on a single idea, not only does that idea have to be really good, but you have to build a compelling sonic world around it. All of that takes production chops.
So, while I’ve been getting closer to the thing I set out to make in the first place, learning more about production and developing new skills has also broadened my perspective and started to shape what my vision even is. That kind of circularity is really cool. I still don’t consider myself a highly “technical” producer, but advancing with the “technical” stuff has also opened up new artistic possibilities. I have more creative tools at my disposal now, and I make more informed choices at the beginning stages of an idea so I’m not having to go back on myself and “fix” everything. My sound is a lot more “hi-fi” now, and when I do the lo-fi thing it’s with intention rather than because it’s all I can manage!
Your debut single ‘Circle’ on Hospital Records arrived just a year into your production
journey. How did that early success shape your confidence and outlook as an emerging
artist?
I definitely had what felt like a bit of a backwards trajectory after releasing Circle. The track was picked up by Hospital at a point where I was still so inexperienced, so once it came out I basically had nowhere else to go. I had to keep plugging away like any beginner producer - just with a few more eyes on me. This was a blessing and a curse. My name was already out there so I knew that that the slog could amount to something, which was motivating. At the same time, though, I felt under a huge amount of pressure to remain “relevant” while still only figuring out the basics. There were a couple of years following Circle and Hard Feelings where I barely put anything out, during which time I panicked about peaking too early and worried I’d never manage to make anything good again. Now I can look back and see that this was actually a crucial time for building the workflow and the sound I have now. Having made it through that period, I’m far more confident about taking my time and trusting the process than I used to be. People will always be interested in good music, even if they have to wait for it.
How did you get into producing music and how have your early influences shaped you?
I’ve played the piano since childhood and am a full-time musician outside of drum and bass. I have a “day job” playing piano for professional ballet and teaching dance accompaniment as a subject to music students. Outside of my regular job I also do a fair bit of jazz, funk and soul gigging. I’ve been a fluent improviser for as long as I can remember, really, and I am unbelievably fortunate to get to make a living using that skill.
So, before I even knew what DAW stood for, I was totally comfortable writing a piece of music. I’ve loved drum and bass since my teens and, given my musical background, had always had dreams of one day learning to bring some of my own ideas to life. Like a lot of people, I finally started actually producing during the first covid lockdown. I was staying with my then-partner, who was already a producer and had a home studio setup. It was the perfect combination of time, resource and somebody on hand to show me the basics of the software and point me in the right direction.
Of course, my piano playing is a huge influence on my music production. It took me a good few years to figure out a way of incorporating the piano into my productions which didn’t feel shallow or contrived, and which served my overall mission with writing drum and bass. My track Tropical Juice felt like the turning point there.
In a former life, I was a big choir person - singing, accompanying, directing rehearsals and even arranging songs. I’ve definitely brought this influence into my drum and bass - almost every track I’ve released contains some sort of textural vocal harmony element which I’ve made from scratch. Doing this is one of my absolute favourite parts of my writing process!
I touched upon this in another answer, but stylistically I draw a lot of inspiration from music I’ve loved long before I got so heavily into drum and bass: minimalism, funk and jazz. Yes, there’s jazzy chords and the piano thing, but also the principals of looping and repetition, jamming on one chord and particularly leaving space for ideas to breathe. It’s the notes you don’t play, etc.
You’ve also been a monthly resident on Subtle Radio and have featured on BBC Radio 1, Kool
FM, and NTS. What do you enjoy about the radio format and how do you approach
curating those sets compared to a club or festival?
What I love about radio is the freedom I have to play music that might not make it into a live DJ set. I’m a really big fan of halftime and autonomic, for example, but I don’t play a lot of it onstage. On the radio, though, I can dedicate a full 60 or 90 minutes to it. It’s also much more acceptable to switch between tempos and genres on the radio, which gives me a chance to explore a wider range of music I love and show some of my influences outside of straight-ahead drum and bass. Having a monthly show also gave me the opportunity to chat a bit, whether it’s going into some depth about my own music or sharing some trivia about somebody else’s. That’s something I miss!
How did you get into DJing and what have been some of your favourite sets to date?
I actually accepted my first DJ booking before I knew how to DJ. I had gained some traction as a producer following my early Hospital releases, and suddenly a few local promoters were interested in having me at their events. Cue (no pun intended) a harrowing weekend at Pirate Studios, sweating over a mixer as the same partner who got me into production now coached me through using the hardware. I was able to learn fairly quickly because I already understood the musical basics. Miraculously, the actual first gig went off without a hitch!
My most recent favourite set was in Bristol at a night called Slippin’. Coming from Glasgow, it was really cool to play in a city where drum and bass is the dance music of choice. Slippin’ is a DIY operation focused on the deeper, more soulful side of drum and bass; I was particularly amazed by how many people had come out specifically to hear the kind of music I play. In Scotland, I sometimes feel I’m accosting my audience with my selections - here, though, the crowd knew every riff, every bassline. I felt spoiled!
Another career highlight for me was playing one of The North Quarter nights at Phonox in London. Phonox is an iconic club and I was part of an incredible line-up which included Lenzman, LSB and Zero T. Drum and bass royalty! Again, playing to an audience who are there not just because they love drum and bass but because they’re passionate about the niche within the genre that you’re passionate about - that’s really special.
"...I am a “female producer”, but I’m also a whole lot of other things besides that - as is every other “female producer”."
Are there any women or gender-minority artists/DJs/producers that you’d like to shout
out who are inspiring you right now?
Yes! A few names:
Ephyra: Ephyra was on the lineup with me at Slippin’ in Bristol. She played one of the most tasteful club sets I’ve ever heard. The selection was immaculate and the blends were seamless - a real journey DJ, as they say. Her production shows the same good taste and musicality! Arcturius: After meeting a few times, I finally got to hear Arcturius DJ when we were on a boat party together at Hospitality on the Beach last year. Another super classy set, and there were several times I asked for a track ID and was told, “Oh, that’s one I’m working on.” I’m excited to hear more from her.
Gyrofield: Although we are sonically pretty different, Gyrofield is a big inspiration to me because I think she’s managed to achieve a really rare combination of real virtuosity and genuine experimentation/innovation in her music production. There’s a rawness to her sound without it sounding at all amateur.
How does performing live feed into your creative energy as a producer?
Whenever I DJ, or even just go to a drum and bass event where I’m not playing, I’m struck by the thought, “Ah, yeah, this is why I do this.” Writing music is wonderful and will probably always be my main pursuit, when I step into the DJ role I feel a real freedom and looseness, like anything is possible. It totally opens me up creatively. Testing works in progress on a proper soundsystem is invaluable, too - and I often hear what an unfinished track is missing when I mix it with something else!
The drum & bass world is slowly becoming more inclusive, but there’s still work to do.
What changes would you like to see to create a more supportive space for women and
gender-minority producers and DJs?
Anyone who’s had a conversation about this with me in real life will know that I’m repeating myself here, but I really think one of the most helpful things we could do as a scene is move away from an “add-women-and-stir” approach. It’s pointless - actively harmful, even - to mindlessly funnel female and gender-minority artists into an environment that isn’t supportive or welcoming. Bringing people into the scene is absolutely worthwhile, but I think it’s also really important to look around and ask, “How are we treating the people we already have?” That’s maybe a tougher question, and the answers might demand more work.
Similarly, I would warn against anybody who thinks they have a full picture of you, the individual, based on which boxes you tick. On a purely factual level, I am a “female producer”, but I’m also a whole lot of other things besides that - as is every other “female producer”. If I’m being totally honest, I have felt most understood and nurtured creatively by people who have approached me simply as an “artist”, without any prefix. I’m suspicious of any outfit chasing good optics and PR but neglecting the actual creative side of things. I think it’s absolutely possible (necessary, even!) to represent and nurture a diverse range of talent in this genre in a way that includes diversity of perspective, expression and artistry.
