We're happy to welcome The Rumblist to the blog, to ask
him a few questions. First up, thanks for taking some time out to tell us a bit
about yourself....
It's fair to say that you have a unique take on the
breaks sound. How would you describe your style, approach to writing music and
who's inspired you?
I like to think that my music kind of 'crosses over'
between dance music and listening music. This probably comes from spending many
years mainly writing IDM/electronica tunes, which were inspired by the 90's
sounds of Aphex Twin, Autechre, Muziq, Squarepusher, etc. I stumbled into
breaks music more by accident than anything! My friend VJ Air hit me up with
some remix work for his label Definition:breaks, and that was that, I was
hooked!
I don't DJ at the moment (currently working on that) or
get to as many gigs as I'd like, so my tunes probably don't have that
dance-floor edge that I hear a lot in other breaks tunes. I'm very much a
traditional musician, who got into electronic music because I was fascinated
with sampling and synthesis from an early age. I credit my dad with getting me
into sampling, as he bought me a Casio SK-1 when I was a kid! (Thanks Pa!)
A lot of the time when I sit down to write a new tune,
I've no idea what's going to happen, as I never aim to specifically write a
particular genre. That's half the fun, the uncertainty! It's a cliché, but it's
all about the journey for me, and I hope that translates to the listener, as
well as being something to dance about to!
Which releases have been your favourite personal
productions to date?
Flex Up is definitely one of my faves for sure! It's got
that melodic, epic feel to it that I enjoy. I'm also really proud of the Livid
EP (Definition:breaks) - big, nasty sounds!
Little Man (Unstable Label) and Felt So (Digital
Sensation UK) were also special releases for me, kinda personal.
And who are you digging in the world of broken beats, EDM
& music in general at the moment?
Originality and not giving a fuck rates high on my music
radar, so Die Antwoord are right up there for me - rap/rave/techno mentalness!
They're not everyone's cup of tea, but they inspire and terrify me in equal
measure! I was lucky enough to see them play live a couple of years back and
their energy was infectious, even though I felt I'd been musically violated!!
Breaks-wise, I love Hoffman & Savannah's tunes - they
just nail it everytime with huge clean productions, with Fraction being one of
my fave tunes! I also love the Spanish tearout sounds of Javi R, Vazteria X and
A2C.
Outside of breaks, I have been enjoying Autechre's new
album 'Exai', which takes a few listens to get into! Good, but not as good as
their older stuff like Garbage and Anvil Vapre!
Can you tell us more about your upcoming release on a
brand new label, Kut Off Records?
Yeah, I'm excited about this one! I've been wanting to
get Flex Up out for a while now - it's got that melodic epic stomp going on and
it's great to have the Stewart Lee samples in there, about the good old days of
records! Spazt is a chugging little breaks tune, with stabby basses and
guitar-like synths rolling along to the beat. Take It is a much more recent
tune, with real heavy bass sounds and aggressive beats. Really chuffed to be
the first release on Kut Off Records as well. Exciting times!
So how can we stay updated with the latest info on The
Rumblist
Best ways to follow me are on:-
Soundcloud – http:soundcloud.com/the-rumblist
Thanks again...any last words and shouts?
Loads of love for Ian and Sarah at Unstable Label, Arran
and John at Definition:breaks, Lucas at Top Drawer Digital, Mike Perks at Free
Breaks Blog, and of course your good self for all your help and support!
There's loads more people in the breaks scene that also need thanking, everyone
seems really sound and all trying to push in the same direction, so massive
respect to anyone I've forgotten!
The Rumblist's new EP is out now on Kut Off Recs , get it here:
