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from here: http://www.datatransmission.co.uk/Features/946/
Hudson Mohawke: Smooth as Silk
Posted by Joe Gamp at 22/09/2011 13:50:43
Original Photography by Mads Perch
In the last few years, Hudson Mohawke has gone from being underground producer to highly-respected, experimental producer. First bursting on to the scene with Butter in 2009, Ross Birchard's focus on r’n’b and old school hip hop, washed through a colour filter and oozy, drizzly melodies and scatterbrained drums proved to be a hit for a new generation of bass hungry, alternatively leaning music fans looking for something with kick, flair and originality behind it.
Part of a new wave of much-publicised producers to come out of Glasgow – alongside and also as part of the Numbers and LuckyMe crew’s - Hudson dreamy, creamy and textured beats and bars swept through the land like a combine harvester in Autumn time. Fast forward to October 2011 and Hudson has just dropped his new Satin Panthers EP, more of the same drizzly, funked-out melodies, but this time more aimed for the dancefloor after a short hiatus and focus on live performances and DJ sets.
So what’s changed, both personally and for the home-grown scene of which he helped to spearhead into the popular musical consensus? Hudson takes time to speak to DT about hiatus’, going global, the Glasgow scene and following your own path and feelings, no matter what the trends may dictate to you. HudMo is officially back in business – read on for a more in-depth chat before he disappears to work on album No.2...
There was quite a gap between Butter and Satin Panthers. What were you up to in between?
“Lots and lots of gigs; I also concentrated on some new productions. It was strange though - I didn’t really feel it. It was October 2009 since the album was out so it was almost two years ago. I’ve been working on lots of music but not really deciding what i want to release. I was in the habit of playing loads of shows so time ran away. But I’m at the stage now where after the EP release I’ve now got lots of studio time locked in for the next couple of months.”
Were you sitting on a large bank of tracks?
”Yeah I had lots of different stuff, but I couldn’t decide which vibe to go for on the EP. All I knew was that I didn’t want to repeat myself and do the same as what was on the album. The EP ended up being a bit more clubby and dancefloor sounding. I always made lots of stuff like that but never fund room on the album, so I wanted the Satin Panthers EP to be an outlet for that really.”
I feel your sound is always identifiable and you seem to have your own touches on sound. How did you come to get into your own niche and come to discover these phased melodies and deconstructed beats?
“Basically it came from...well it’s not an intentional thing. I used to listen to a lot of golden era hip hop – Big L, DJ Premier, Pete Rocc, Gang Starr that sort of stuff. I loved the production on those records and at that point I was into more turntablist stuff. It was a more technically based art form and forever had that combination of hip hop stuff I really like, but also that chopped up sound. I messed around with different time signatures and it just came from there. I eventually decided that I wanted to focus more on experimenting. I was copying a lot of the old and classic hip hop guys and then unintentionally made it more chopped up and messed around.”
Is it necessary for people to experiment more these days and put their own stamp or identity on their music?
“It’s a great way to approach it, but you don’t have to do it for sure. But it helps for sure. “
When you released Butter, it blew everyone away by sounding very futurist and ahead of its time. You must be happy now that more alternative r’n’b and hip hop has made such a big impact in the UK?
“Essentially it’s a good situation at the moment. There’s so much amazing underground music but a lot of it is influenced by a wider range of music rather than just ‘bass’. I really like all the other music in my life and people are now making music that’s a whole lot more interesting than just people jumping up and down in a club.”
"I’ve let things run their course – which is something that I always preferred to do, I’d rather let things grow organic, so it means more and has more depth."
So you think there’s more texture and depth behind music generally at the moment? Your sound is also very organic, but also distinctively digitised at the same time. Do you use a lot of hardware in your productions?
“Mostly use hardware to be honest, although most of it is run through Fruity Loops. I’ve got lots of synths and stuff, and random percussion bits and bobs and microphones. It’s just the way the sound comes together – I don’t intentionally look to make things in a certain way – it’s just the way it happened and I like using the equipment.”
You’re obviously a heavily-productive touring artist as well – and you do a live show too?
“Yeah I’ve been working on that for a while but at the moment I’m doing lots more DJing to be honest. For a while I was doing an Ableton laptop set, but I stopped that for the moment – I want to make it more engaging experience and more entertaining, I wanted to step it up a little bit and go deeper.”
How do you plan to do this?
“I guess making it more in control of everything. I want to be able to not have an order of tracks, I want to be able to go in any direction I like. More production in the shows, more focus on lighting and also have more live instruments involved. I never really know how to put it into practice, but I’d love to do that.”
So Stain Panthers hasn’t been out for too long, but in comparison to the whirlwind of Butter, how has the new direction gone down with fans? Are people warming to it?
“Yeah totally; I wasn’t expecting it to be that popular or that big a record, I think it’s done pretty well so far. It surprised me and also the label – and had lots of good press and stuff. It even had lots of mainstream radio please, which is surprising as I don’t think it’s a radio record. They’re not massive deals but it’s definitely bigger than what I expected. It’s just been really good!”
As you said earlier, you haven’t released since October 2009 – so surely, there must have been a high amount of anticipation for the next record from fans and stuff? Did you use the internet to build up more towards it?
“Not really, no! It’s something I always focused on loads, especially before i worked with a label or anything. I was always very concerned with my online persona and image and mystique and that stuff. But nowadays I’m just working on music and not really too bothered about creating a pretend image of persona of myself. I do things every so often like a couple of mix tapes or tracks to keep things moving along but that’s it. I’ve let things run their course –which is something that I always preferred to do, I’d rather let things grow organic, so it means more and has more depth."
"I really like all the other music in my life and people are now making music that’s a whole lot more interesting than just people jumping up and down in a club.”
Obviously Glasgow and Scotland have been getting lots of attention lately – and there’s been a huge explosion of bass-led, urban music exploding from the city. In your own eye and heart, how do you feel about its progression both musically and culturally?
“Haha, well, my honest impression is it’s the same as any place that receives a lot of hype. It’s not as big on the ground as it’s made out to be I guess. The grass is greener on the other side haha. But undoubtedly there are always some amazing parties. For a long in time in London, there was a culture of people going to parties and not really getting in to it and seeming bored. Glasgow’s always had a good bunch of people who would go have so much fun. Maybe off the back of that, people here are so hungry and enthusiastic for new music- it’s a very relaxed and non-pretentious environment.”
Do people get overwhelmed do you think by too much new music?
“Yeah I think so and the good thing about Glasgow is you don’t feel so overwhelmed. It’s a good level of new music – you would never be in the situation where you have 6 nights to go to every night – people are just focused maybe on one or two different big things. It’s more of a community as such. It’s good to get into the whole experience of it all.”
So, rounding off, what do you have coming up for us to keep our eyes out for?
“At the moment I had another record out, but I didn’t do much promo. It was a bootleg record with a few edits and stuff but it came and went quickly. It’s called ‘Pleasure Principle’ – and there may still be a few copies left. I’ve got a London show at XOYO on the 19th October which will be the last main show of the year. And I’m just finishing up the next album – so after the show, I’ll b back in the studio. So there’s more to come soon!
Satin Panthers is available to purchase now.
Hudson Mohawke: Smooth as Silk
Posted by Joe Gamp at 22/09/2011 13:50:43
Original Photography by Mads Perch
In the last few years, Hudson Mohawke has gone from being underground producer to highly-respected, experimental producer. First bursting on to the scene with Butter in 2009, Ross Birchard's focus on r’n’b and old school hip hop, washed through a colour filter and oozy, drizzly melodies and scatterbrained drums proved to be a hit for a new generation of bass hungry, alternatively leaning music fans looking for something with kick, flair and originality behind it.
Part of a new wave of much-publicised producers to come out of Glasgow – alongside and also as part of the Numbers and LuckyMe crew’s - Hudson dreamy, creamy and textured beats and bars swept through the land like a combine harvester in Autumn time. Fast forward to October 2011 and Hudson has just dropped his new Satin Panthers EP, more of the same drizzly, funked-out melodies, but this time more aimed for the dancefloor after a short hiatus and focus on live performances and DJ sets.
So what’s changed, both personally and for the home-grown scene of which he helped to spearhead into the popular musical consensus? Hudson takes time to speak to DT about hiatus’, going global, the Glasgow scene and following your own path and feelings, no matter what the trends may dictate to you. HudMo is officially back in business – read on for a more in-depth chat before he disappears to work on album No.2...
There was quite a gap between Butter and Satin Panthers. What were you up to in between?
“Lots and lots of gigs; I also concentrated on some new productions. It was strange though - I didn’t really feel it. It was October 2009 since the album was out so it was almost two years ago. I’ve been working on lots of music but not really deciding what i want to release. I was in the habit of playing loads of shows so time ran away. But I’m at the stage now where after the EP release I’ve now got lots of studio time locked in for the next couple of months.”
Were you sitting on a large bank of tracks?
”Yeah I had lots of different stuff, but I couldn’t decide which vibe to go for on the EP. All I knew was that I didn’t want to repeat myself and do the same as what was on the album. The EP ended up being a bit more clubby and dancefloor sounding. I always made lots of stuff like that but never fund room on the album, so I wanted the Satin Panthers EP to be an outlet for that really.”
I feel your sound is always identifiable and you seem to have your own touches on sound. How did you come to get into your own niche and come to discover these phased melodies and deconstructed beats?
“Basically it came from...well it’s not an intentional thing. I used to listen to a lot of golden era hip hop – Big L, DJ Premier, Pete Rocc, Gang Starr that sort of stuff. I loved the production on those records and at that point I was into more turntablist stuff. It was a more technically based art form and forever had that combination of hip hop stuff I really like, but also that chopped up sound. I messed around with different time signatures and it just came from there. I eventually decided that I wanted to focus more on experimenting. I was copying a lot of the old and classic hip hop guys and then unintentionally made it more chopped up and messed around.”
Is it necessary for people to experiment more these days and put their own stamp or identity on their music?
“It’s a great way to approach it, but you don’t have to do it for sure. But it helps for sure. “
When you released Butter, it blew everyone away by sounding very futurist and ahead of its time. You must be happy now that more alternative r’n’b and hip hop has made such a big impact in the UK?
“Essentially it’s a good situation at the moment. There’s so much amazing underground music but a lot of it is influenced by a wider range of music rather than just ‘bass’. I really like all the other music in my life and people are now making music that’s a whole lot more interesting than just people jumping up and down in a club.”
"I’ve let things run their course – which is something that I always preferred to do, I’d rather let things grow organic, so it means more and has more depth."
So you think there’s more texture and depth behind music generally at the moment? Your sound is also very organic, but also distinctively digitised at the same time. Do you use a lot of hardware in your productions?
“Mostly use hardware to be honest, although most of it is run through Fruity Loops. I’ve got lots of synths and stuff, and random percussion bits and bobs and microphones. It’s just the way the sound comes together – I don’t intentionally look to make things in a certain way – it’s just the way it happened and I like using the equipment.”
You’re obviously a heavily-productive touring artist as well – and you do a live show too?
“Yeah I’ve been working on that for a while but at the moment I’m doing lots more DJing to be honest. For a while I was doing an Ableton laptop set, but I stopped that for the moment – I want to make it more engaging experience and more entertaining, I wanted to step it up a little bit and go deeper.”
How do you plan to do this?
“I guess making it more in control of everything. I want to be able to not have an order of tracks, I want to be able to go in any direction I like. More production in the shows, more focus on lighting and also have more live instruments involved. I never really know how to put it into practice, but I’d love to do that.”
So Stain Panthers hasn’t been out for too long, but in comparison to the whirlwind of Butter, how has the new direction gone down with fans? Are people warming to it?
“Yeah totally; I wasn’t expecting it to be that popular or that big a record, I think it’s done pretty well so far. It surprised me and also the label – and had lots of good press and stuff. It even had lots of mainstream radio please, which is surprising as I don’t think it’s a radio record. They’re not massive deals but it’s definitely bigger than what I expected. It’s just been really good!”
As you said earlier, you haven’t released since October 2009 – so surely, there must have been a high amount of anticipation for the next record from fans and stuff? Did you use the internet to build up more towards it?
“Not really, no! It’s something I always focused on loads, especially before i worked with a label or anything. I was always very concerned with my online persona and image and mystique and that stuff. But nowadays I’m just working on music and not really too bothered about creating a pretend image of persona of myself. I do things every so often like a couple of mix tapes or tracks to keep things moving along but that’s it. I’ve let things run their course –which is something that I always preferred to do, I’d rather let things grow organic, so it means more and has more depth."
"I really like all the other music in my life and people are now making music that’s a whole lot more interesting than just people jumping up and down in a club.”
Obviously Glasgow and Scotland have been getting lots of attention lately – and there’s been a huge explosion of bass-led, urban music exploding from the city. In your own eye and heart, how do you feel about its progression both musically and culturally?
“Haha, well, my honest impression is it’s the same as any place that receives a lot of hype. It’s not as big on the ground as it’s made out to be I guess. The grass is greener on the other side haha. But undoubtedly there are always some amazing parties. For a long in time in London, there was a culture of people going to parties and not really getting in to it and seeming bored. Glasgow’s always had a good bunch of people who would go have so much fun. Maybe off the back of that, people here are so hungry and enthusiastic for new music- it’s a very relaxed and non-pretentious environment.”
Do people get overwhelmed do you think by too much new music?
“Yeah I think so and the good thing about Glasgow is you don’t feel so overwhelmed. It’s a good level of new music – you would never be in the situation where you have 6 nights to go to every night – people are just focused maybe on one or two different big things. It’s more of a community as such. It’s good to get into the whole experience of it all.”
So, rounding off, what do you have coming up for us to keep our eyes out for?
“At the moment I had another record out, but I didn’t do much promo. It was a bootleg record with a few edits and stuff but it came and went quickly. It’s called ‘Pleasure Principle’ – and there may still be a few copies left. I’ve got a London show at XOYO on the 19th October which will be the last main show of the year. And I’m just finishing up the next album – so after the show, I’ll b back in the studio. So there’s more to come soon!
Satin Panthers is available to purchase now.
