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James Holden is as softly spoken as he is enthusiastic ? a man who?s love for music comes from way back when dad would play the piano and the guitar. He too, cherished his love of music and by the time he was just 16, noticed that people were interested in his records. ?God knows what we were doing for the first few years; it wasn?t until we formed Border Community (his label) that it became a long term option.?
Interestingly enough, he comes from a background of mathematics. Indeed, he completed a degree in it, at the prestigious Oxford University. And while outwardly there may not seem to be the greatest connection, think a little deeper, and the relationship becomes clearer. ?There?s always something between maths and music. While going from the numbers to the turntables seems like an odd path, a lot of the hardware we?ve developed involves heavy mathematics. It?s like pure data; and when you can make your own instruments, it?s requires a scientific approach and basically, its how I ended up with my sound.?
So we get together to chat about his new release on Resist aptly titled At the Controls, a brilliant concoction of quietly loose sounds that seem as perfect as everything else he puts his mind to. While his stature and reputation continues to spiral out of control ? he remixed Madonna recently ? this double CD mix is what he considers more of a logical evolution than a complete left turn. ?The Balance mix was like a lot of the stuff I was listening to at home ? more ambient and electronic. This time, they gave me free reign to do whatever I wanted to do and go in whichever direction I wanted to go.?
The compilation features a completely diverse array of artists including Aphex Twin, Nathan Fake, New Order and Richie Hawtin. James describes it as four decades worth of different genres. ?These are all ideas that were in my head. I haven?t thrown something in and thought: what it is doing there? A lot of why I put a lot of effort behind the mix was to try to tie things together musically. You?ve got this Harmonia track and the idea that you can loop something from 1970 over some German psy trance
is awesome ? it was spur of the moment, but it worked out really well.?
Moving on, he explains that it?s some kind of progression from what he has been playing in the club. It?s a sloppy edgy style of mixing. ?It sounds like you poured a coffee, rolled a splif and just want to relax. It feels really personal and that?s what technology lets me do. I used Traktor and a whole bunch of plug-ins from different computers.? Either way, it certainly won?t please the prog-lovers who wonder where his career has gone, or where it is headed. ?I really don?t know why the first part of my career is characterized by one type of music. Maybe it?s because I was tied to a label? Dance music loves to put things in boxes and the idea with Border Community is that the boxes are as boring as the things that are put in them. Imagine if you could only write about Erick Morillo? It?s like if people tell you only to do progressive house.?
Overall, James is feeling really happy recently. Nathan Fake got accepted and they are both seeing some really forward looking stuff out there. ?There is as much fresh minimal as there was 10 years ago, but there?s also as much quality stuff as they was before - it all goes in circles and the whole rise and fall of scenes is misleading. I?m finishing some work to a 7? rock remix for Depeche Mode as well as an EP and collaboration with Milky Globe. After that, I?m going to form a band with synths and tape machines!?
And as for his Australian tour, he says he?s not going to be playing 110 like the CD. ?I don?t know whether people know what to expect, but by now they should expect that! I?m really looking forward to it.?
Don?t miss Holden as he sweeps through clubs this April:
Fri Apr 14 - Digital Music Festival, Melbourne (BUY TICKETS)
Fri Apr 14 - Secret Venue, Brisbane
Sat Apr 15 - Livewire, Sydney (BUY TICKETS)
?At The Control?, mixed by James Holden, is out now through Resist/Inertia.
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