Sometimes you’ll hear a new track from some producer you’ve never heard of and it’ll really stand out. Sometimes (the best times) a tune’ll grab you by the earholes and shake your head. So it was when I first heard Mechanism and Metropolis, from Modles. They combine off-kilter sounds, eerie vocals and staccato beats into a compulsive whole. The pair, along with the gorgeous Crowdpleaser (which you can check out in this months playlist) got me mightily intrigued.
Modles has an EP in the works, to be released through London’s Rooftop Collective. I’ll have more details on that very soon so keep it locked. In the meantime I’m delighted to present this exclusive mix and interview with the man himself. Check it after the embed.
N: Modles seems like a pretty new project from what I can see online. Is that the case, or have you been plugging away for ages?
M: I’ve been producing since I was about 12 but have been playing guitar since I can remember. So it’s taken nearly 10 years to be happy with the music I’m turning out. I’ve been patient in letting my sound develop. A lot of new kids are in a rush to get recognised before they’ve really got anything new or interesting to offer.
N: How did you get involved with Rooftop Collective?
M: I met Tre’bore through working at a club in Brighton. Well I was supposed to be running the place, but one night after closing we ended up getting shitfaced on the bar and getting hyped about each other’s music. I was woken up the next morning in the amp room an hour after my shift was due to start. Surprisingly enough my employment was terminated…
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I moved to Bristol earlier this year after realising Brighton had nothing to offer me. After slaving away at that job I managed to save 6 months rent to give myself a shot at getting some music released. Tre’bore was one of a few people I’ve stayed in contact with. He asked if I was interested in releasing though RTC.
N: How did the creative process work of putting together the EP with them?
M: The same night we spoke about making an EP, I’d pretty much finished Crypt. That track set the tone for the rest of the EP and it came together from start to finish in about 4 days. Complete isolation, no commitment to work and a push in the right direction is what it took to get things moving.
N: Music is so oversaturated right now, do you think the rise of DIY music collectives is a reaction to that?
M: In one sense, the rise in new labels and collectives is responsible for the polluted musical landscape. Anyone can release their music independently now. You could set up a bandcamp page right now and start selling your music. I think it’s more a necessity now to be as self sufficient as possible. I’ve approached a lot of labels and haven’t even had a response, so building something special from the ground up seems to be a more logical way of penetrating the music industry.
N: I really like the use of space in your music and the way you use fragments of vocals which kind of puts me in mind of R&S era James Blake at times. Tell me about your music, what / how you create and what influences or informs your sound.
M: Thank you 🙂 James Blake is obviously a major source of inspiration. I was producing deep house before discovering Hotflush. The Back and 4th compilation basically changed the course of my life in the space of 20 tracks. I remember sitting at Lewes train station and hearing the ‘Maybes’ remix, watching trains go by. It was the first time in a long time my mind was just totally blown by what I was hearing. And since then the motivation for everything I do is to provide that same experience through my music. There’s a thin line between inspiration and immitation. Hopefully my lack of a stunning voice or a piano will keep me from crossing it.
N: As a new producer coming up, how do you feel about the state of clubland in the UK? Will something new rise from the ashes or is experimental music going to be pushed out of our cities altogether?
M: …I can’t really comment on the Bristol scene too much as I’m still a tourist… Most of the key labels that make up the Bristol bass scene have slowed down or seemingly all moved into Europe. Bristol is definitely a thriving city for counter culture though and I don’t see any immediate threats to the scene. I moved here for that reason, after watching Brighton give in to student promos and tacky mash-up nights. The drinking habits of young people has changed too. This probably being attributed to a rise in uni fees and a drop in disposable income. In Brighton, the busiest venue is the one that is offering the cheapest Jagerbomb. Bristol is far less superficial. If people aren’t out for the music then they can go to the harbourside franchise clubs, or fuck off to the south east.
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…Parts of the scene just packed up and moved into Europe. And with the state of the nation here and the enthusiasm for electronic music over there, you can see why that is. But that void will always need filling. I’m excited to see what will emerge from the UK music scene next.
N: you mentioned before that some of your mates have turned up on the Neoterika playlist – is there quite a scene at the moment? Tell us more about what’s going on where you are.
M: These are mostly people I’ve connected with through soundcloud. Humaintenance is a close friend from Brighton though. His tracks are incredible. Having just moved here I’m not really involved in the scene, although that was the intention of coming here. I’ve met a couple of guys and we’re working on a more video based music project. It’s still just ideas at the moment but I think we’re onto something special.
N: In a more general sense, what’s getting you excited at the moment?
M: I’ve been trying to avoid listening to anything that is commercially marketable or club-safe. Trying to challenge my ears and look deeper into the vast and infinite source of inspiration. I’ve been focusing on utilising the sounds that play in the background thoughout every day life. The EP was mainly built from recordings of the journey I took from visiting my mum in Margate back home through London to Bristol. Looping up sections of random noise and turning them into percussion and textures. Some artists I’ve been inspired by recently are Andrew Pekler, S. Maharba, Yosi Horikawa, Tehbis, to name a few.
N: Tell us about your mix. Again I really love that use of space and the way you play with tone and tempo throughout it…
M: The mix was difficult to put together cause basically I suck at mixing and I didn’t want to slap them together in Ableton. I don’t mind that I left a few mistakes in there cause I really enjoy the mistakes in the music I listen to. Also I challenged myself with tempo and styles because I actually find it impossible to listen to a mix that stays within the same genre. It just gets boring and repetitive. Especially in a club. The mix builds in pace and moves through tempos but the overall aesthetic of the tracks are quite uniform, so it’s not just random.
N: Finally, what have you got coming up we should know about? Further releases, mixes, gigs….?
M: At the moment we’re (RTC) just focusing on getting the EP released and trying to establish ourselves. I have 2 EPs that are nearly done which will see the light of day early next year. I’m also working under a different alias doing more Electro and Techno stuff to satisfy the inner rave monster, for when I can’t be arsed to be all deep and technical.
Big up Modles for taking the time out to chat and produce this dope mix.
Neoterika 