Techno producer Samuel Kerridge on the cutting-edge technology and nonlinear approach behind his forwardthinking new ‘hybrid’ DJ sets
Over the past decade, Manchester-based techno producer Samuel Kerridge has taken a self-described “power metal techno” approach to production via his solo releases and collaborations with German experimentalist Karl ‘Regis’ O’Connor (aka OAKE) and, more recently, Maxim ‘Panda’ Barron for their new guitar-based project, Death Disco.
Always looking to subvert his sound, Kerridge has applied a similarly deconstructive method to performing live. An already accomplished live performer, albeit bored of the linear approach to playlisting, Kerridge’s latest hybrid DJ sets see him break down hundreds of tracks into stems before loading them into his sampler to be remixed and reassembled on the fly.
BEFORE WE DISCUSS YOUR NEW HYBRID DJ SET, HAD YOU BEEN ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MODIFY OR COMBINE YOUR APPROACH TO PLAYING LIVE AND DJING?
“When you’re DJing, you sacrifice parts of yourself as an artist. I like performing and playing live, and always enjoy DJing, but that interest always comes in waves and my focus on record shopping would dip in and out. There are some great DJs who play amazing sets, but playing other people’s music doesn’t excite me anymore. I wanted to push things a bit further by consuming music in a very different way and seeing what I can pillage from it.”
YOUR APPROACH TO SOUND IS OFTEN ABOUT BREAKING THINGS UP TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW. IS YOUR NEW DJ SET PART OF A SIMILAR ‘PUNK’ APPROACH?
“Music-wise I want to be challenged and rip things apart. I’m not classically trained in any style of music, I just pick stuff up and ask myself how I can bastardise, manipulate or change it.
When I’m in the studio, basic, simple sounds don’t hit me or resonate at all – Ineed to morph them into something new and exciting for myself. Even if you don’t like DJs like Jeff Mills or Richie Hawtin, they don’t produce club fodder and the art and technicality behind their music has got to be respected. I also believe that, as an artist, you need to be pushing stuff, asking questions and seeing what’s possible.”
IS THAT QUEST FOR INNOVATION INFORMED BY NEW TECH OR IDEAS YOU HAVE ABOUT WHAT COULD BE DONE?
“I actually find that the technology is sometimes lacking and so innovation is more based on people’s ideas. A good example is my Akai sampler. You can upgrade the memory to over a terabyte but it still doesn’t accept third-party plugins. Ableton’s Push 3 is the same – you can use third-party plugins via Ableton software but not on their standalone units. It’s probably all down to licensing because it has to be possible with all the technology they have, but it’s also an example of how a lot of the things that artists want to do aren’t quite there y
