Water Jump
“The majority of the album was made on very few bits of kit, actually. Water Jump is 90% Korg Mono/Poly – including the drums, including the kick. That’s the thing, I think, that gives tracks like this, and tracks like Need Electric, a certain life. It’s that the kicks are all made on a synth, which means that every kick is slightly different. And, when they’re not done on the Mono/Poly, they were done on an 808. Which, of course, gives it that same feeling. Like, that live feeling.
“And, to add to that live feeling, all the hats that are played on this are actual life hats, played in the studio. Again, just to give it some more of a human feel.
“Also, a guy called James Greenwood was a crucial part of this record. He began as an engineer, helping me out. But, there was so much chemistry and magic between us, that he became so much more than that.”
Free Floating
“Throughout the album, but particularly on Free Floating, I wanted to inject my love of shoegaze guitar music in there – it’s all synths, though. There’s no guitars on the album. But, I wanted those droney pads to sound like they’re being played by a guitarist in a shoegaze band. Like, I wanted it to sound like Kevin Shields and My Bloody Valentine. He’s an absolute hero of mine. So, that’s where that comes from, and that’s where the idea started.
“I’m trying to remember exactly where they came from. But, to be honest, it’s probably the Mono/Poly. Yeah, you know? I probably owe that Mono/Poly some publishing money [laughs]. Yeah, it’s just on everything. And it’s so versatile, as well.”
Drone Logic
“Before there was any idea of an album, I’d made this track with Andrew Weatherall firmly in mind. I was really loving that slow, trippy psychedelic techno he was just starting to play at his club night, A Love From Outer Space, with Sean Johnston. So, I made it with that club in mind. That slow, trippy… quite druggie music. That’s what Drone Logic is.
“He called the next morning and he said he’d played it and he said it went off! I remember immediately calling [Phantasy Sound label boss] Erol Alkan, and he said, ‘Okay, I think we need to make an album’. That’s how it all began. You don’t get a bigger blessing than that.”
These Nights Never End
“Back then, I considered myself a DJ first and a producer second. That’s switched in the 10 years since.
“So, I was making music to play out. I was DJing at Fabric a lot, opening up Room 1, and I wanted the album to have a flow of a DJ set.
I already had Drone Logic and wanted a track that could be played directly after that, as if I was DJing. So, it’s the same tempo and just feels like a continuum.
“I believe the acid line in there was a [Roland SH-] 101. That got really hammered on that album. It made some re
