Your New Favourite Band: Luke Abbott Interview

Whether you look to old hands like Caribou and Four Tet or thrilling youngins like Gold Panda and James Blake, it’s abundantly clear that UK-based electronica is in a very good place right now. Holkham Drones, the soon-to-be-released debut album from Norwich beatmaker Luke Abbott, simply sends that trajectory hurtling further forward. Due out on James Holden’s excellent Border Community label on August 23rd, Abbott’s first full-length is a denser affair than most recent work from those mentioned above, and one hell of an engrossing listen as result. We’re very glad, then, that Luke managed to find the time to answer a few of our questions:

You've released three EPs over the last couple of years, virtually none of which are included on the album - has Holkham Drones therefore been a work in progress around these releases?

I've been working on some of the Holkham Drones tracks since about 2007, but most of it has been made since I finished the Whitebox Stereo EP. It's taken quite a long time to put it together, but I think it's worked out well that way.

How do you generally record the tracks? Is it mostly done at home, or do you use studio space?

It's all made at home, I don't think I've ever used a proper studio space for my music.  I've got a spare room with my setup in it; the acoustics are really bad, so it can be pretty difficult to get my mixes sounding good sometimes. I don't always make music in that room, though, sometimes I set a hi-fi up in the kitchen and take my laptop in there. It's nice to make coffee and work on tracks; but all my hardware is in the spare room, so that's where things tend to start. I'm very much in love with my modular system at the moment, and I've been working on digital control mechanisms for it in max for live. At the moment I'm trying to recreate some of the sequencers that I built in Reaktor.

Between yourself and Nathan Fake (and I've no doubt a few more), Norfolk seems to have become an unlikely hotbed of electronic music within the UK. Can you see any particular reason for this?

I don't know, man, I didn't do it! Maybe there's just less to do here, so we've got more time to get introspective and make bleeping noises.

I noticed when you were giving a quick guide to your Honeycomb EP over on your blog, you mentioned selling a piece of equipment to Nathan (Fake), as well as the fact that James (Holden) was playing one of the tracks out a bit. I take it the Border Community contains a pretty tight-knit group of artists then?

Yeah, we're all good mates. We're always sending each other tracks and stuff. It's really useful to get feedback on what you're working on, but it's also just nice to show your work to your friends.

How did you first hook up with James and the label?

I was really into the label before I ever got involved with them. I sent them a CD once I'd done something I thought they might be into, and they liked it enough to put out a record. Since then I've got to know them all really well, and things have just moved along naturally with the 2nd EP and now the album. Letting things happen at a natural pace is quite important for the label I think; each release has its own history and a story behind it, and every release is cared-for.

One thing that seems to differentiate you from others on Border - certainly on part of the new album at least - is quite a heavy krautrock influence. Is 'heavy' a fair description? What other music/artists have inspired the direction your music has taken?

I think James was making quite kraut-y tracks before I was, but maybe, aesthetically, my music shows that influence a bit more. It's not a conscious decision - I probably listen to more jazz than I do krautrock. I think I always want my music to sound old; I want it to sound like it belongs more to the past than the present, partially because I hate so much modern electronic music and want to disassociate myself from it, but also because there are so many great aesthetic qualities to do with the fidelity of old music. It has a lot to do with the level of technology that was available around the time krautrock was happening: early sequencers and basic drum synthesisers, slightly wonky analogue synths - it's one of the first times electronic music ever blinked into life outside of the academic world. That's a pretty exciting vibe I think, I want to try and go back to that point. There are so many other influences, but if i had to pick one it would be Team Doyobi; their music has had a big effect on me.

A lot of young British electronic artists seem to be getting a great deal of attention at the moment - more than maybe someone like Four Tet enjoyed early in his career. I'm thinking of the likes of Mount Kimbie, Gold Panda, Joy Orbison, James Blake. Are you aware of/fans of any of those guys? And why do you think UK electronica is in such a healthy state at the moment?

Yeah, I'm really into that stuff, Gold Panda especially. I'm into a lot of the American drone/noise stuff too, like Oneohtrix Point Never, Burning Star Core, Gavin Russom and Jessica Rylan. I don't know what governs trends in music... I suppose it's all swings and roundabouts.

And speaking of talented young men, I see you played a pretty intimate London show with The Horrors last month? How did that go?

It was terrible, don't ask me about it!

You've a couple of live shows lined up, but are there any plans for a wider tour once the album comes out?

Yes, a few around Europe in September and October, and an album launch very soon in London. I'll update my MySpace page with that info today, so look there for more details!

And finally, who are your new favourite bands?

A new BC signing from Italy called Margot - their music is incredible. And a Norwich band called Transept - they're reinventing prog-rock.

Holkham Drones will be released on Border Community on August 23rd, and will include a version of 'Whitebox' posted in its extended EP form below.