Retro futurism never sounded so good. Brassica's debut album "Man Is Deaf", out on Civil Music, is the body of work of someone who's spent a lifetime modifying synthesizers, obsessed with the possibilties of machines, a sound designer with an eye firmly on the rave.

"Man Is Deaf" is a sultry, sleazy and stylish Italo-influenced album, with knowing nods to the neon underworld aesthetic of Blade Runner and the faded glamour of Miami Vice. Warm synth pads and distant vocals ghostily float above the regimented clacks of drum machine rhythms. This is night bus music.

We caught up with the London-based producer to talk about the record, what the concept of "playing live" means to a musician in 2014 and working with TEETH's Veronica So.

The album sounds like Blade Runner: Miami - what were your influences on this record?

Brassica: Working outside of my comfort zone - that was the only encompassing influence. Musical, non-musical influences… where do I begin?

I once worked for a composer called John White, digitising and archiving his old tapes. He said to me “everyone has their own reason for playing a D chord”. The same applies when using a synthesizer to make art. It’s awesome that you hear those things, it means those songs have mileage far beyond my intention.

How did you come to work with Veronica on "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost"?

Brassica: Veronica asked me to play at her LAN Magazine launch party a few years back. I’d played with her band TEETH in my old band (Queen of Swords) but I didn’t know her then. I think TEETH are an amazing band and Veronica and (drummer) Simon Whybray are probably the most creative people I’ve ever met. So I just e-mailed her an unfinished version of the track, she gave me some voices in return and I finished the track. It was pretty simple. 

Are there any other pieces of computer game history that you think work out as philosophy?

Brassica: I haven’t played many computer games in my adult life but I did notice that Microsoft Word has a good menu option – “Accept Change”.  

Which other contemporary musicians are inspiring you in 2014?

Brassica: Been digging Kindness’ album, the new FaltyDL album too and Les Sins. I don’t know how inspired I feel about music in 2014 though. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sound of what I’m hearing.. but nothing has been a game-changer or influenced the way I do things.

What does "playing live" mean to a producer like yourself?

Brassica: That’s a great question. I love creating music and I’ve played live for years in different forms but I loathe the idea of being a performer, that’s why bass guitar was my first instrument. For me it means finding a balance of ‘doing what I do’ and being respectful in that some of the audience may have never heard of me and just want to dance and have fun. Usually if it sounds good, it is good. No amount of onstage performance geekery will keep an audience of drunk people happy.

Onstage visual action can add maybe 20% of value to the experience if the music already sounds awesome, but so often you see producers enrol live drummers, etc, which looks great, but loses a ton of musical power and finite control over the music. So for me it’s about a balance of decent-sounding music, that isn’t so alienating without prior knowledge of the artist and features a semblance of control within the moment so the artist can make decisions based on the audience feedback. I’m still learning. 

Man Is Deaf comes out on Civil Music on November 10.