Combining grime and funk, Planet Mu's new EP will be coming from producer and remixer, Swindle...
Swindle is working hard to define a current UK sound that seems to evade definition at every corner. After turning heads with his remix of Terror Danjah's dirty grime banger 'Zumpi Hunter' – an exercise in modern electronic madness akin to Joker - he rapidly switched direction with his two most recent releases, the ‘Who Made Funk’ EP and ‘Airmile’s EP. His own take on the funky house sound is on full display on Who Made Funk, and features collaborations with vocalists Shea Soul, A.L and Nadia Sulliman amongst others. Whilst the smoothness that flows throughout ‘Who Made Funk’ evokes a soulfulness akin to more commercial club releases, his brand new ‘Airmiles’ EP feels like a more personal experiment. An entirely instrumental endeavour, ‘Airmiles’ smashes driving garage into filthy basslines that will leave enough heads ringing to ensure heavy club rotation once it drops on April 26th.
Dazed Digital: You have collaborated with grime acts such as Roll Deep and Asher D with very house-led productions. Do you think grime has to 'grow up' in order to gain relative commercial success?
Swindle: I don't think it has grown up - it's been watered down in places and misplaced, but that's all because it doesn't wanna grow up!
DD: Your new 'Airmiles' EP will be released on the highly experimental Planet Mu. Do you feel at home amongst their rooster?
Swindle: Definitely, Planet Mu was the best label for this release I think, they're really cool guys and they really understand the music.
DD: As a producer, would rather be a behind-the-scenes figure making beats for other artists, or create music as a personal project?
Swindle: Both! I love producing artists but I also feel the need to get my own sound of my chest. I think it's about finding a balance between the two.
DD: How do you feel the funky scene is developing in the UK right now?
Swindle: It's wicked! There's space for everyone so not everyone needs to compromise their sound to chase the charts. With labels like Planet Mu and Hyperdub, there is freedom for the truly creative people to do what they like and, as long as they are good at it, they can survive.
DD: Do you feel your productions are made with the club primarily in mind?
Swindle: At times, but not always. Now that I'm starting to play out at gigs a lot more it's become more important!
WHAT'S...
...your favourite thing about the UK?
Chips.
...And your least favourite?
Football.
...your worst club experience?
Going on only to find the CDs I had burned earlier were all faulty!
...your favourite piece of advice?
Stay humble but know your worth, be consistent but rush nothing.
...the first record you ever owned?
Black Gang Chine – Searching. What? I was eight!
Who is your musical icon?
Quincy Jones.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
James Brown.
...can we expect to hear and see of you in 2010?
Lots of instrumental madness! I want to mix the extreme sides of music; making soft soul collide with nasty, dubby grime!
