Dummy Mix 96 // Guy Andrews
Guy Andrews’s music blends organic jazz and Afrobeat rhythms with techno and bass. The Brighton-based producer released the ‘Your Notion’ EP on Discobelle in early September and will bring out the ‘Shades / Textures’ 12” next month on Untold’s Hemlock record label. I immediately asked for a mix from him after being enchanted by the teetering percussion and crumbling grooves on his upcoming release. Like his tracks, this mix is incredibly deep with an overriding sense that the melodies and cross-genre polyrhythms are a mere stumble away from collapsing in a corner as a beautiful heap of post-clubbing exhaustion.
How’s it going?
Yeah fine thanks, no complaints!
Can you please tell us a bit about the mix?
Well I wanted to go down a more techno based route with this one, so I picked out a couple favourites and mixed them with some more bass-oriented tunes. I didn’t really put much premeditated thought into it, just did it on the fly – although I knew I wanted to play Aquarius Heaven – Universe. Really loving that tune at the moment.
How did you get involved with the Hemlock crew?
Literally by sending a track over. I finished ‘Shades’ and just had this gut feeling that it might fit well on Hemlock. So I joked with my manager John Connon about possibly sending it over to Untold, not thinking that he actually would. Then about a few hours later a draft contract was sitting in my inbox. It all happened quite quickly. Jack then asked me to write a AA side, which turned out to be Textures and the rest went from there!
What recent releases/artists have really blown you away?
It’s really hard to say, there is literally so much music out at the moment that blows me away. 2011 has been an incredible year. I’d say Blawan is definitely up there, his remix of Beastie Respond – Syncopy is really great. Dark Sky’s Radius EP was cool as well. I really rate their production.
Can you tell us about your upcoming 12” next month?
It’s a double A side, with two fairly percussion-lead tunes. Shades is quite minimal, switching between Afrobeat inspired rhythms and straight bass influenced techno. Textures is a slightly more techno influenced track I wrote around the concept of combining my sound design to create evolving sonic textures. I try to keep an element of groove in both tunes so it makes them more accessible to the non-techno heads.
What else is coming up for you over the next few months?
Over the next few months I’m trying to focus on writing more material and DJing out more often. Currently got an EP under way, but I’m in no rush to release anything. Right now I’m just taking one step at a time – want to make sure I’m truly happy with what I’m putting out before I rush into anything.
Hemlock releases Guy Andrew’s 12” ‘Shades/Textures’ on the 21st November 2011
