This week sees the release a super juicy five track EP from Villem. Ranging from the slinky slo mo vibes of the title track Shimmer to the more rampant twists and turns of Poly, it’s a stark calling card that leaves no illusion to his talent. With plenty more in the pipeline – including appearances on Ingredients and Symmetry this month – we thought we’d give him a call and bully him into giving us a wicked mix full of upfront and unreleased cuts. Enjoy!
How’s it going?
“It’s all good man! Looking forward to my EP coming out and you guys giving away my mix. On a heavy music tip, basically!”
Big time. You’ve got releases on Med School and Ingredients this month!
“And another one. I’m on an compilation released by Symmetry, Break’s label, with a track I’ve done with Mako, Fields and Hydro. That’s out soon too. It’s weird, things just happen to have fallen into place this month.”
That’s not planned, then?
“No not at all. I think a lot of big releases happen right now because the students have just been given their money, haha! It’s business!”
Let’s chat Med School business. Shimmer EP: six tracks deep, each of them a banger. That’s a mini album right there!
“Thanks. A lot of hard work has gone into it and I’m really pleased with how it came together and the fact that all my friends are on it. I sent Med School all my unsigned stuff and we whittled it down to these six tracks.”
There’s a lot funk in your work. Discuss…
“Definitely! It comes from hip-hop, I’ve always been a massive hip-hop fan and funk shortly followed when I started tracing the samples. Then I started playing in bars and the funk and hip-hop really worked. It’s never been a concious effort to be funky, but I think it’s pretty subconscious. I try my hardest not to think too much about what I’m doing. I try and let things come together as naturally as possible. Nothing’s a pre-planned idea; just grab a vibe or a feeling and explore it. That’s drum & bass in a nutshell for me.”
Nice. The minute you force something, you’ve lost it…
“Yeah. All my favourite tunes I’ve made have come together really easily and naturally. Sure, some tunes start off easy and get harder to finish. There are loads of different ways of working. My favourite is when it rolls out for a few days.”
Ever suffered from writer’s block? Or had one of those frustrating weeks where you’ve thought ‘bugger this, I’m off to be accountant!’
“Haha! If you’d have asked me that just over a year ago then I’d have said yes. But when I get pissed off I just stop writing. Just switch off and take my head elsewhere. Take a step back and realise it’s not all shit! I don’t let things build up so I’m frustrated any more. You can get stuck in loop-world and your mind plays tricks on you. I jump in my car sometimes and drive round the block listening to music. That can give you a really cool perspective.”
There’s some nice places to drive in Bristol…
“Yeah Bristol’s lovely but I’m not there any more! I was living with Mako and the Utopia studios but I’m back in Stonemarket in Suffolk now. It’s boring, there’s not too much going on, but that’s what I want; peace and quiet to write tunes. No distractions!”
Who’s older; you or your brother Fields?
“I’m eighteen months older than him. I showed him Ed Rush and Opitcal’s Wormhole. He was more into Guns N Roses and Rage Against The Machine stuff at the time. I played him Wormhole and he was converted instantly!”
Any competition between you guys?
“Nah not really. It’s all pretty chilled. We definitely inspire each other. I might hear some noises coming from his direction and they inspire me. I hope it goes the same way! We’re both living in the same place; our studios are next door so I don’t have to go too far for inspiration!”
Nice. Now tell us about the mix!
“It’s my flavours! Lots of different people who I’m really into. There’s a lot of me, but not too much so you don’t get sick. There’s some tunes you’ve not heard before, some tunes very few people have even got. A good blend of dubs and rollers. What you hear is what I play out! I love going across the spectrum; from the deep stuff to the heavy bass. It’s all good!”
It is indeed. Let’s stop talking and start downloading!
Shimmer is out now on Med School.
Villem’s Drum&BassArena Blog Mix
Tracklist:
1. Om Unit – Ulysses [Civil Music]
2. Villem – Shimmer [Med School]
3. Clarity – Cold Blank [Samurai Music]
4. Foreign Concept – Jaipur (Villem Remix) [Ingredients Records]
5. Gerra & Stone – Droneheads (Octane & DLR Remix) [Alignment Records]
6. Dose – Nine Lives [Subtitles]
7. Villem, Fields, & Mako – Ascent [Med School]
8. Dub Phizix & Skeptical ft Sparkz – Half Man [Samurai Music]
9. Foreign Concept ft Riya – Affliction [Critical]
10. Naibu – Fireflies (Light Mix) [Horizons]
11. dRamatic and dbAudio – Far Away ft Grimm (Total Science Remix) [Mars Recordings]
12. Unknown
13. Villem – Do you? I Wanna VIP
14. Villem – Artifacts [Med School]
15. Break – Love so True [Symmetry]
16. Gerra & Stone – Seventh
17. Submotion Orhcestra – Its Not Me Its You (Alix Perez Remix)
18. Unknown
19. Command Strange – Open Your Eyes
20. Mikal – Frozen [Symmetry]
21. Spectrasoul – Organiser (Foreign Concept Remix) [Critical]
22. Unknown
23. Konichi – Mostel [Hanger]
24. Detail & Linden – Fringe [C.I.A Deep Kut]
25. Chromatic – Physics of Emotion (Villem Remix) [Flexout Audio]
26. Need for Mirrors & Edward Oberon – Limits of Control [Clearskyz]
27. Amoss_Footloose (Octane, DLR, & Linden Remix) [Horizons]
28. Break, Fields, Mako, & Villem – Diligence [Utopia Music]
