‘Diversity is slowly eroding’
He never stops: producing, thinking, DJing or hammering out hardcore with The Stupids. But we caught up eventually. Time to sit down with Klute, hunt down an ashtray & snacks and get properly stuck in over the Savage Circle.
Hey Klute how’s things? Musically it’s been busy this year I take it?
Very well thank you very much. It has already been a very busy year musically, yes.
I moved studio twice and replace my main studio computer which ended up having a knock on effect with all kinds of other things needing replacing. Bloody computers.
I’ve been out gigging a lot, both as Klute and also with my hardcore band The Stupids and the new music is beginning to flow.
What’s been a standout?
It’s hard to think of a stand out because I’ve had so many fun times out there and some of the more special ones didn’t necessarily involve crowds of people punching the air.
I think both my tours of the USA & Australia were the stand outs gig-wise. I love being on the road for many reasons. Gigs just being one of them.
What’s the ep title mean?
‘Savage Circle’ is another way of saying vicious circle. It’s kind of my point of view on a lot of things on a personal and cultural level and dare I say political too.
I think we’re going through some strange times culturally, some of which weve seen before – we seem to be particularly obsessed with celebrity culture, stars and sequins, tans – it’s nothing new but I feel we’ve hit fever pitch.
It’s like it’s 1975 all over again, but worse.
Can you take us through the fab ‘Westernized’? Is this a comment on McCulture as such? If so I feel it.
It’s hard to make an instrumental D&B tune and it be ABOUT something: the title mostly refers to the slightly spaghetti western-ish intro – at least it reminded me of that, but it also goes along with the theme of the EP.
I always feel I should hold back with socio-politics with D&B interviews because you’re supposed to say Everything’s All Good, but you’re asking…
So why not?
The basic premise of the title ‘Westernized’ is that we’re headed towards a single-minded culture that believes it is the be all and end all of all existence.
Diversity is slowly eroding to make way for success and popularity in the ‘western’ image, through corporatism, globalism and consumerism.
I love ‘Just What You’re Feeling’… again a great and interesting title.
It’s just classic ‘Klute’ really, moody but beautiful, the soaring melodies, sad, but uplifting.
The EP is mostly quite hard so I’m glad I got this on there to soften the load, as it were.
What changes have you noted with the way you approach working with sounds?
One of the most stifling aspects of D&B in the recent years is with it’s almost unanimous obsession with production. Now, don’t get me wrong, we’ve all had a keen interest in production from day one but I’m talking about things on a whole other level, where production comes before composition. En masse.
Where’s the dirt gone, everyone? Where’s the sense of adventure? Break something!
Do something wrong.
Anything that’s crept in or crept back, re your sound?
I think my main objective this year is to listen to my inner self and try to express that rather than get caught up with the rules. As I just said, D&B engineering is a law into itself now. I find that mostly uninspiring, the sense of fun and adventure is what made me forget to eat.
‘Aboretum’… I went to look up the title and opted NOT to as I liked what I imagined – something of a time just pre-WW1 which is a fixation of mine. The tune is very nice.
I really wanted to finish off this set with something very me but also very un-drum and bass. I grew up next to a park that had this beautiful section on the outskirts they called the arboretum – this is my musical equivalent of that.
Call it electronica if you like , I have no definition for it: it’s just music made by me.
What producers are hurting you in general with their attitude, and what DJs hit the spot?
I’ve been a longtime friend and fan of John Tejada and I have to say hes made a huge impact on me this year with his new album Signs Under Test. He’s been making music continually but this LP is so good it almost feels like a come back album. He’ll hate me for saying that.
DJs that hit the spot? Hugely underrated: Darrell from the Invaderz. Fantastic DJ, knows his trade and gets the room DANCING, not fist pumping in the direction of the DJ, which seems to be the sole benchmark of a good set these days: impact and reaction.
Nymfo, great DJ and producer; Quadrant & Iris, Dom & Roland continues to defy convention with his epic music and an LP coming sometime on Metalheadz.
Me, I’m really good.
Randall. Doc Scott, Digital & Spirit.
So many others seem to be caught up in their own little camps which I find desperate and boring. I like a DJ to go round the houses and surprise you. Up, down, round and about and varying styles.
So who is underground and totally renegade or… savage then?
Nutters and people who don’t live their lives on social media, people who have the guts to not do what everyone else is doing which seems to have filtered into the ground water of morality: be like everyone else, like, thumbs up.
Any more words about the Savage Circle ep?
I hope y’all enjoy it, it’s a heartfelt EP that’s out there on it’s own and I really rate Metalheadz for having the vision to release it.
They were always the one label that stood for diversity and difference and I’m glad they haven’t forgotten that.
