SpectraSoul require very little introduction. With a back-catalogue spanning almost a decade, they’ve cemented their place amongst the D&B elite. Striking a perfect balance between soulful, melodic liquid and dark, moody rollers, they’ve carved a signature sound instantly recognisable as their own. Take one listen to this retrospective mix they did for DJ Mag to remind yourself how impressive their back-catalogue is.
Their debut album Delay No More was nothing short of a d&b masterpiece. An album so captivating that the thought of skipping through any tracks would seem absurd. With such an impressive track-record, it’s no surprise d&b heads all over rejoiced when they heard their second album on Shogun Audio, The Mistress, is due to drop in May.
They’ve just released the first two tracks from the album – Always / Don’t Mind, and if they’re any indication of what we can expect from The Mistress, then WE ARE READY. We caught up with the guys to chat about the new release and the album…
Yes fellas!!! Where are you joining us from today?
We are, unsurprisingly, in our studio… Just about to go and get a sandwich from the builder’s cafe round the corner!
Bon appetit… You’ve just dropped the first two tracks off the new album ‘The Mistress’ – Always / I Don’t Mind… Both diverse releases and almost polar opposites in terms of the vibe they set. Is this indicative of the contrast we can expect on the album?
We hope so. These tracks definitely represent the extremes of our D&B tastes. They are a decent indicator of what is to come with the album. We really just wanted to re-engage with the core ‘SpectraSoul’ fans with this release; something that seems to have happened. We’re really happy to be back.
As are we! Talk us through how the tracks came together…
That’s always a tough question for us to answer, as what happens in our studio is never considered or planned — it’s always a natural process. We just go in and make what we can with the resources we have.
Who did the vocals for Always?
It’s actually a cheeky sample! All above board of course.
Did you work with any other vocalists on the album?
Of course. Most people know that we like vocal music; we always have. Building on ‘Delay No More’, that was the first thing we thought about. Which vocalists do we want to work with? How can we develop our abilities to work with vocalists and get the best out of them? As with the first album, trying to come up with the answers to those questions helped us learn a lot, and hopefully improved the end result.
Love the emotive piano sprinkled throughout ‘Always’, really takes me back to that classic SpectraSoul vibe. Where did you draw inspiration from for this album?
Again, another very tough question to answer. Anyone who knows the answer to it is really on to something. We took a little bit of time off after ‘Delay No More’ and that certainly helped. You have to live a bit in order to be inspired. Expression doesn’t come from nothing, it comes from experiences, listening to music, eating some good grub, watching a movie — anywhere.
It’s been almost 3 years since the release of Delay No More, how long did the new album take to put together?
We basically started working again around the time of the release of the first album in July of 2012 — bearing in mind that we had completed it in February of that year and had taken 4 or 5 months off from the studio! That said, we didn’t consciously decide to start writing another album. We just wanted to get back in and start writing music again. It’s just taken that long just to get something that resembles an album!
With an album already under your belt was it easier to approach this one?
We definitely had a better understanding of what we were up against. We know the process and we knew the major hurdles that we would have to overcome. Despite knowing all that, it didn’t make it easier! We find the album format to be the one that gives us the most amount of freedom, so we relish the opportunity to let loose and get creative.
Your Shades of Grey Remix recently clocked over 1 million plays, that must be incredibly humbling…. Did you expect such a response to the remix?
Not sure we can take all the credit for that, but it’s great that it’s been so well received.
I couldn’t get enough of your Sampha – Too Much bootleg – how did that come about?
We just wanted to make a club version to play over the summer. We felt like we could bring something to the parts that were there and add our twist. We’re really pleased with how it came out, and really grateful to everyone who supported it.
You’re playing at the next Shogun Audio event in London. Will you guys treat it as a perfect opportunity to catch up with all the Shogun Audio family?
For sure. We’re all pretty tight anyway so it’s good to have an excuse to get together and have a drink and a catch up.
Will you be premiering a lot of new material from the album at the event?
The album tracks have been getting spot plays in our sets for months now — testing, tweaking, adjusting! Its only since we mastered it in December that they’re all, consistently, getting played. We’re really happy with how they sound, and they seem to be going down really well so far.
You recently teased everyone with forgotten collabs with Logistics and LSB – Is it a common occurrence to spend time in the studio with other artists just to jam?
For this album it was great to have a space that we could invite people to and just work on a track until it’s done. No time restraints, no pressure. Pete, our friend who plays guitar on a few tracks, comes down once a fortnight or so and we just jam for a day. Sometimes it bears fruit, and sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, it’s all about just enjoying the time and not trying to force anything.
What’s coming up next, when can we expect the next single?
Keep your eyes peeled… News soon! #SpectraSoulTheMistress
Can’t wait! Big up guys.
Always / Don’t Mind is out now. Available on iTunes, Beatport and Vinyl.
Catch Spectrasoul at Basslaced Presents: Shogun Audio in London on March 20th. Tickets available here.
Follow SpectraSoul on Facebook / Twitter / SoundCloud.
