Silicone Soul creates music that works in all settings and transcends genres. His openness to a wide range of sound is what has both made him a widely loved favourite, but also someone who operates in his own parallel musical world. We had a chance to talk to him, so enjoy your reading and check out his latest releases.
Hi there ! Where can we find you right now? How did you start your day?
I’m lucky enough to be out in Zanzibar right now, so just sitting on the terrace with a morning coffee, enjoying a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean.
When did the idea of starting a project start to take shape? Has it always been something you wanted to do?
It’s the fifth volume of our Darkroom Dubs compilation series, with the idea starting back in 2005. It’s a project we hold dearly and a tradition we have continued to keep alive.
How would you define the sound of your latest work? What is the concept behind?
The main release is a DJ mix highlighting our favourite tracks that we’ve released on Darkroom Dubs, spanning the period since the last compilation back in 2017, and a way to refocus on all the fantastic music that the artists have produced for the label. The DJ mix is available with a Special Edition t-shirt by Glaswegian independent streetwear brand 1 of 100, and there is also a DJ-Friendly 22 track unmixed bundle.
What artists are you interested in these days?
Günce Acı (Istanbul) and Paula Tape (Milan) are two producers that have caught our ears, and their music has been peppering many a DJ set. On the Darkroom Dubs front, our good friend Alvaro Cabana (Madrid) has hit a rich vein of form in the studio, and we look forward to welcoming him to the label next year. Also, Abel Ray (Marrakesh) is a young producer with an exciting blend of influences. He will be making his Darkroom Dubs debut next year too.
How do you manage to combine such disparate genres? How do you manage to give them unity and harmony? What do they have in common for you?
It’s always good to have a variety of genres in a DJ mix or set with a good flow and blend. To achieve this, I tend to focus on themes, motifs and key. In this volume, there is an acidy undercurrent that reoccurs throughout. There are similarities too in the percussion sounds and general drum feel.
How would you define your sound?
I suppose now our sound could fall into the Indie Dance or EBM category or be prefixed with Deep or Dark, but to be honest, I’ve always struggled to self-categorise.
Can you tell us something about your current or future projects?
We’ve got a lot of new sounds and fresh ideas to take into the studio in the coming year. So hopefully, there will be some of our productions appearing on Darkroom Dubs in 2022.
