50 minutes of smoky, noir-ish electronics from DjRUM in this week’s Clash mix, as the hotly tipped producer weaves another of his captivating soundtracks to an imaginary movie.
Mirroring his own warm and intoxicating dub-touched productions, the mix is an atmospheric trip through hazy, downtempo landscapes, interspersed with bassy textures and a few surprises, featuring tracks by Darling Farah, Flying Lotus, Peter Van Hoesen, Skudge and several cuts from DjRUM’s much-awaited upcoming full- length debut.
We caught up with DjRUM, aka Felix Manuel, to ask about the inspiration for his soundtrack.
Tell us about the concept behind your mix:
It’s a soundtrack to an imaginary movie. The focus is on atmosphere and mood rather than the dancefloor. The movie is not in my imagination, I hope that it will be in the imagination of the listener. I’ve used sampled film dialogue throughout the mix to try and create the sense of a narrative, but I’ve tried to keep it very loose. I didn’t want to force an image into the listeners’ head, just give them little suggestions... to remind them that there is something going on outside their head.
What made you include some of the chosen tracks to achieve the effect you wanted?
Oh, I just threw together all the most sought-after dubs I’ve been sent recently... Only joking! I think if you looked at the tracklist you’d probably think it’s really eclectic. Certainly it is in terms of genres. But while it darts about from early 20th century classical music to current pop, to underground UK house, to classic reggae, I think the shifts in mood are a lot more subtle, so there is a coherence. I think that overall it probably feels like a techno / ambient-focused mix, even though it’s scope is far, far deeper. The inclusion of the Lana Del Rey track was inspired by a recent Paul Woolford track, and the Chaba Fadela track, despite being Algerian Raï, will be recognised by most as the vocal sample in the jungle classic ‘We Are i.e.’. Little references like this create a balance between the familiar and alien.
You mentioned there were some exclusive tracks from your new record. Give us the low-down on the album:
Yes there are a couple. I’m excited about the album... It’ll be out soon. This year, hopefully. It’s been a long while in the making, some of the tunes are a few years old, while some are completely fresh. Like this mix, it’s pretty far-reaching in a way, but still coherent (I hope!).
How do you keep each of your mixes unique?
I want a mix like this to have a timeless quality. Not a time capsule of the latest tracks from the currently hyped artists, but something that will stand on its own. I try to overlay tracks in a way that breathes new life into them. You may have heard Aphex’s ‘Ruglen Holon’ before, but not as a post-punk tune.
Give us a bit of background on yourself and your musical endeavours:
For years I’ve considered myself more of a DJ than a producer, since I started releasing records it’s become more important to me. Having said that, the line can be quite blurred with a mix like this.
What have you got coming up in the next few months?
I have a track on a 2nd Drop Records compilation coming soon. Then after that, my first album. I’m playing out a fair bit at the moment, so have a look at my Facebook page to keep up to date with that. I’m always busy working on new material, but I take a very long time over it all, so you’ll have to be a little patient. I hope it’s worth the wait.
DjRUM’s remix of Phaeleh’s ‘The Cold In You’ is out on 5 November on Afterglo. ‘FutureFoundations’ – the 2nd Drop Records compilation – and DjRUM’s upcoming album, ‘Seven Lies’, are scheduled for release in the near future.
DOWNLOAD DjRUM's DJ MIX HERE
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DjRUM tracklist
1. Laurent - Wind in the trees
2. Maurice Ravel - Gaspard De La Nuit / Le Gibet
3. Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans [Polydor]
4. Ore - Rise [unreleased]
5. King Tubby & August Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown [Yard Music]
6. Jacob Miller - Baby I Love You So [Yard Music]
7. Augustus Pablo - Ah Jah Dub [Yard Music]
8. Susumu Yokota - The Dying Black Swan [Skintone / Lo Recordings]
9. Chaba Fadela - N'Sel Fik [Supersound]
10. ESG - Talk It [Soul Jazz Records]
11. Aphex Twin - Ruglen Holon [Warp Records]
12. Darling Farah - Grace [Civil Music]
13. Skudge - Wonder Stories []unreleased
14. DjRUM - Arcana (Do I Need You) [unreleased]
15. Royce Wood Junior - Jodie (DjRUM remix) [unreleased]
16. Peter Van Hoesen - Inspection In Solitude [Time To Express]
17. Inigo Kennedy - Obsidian [Token]
18. Maurice Ravel [Kaddish]
19. Darling Farah - Division [Civil Music]
20. Xhin - Drawer (Original Mix) [Apotek]
21. Tim Hecker - No Drums [Kranky]
22. Marc Z [It's Easy]
23. Deft - Illicit Fantasy (fLako Remix) [unreleased]
24. Quasimoto - Bad Character [Stonesthrow]
25. Flying Lotus - Getting There (feat. Niki Randa) [Warp Records]
26. Tim Hecker - In The Air iii [Kranky]
27. ASC - Defiant To The End VIP [unreleased]
28. DjRUM - Mountains pt.3 [2nd Drop Records]
29. Chris Watson - the forest path. meallan na ceardaich
30. DjRUM - Thankyou (edit) [unreleased]
http://www.clashmusic.com/features/clashmusic-dj-mix-podcast-djrum
Photo by Oliver Clasper
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