EPM Podcast 029 - Carl Taylor
Next up on the EPM Podcast we welcome a man whose techno oozes soul and depth whilst his house has plenty of dirt under its fingernails, South Yorkshire’s finest - Carl Taylor. True to his techno and acid house roots, Carl’s podcast features some of the most exciting names in techno and house around as Mike Dehnert, Shed, Orlando Voorn, Ben Sims, A Made Up Sound, Abe Duque, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Terrence Parker, Redshape, Robert Hood, Paul Johnson, Quince and of course Carl himself get caught up in the Barnsley beat blender! This is straight up booty shaking, floor killer action.
Following July’s single release of ‘Perplexer/Violet’, which featured a remix from Orlando Voorn and November’s second single ‘Only U’ with re-workings provided by Mark Broom and Luis Martinez, Carl Taylor now releases his second studio album ‘True Faith’, this January.
Carl’s previous releases can be found on the likes of Bugged Out, F-Comm, Dust Science, Advanced and F1 Recordings, as well as his Warehouse Trax series, which has built him a reputation for delivering a range of techno from tougher, dirty edged, dancefloor beats to blissfully melodic tracks, yet always feature his signature depth and soulfulness.
http://epm-music.com/epm-music-label/item/155-#14-carl-taylor-true-faith.html
Q&A with Carl Taylor
1. Please give us a quick walk through your selection. Why did you choose these tracks for the mix?
I usually select tracks that say something to me. I like a variety of mood and energy level (as well as style) as I’m a big believer in set dynamics. Also, I'm not afraid to play older tracks along side brand new music. I think the selection reflects this ethos and hopefully people will appreciate the variety.
2. You once stated: “thinking too much often kills the art - which then reduces it to a refinement of over consideration and reflection.” Does this mean that you are always trying to capture the ‘moment’ live in the studio?
Yeah exactly. When I was younger I used to get obsessed with things that didn't matter. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate attention to detail; but I noticed a positive difference when I went back to Jamming sequences live on the MPC instead of spending ages drawing automation curves and moving dots / blocks around on the computer screen. It was common for me to change elements a ridiculous amount, and then I’d mix a track over and over again… after all that I still wouldn't be happy. A recipe for madness in my book. All I can say is the less I think about what I'm doing, the more I enjoy it. Follow your instinct.
3. Your second studio album has just been released on EPM. Is ‘True Faith’ about your conviction in electronic music or belief in yourself to continue producing music?
There is definitely an element of both. I would define what I do as a labour of love, it’s certainly no 'get rich quick scheme' that’s for sure. Certain sectors of dance music are obsessed with trends; I love new music as much as the next man; but my creative motive is purely musical and nothing else. Music can become polluted by many factors: I guess I'm a hopeless romantic at heart.
4. In a recent studio interview with Music Radar you appear to favour hardware over software in most of your production. Do you find that is because it gives you a spontaneity of purpose that looking at a screen may lack?
Yeah you've hit the nail on the head. Though actually I'm about 50/50 with time spent on either platform. But the one thing I notice is that it’s virtually impossible to get out of analytical mode when using the computer. The visual input stimulates my brain and inhibits my creative flow at times. I can make a full track on the MPC in anything from 30mins to 3/4 hrs. The lack of options on the MPC, and the dedicated interface give it the upper hand in many situations.
My ultimate studio would be fully hardware with one knob / slider per function. Though practicality and realism have to come into the equation. For example: to get a hardware version of Native Instruments 'Massive' synth (with that level of modularity) would take up a ridiculous amount of room and cost a fortune.
Having said all that, there are tasks that the computer is far better at. Editing audio being one of them. Also, when I want to get REALLY geeky, MaxMSP / Reaktor is like a sound designers dream.
5. What plans do you have for your Warehouse Trax series that has already seen a brace of EPs released on Dust Science?
I’ve got around 12 Warehouse Trax ready to go. Also, I plan to keep making them as I love the process. They are the antithesis of my more melodic output: noisy and often nasty.
6. Who would play Carl Taylor in ‘Carl Taylor – The Movie’?
I’ve been compared to Karl Pilkington and even Alan Partridge… so take your pick!
7. What plans do you currently have outside of music production?
I’m finishing a MSc in Music Tech at the moment, and I'm also learning iPhone programming which I really enjoy. Other than that, I’m not sure really... I just make it up as I go along.
8. On your new album is the track ‘Orbit’ a homage to the legendary Leeds techno club?
I’d love to say yes, but I only went a couple of times toward the end of its life. It was probably in my head subconsciously when I named it though.
9. You recently played a live set for your album launch party at Ginglik in London. How did that go?
Yeah I really enjoyed it, nice little club and the crowd and staff were really friendly. It was nice to get the live set on the road. It had been 6 months in the making, and I was pleased to see it go down well.
10. Please give us your top 10 all-time favourite Acid House tracks:
(In no order)
Phuture - 'Acid Trax'
Hardfloor - 'Acperience'
A Guy Called Gerald - 'Voodoo Ray'
LFO - 'Freak'
Andy Vaz - 'Bygone Times' (Trusme Remix)
Adonis - No Way Back
Fast Eddie - 'Acid Thunder (Fast Thunder)'
Steve Poindexter - 'Computer Madness'
DJ Pierre - 'Box Energy'
Sleazy D - 'I’ve Lost Control'
