Photo: Maya Hayuk Visit: Ninja Tune Buy: Downtown Science

[by Scott Thill]

A new generation of composers are hitting the global matrix with a quickness. Armed with laptops and an unadulterated love of beats and biz, they're taking a different route to the future of music, one where instruments and bands give way to samples and recombinatons. And it's already begun. Pop culture is already eating iteslf.

But the future and its technologies are not to be feared, and neither is hip-hop, which has taken over pop culture with convincing power. There are worlds, like those built by Ninja Tune's new jack Blockhead on his solo effort Downtown Science that are deep and wide enough to fit all shades of flavor. Whether it's old-school soundtracking or 21st-century tinkering, Downtown Science delivers a labyrinthe of rhythms that, regardless of their machinic birth, boast a earnest heart.

Morphizm: Do you feel attached to hip-hop, or do you feel a kinship with instrumentalists like Can, Amon Tobin and others?

Blockhead: I don't know if I'd say I feel separate from the music around me. I definitely don't feel super close to it. I don't really listen to other instrumental artists. When i started, I was just making beats for MCs. The way I do that and the way I make instrumental stuff is basically the same. I definitely feel closer connected to the hip-hop side of things, because that's what I came up on. It's what I still listen to and pretty much the roots of everything I make, regardless of how far out I go.

Morphizm: I caught your live act down in Los Angeles, and it was...strange. Does it feel trippy to play a laptop on stage?

Blockhead: The live show experience for me is indeed a weird one. The thing is, I'm not a DJ and my sampler isn't reliable enough to do any sort of reenactment of the music I make. So, when it came time to figure out a live show, I was put onto Abelton Live. It's basically the most fun music toy ever. It opens up sample matching and blending possibilities I've never had before. So I went with that. The problem is, it's still a laptop show. However, i've been touring with a DJ by my side who kinda spices things up and usually I have visuals to go along with the music. The show you saw was the most stripped-down version. I will say that as I've done more shows I've realized that downtempo music live bores people to death (unless they're really high). So I've upped the tempo of my live show. My goal is actually for girls to dance. They do that, i'm happy.

Morphizm: On the live show tip, you're touring with Coldcut. What are your thoughts on what they've managed to bring to the electronic music table?

Blockhead: The first tour I ever did was with them. It was my first tour ever, so I was just kinda soaking it in. As for the work they've done. it pretty much speaks for itself. They have an impeccable track record, and Ninja Tune is pretty much the cherry on top. It's amazing to me that an indie label dealing primarily in instrumental music has been able to be successful as long as Ninja has.

Morphizm: Who are some of your influences, outside and within hip-hop? Your music recalls Shadow, especially Endtroducing, yet I gather you're uncomfortable with the comparison.

Blockhead: To be honest, I don't think i've listened to Entroducing more then five times in my life. It was certainly a dope album but as I said before, I've always been more a rap guy. I like MCs. I'm more familiar with DJ Shadow's work with Solesides and Quannum work than his instrumental stuff. It's never been a influence at all. I mean, yeah, the comparisons make sense but was never something I even thought about when I made music. I've always been more inspired by the music I grew up on. Late 80's/early 90's hip-hop, 80's pop music my brother loved and the jazz my parents listened to. Not so much one artist really, but more that time in music. Back when producers layered samples.

Morphizm: This is an impressive sophomore record. Have you thought about how you want to follow it up?

Blockhead: I'm going wacky on the new shit. I've been playing around with an EP of uptempo joints. I've got a lot of those laying around and I like them, so, when I get back from tour, it's the first thing i'm going towork on. I'm also working with the vocalist Joanna Erdos, who's in the group called The Midnight Show. She, my friend Jeremy Gibson and I are making an album together. It's a long process, but the wheels have started turning. After those are done, I'll probably get back to working on a full-length instrumental album that'll be more like my first. Less danceable than the EP. Aside from that, I'm playing as much basketball as possible.

April 18, 2006

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