Credo che pochi artisti al momento siano capaci di mettere d´accordo, una volta tanto, tutta la redazione della vostra webzine preferita. Che sarebbe questa, per intenderci… E pochi sono stati gli album che abbiamo atteso con la stessa impazienza ed eccitazione. Ci siamo quasi finalmente. Il 21 Gennaio esce “Hardcourage”, terzo album in ordine di uscita e primo su Ninja Tune di FaltyDL. Il perché di questa nostra ossessione lo potrete sicuramente trovare tra le sue tracce. Impossibile non lasciarsi ipnotizzare dal suono di Drew Lustman, vero nome di Falty. Ogni tentativo di resistere ai suoi suoni di velluto, all´eleganza dei suoi ritmi è futile. Dall’ esuberanza sorniona dei singoli “Straight Arrow” e “She Sleeps” – ospite alla voce Ed Macfarlane dei Friendly Fires– fino alla bellezza disarmante di “For Karme”, “Re Assimilate” (profondamente struggente nella sua fragile ingenuità) e “Bells”. Mai una caduta di stile, mai un momento di stanca, mai una nota di troppo. Drew ha raccontato di aver prodotto questo disco durante un periodo particolare della sua vita, “a lot of life shit” come l ha definita nella breve intervista che ci ha concesso. Ma è anche un album nato durante l´inizio di una storia d´amore. Ed è alla forza propulsiva e guaritrice dell´amore che questa raccolta di brani è idealmente dedicata. O per citare le parole che Drew usa per spiegare ulteriormente il titolo dell´album “(Hardcourage is) when things are in Limbo and having the courage to carry on”. La grande arte si crea stando nelle fogne guardando in alto alle stelle. Per aspera ad astra. Uno dei migliori album del 2013 è gia in arrivo. Non lasciatevelo sfuggire.
Although you are a newyorker your sound it´s well rooted in the british Bass tradition. How did you first get expose to that sound and, did southern Hip-Hop and Miami Bass play any kind of role in your musical formative years too?
No southern influence at all really, but yeah a definitive UK influence. A friend passed me an early Aphex Twin album when i was younger, that pretty much changed my life.
Did you find a supportative music and club scene in NewYork or in the U.S.A. in your beginnings?
Yep, DubWar. That was my home for a few years. First dubstep party in America. Club Love NYC was the place.
How was your experience with Planet Mu? Is there something that you remember fondly and that you maybe miss from those years?
I don’t miss it, I´m not done with them. We will work together for many years to come. Working with Mike Paradinas in some ways was the best musical experience of my life, no one knows my music as well as he does, no one.
In your “Hardcourage” EP you flirted with House, in “Straight Arrow” with Boogie Electro-Funk. Your recent Alice Russel remix sounds almost Afro in its polyrithmic patterns. What should we expect from your new album? Is it going to be a straight instrumental affair or you used vocal samples or you worked with vocalists too?
There is one vocal track, with Ed Macfarlane from the Friendly Fires. Other then that it is mostly instrumental electronic music. It´s hard to some up what it sounds like for me, I made the tracks over a period of time where I went through a lot of life shit. All good though, but it´s just hard to define the tracks by genre. It´s more like, this one is quite honest, this one is not so good etc.
Talking about vocal samples. Call me a trainspotter but, I guess I recognised the same sample in “Straight Arrow” and something you sneaked just at the end of “Atlantis”. Don’t worry I´m not claiming for a prize, it´s just something I found very intriguing
Yeah I recycle a lot. Luke Vibert does it too, it´s a laziness, but it´s fun. :)
Will you promote your new album with live or dj sets and, can you reveal to the more technically inclined between our readers what kind of gear you use when you perform live?
I am working on a light show right now, not sure where it is going yet. Problem is I hate touring. So I need to find out how to have fun and not miss home when I´am away in some other part of the world. Getting close I think.
Is there any chance to see you live in Italy or are there any european summer Festival already confirmed for you?
Yes for sure, I will be over probably in the summer.
