Happy previously covered Melbourne based producer London and his track Rhoes. Although it is hard to sum up his sound, there’s a dominant soulful hip hop element tied in with kaleidoscopic electronica. London has masterfully mixed a range of genres to provide us with musical gold. So we got him to shed some light on his mysterious alias…
HAPPY: So London, the internet is a bottomless pit of information, yet you’re still a bit of an enigma to us. Can you give our readers a brief bio of yourself? Why did you get into music?
LONDON: I’m a 22 year old robot wrapped in human flesh, making beats in the western suburbs of Melbourne. I’ve always been inspired by music since I can remember, not lyrics as such, but chord progressions and melodies. I just want to share the same feeling I get with other people.
HAPPY: Growing up, what music inspired you? Any Australian artists?
LONDON: Honestly, there weren’t too many Australian musicians/bands that inspired me to make what I make right now. When I was in high school I was listening to heaps of soul and jazz. Heaps of Roy Ayers, Chet Baker, Cortex and Cal Tjader. Even some psych/rock bands like Strawberry Alarm Clock and Pink Floyd. I love Pink Floyd. Oh, and Todd Rundgren. My parents used to slam that shit in the car all the time when I was a kid.
HAPPY: We absolutely loved Rhoes, so what’s the process behind the creation of your songs?
LONDON: I’m a drummer, so I usually start with drums and percussion. I spend so much time on my drum production, it’s ridiculous. Then I like to make pretty chords on a Rhodes piano or make cool synth sounds. I like to have a contrast of light and dark in my music. I’ll usually keep a song pretty dreamy and soundscape-ish then throw some weird synth in to intensify it. It can throw my audience off guard sometimes, which is cool because I hate making things too predictable.
HAPPY: So I see you’ve got yourself a residency spot at Mynt Lounge in Melbourne, how’d you find your first ever live performance?
LONDON: I DJ at Mynt Lounge every Friday night. It’s in no-way related to my music, just a bit of fun my buddies and I get up to on a Friday night. My first London performance I had tonsillitis and a chest infection, I kept it together even though I was turning around every 10 minutes to suck down my Ventolin haha.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/103225480″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
HAPPY: Where was your first London performance?
LONDON: My first London performance was at the Reverence Hotel in Footscray, I haven’t really played since then. I’ve been lurking in the studio getting new tunes together and a proper live set organised.
HAPPY: Now why the alias London?
LONDON: I’ve never been to London, honestly I just like the way it looks in print. I realised the other day that people might start getting confused with my music and the city itself. The first thing that pops up in Google is; “Your Official Guide To London”. I might start abbreviating it to LNDN or something. I’ll make sure to let everyone know before I do!
HAPPY: Awesome, well vowels are overrated anyway. And what are you plans for the rest of 2014?
LONDON: I’ve got a new single coming out very soon! Also a remix for my buddies, I Know The Chief. I’d like to do a launch party for this single too, I really want to make it an experience. I’ll be making heaps of music throughout the year too, I’ve got positive vibes about 2014.
HAPPY: If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be?
LONDON: Miley Cyrus, hands down. Kevin Parker from Tame Impala would also be amazing.
HAPPY: Randomly, apart from Miley Cyrus, do you have a song that’s a secret guilty pleasure?
LONDON: My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
HAPPY: That’s a classic. Lastly, what makes you happy?
LONDON: Nicotine and caffeine
FIND OUT MORE ON
▲ FACEBOOK ▲ SOUNDCLOUD
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/138166488″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
