The Drum n Bass scene and the music that accompanies it seems to get deeper as the years go by, new artists emerge and push sounds away from the general direction of past years and the genre seems to be in a constant state of change. The positive part for Drum n Bass is that change is such a fantastic attribute for any musical genre and from this stems new artists with quality releases and plenty of labels pushing different sounds. The next release from Silk comprises one such artist – Akuratyde.

Akuratyde’s release on Silk showcases four amazingly thought provoking and indeed forward thinking tracks, the music is moody, emotive and above all else, tells the listener a story. We have prepared some questions for Akuratyde in relations to his latest release, music interests and current and future goals. Below is the extract from this interview.

1. How did you start producing music and what are your main influences?

It was a natural evolution. I started out playing guitar in a rock band and eventually wanted to do my own thing. Got my first synth and learned how to program it. Added a drum machine, and then a sampler. At the time I was very into Industrial music but then the rave scene started taking off in the US and I began going to parties nearly every weekend. I got into D&B (Jungle at the time) and decided to switch musical directions.

As far as influences go, they’re really varied. I grew up during the ‘80s and my parents had great taste in music so they exposed me to a lot of unique music. Stuff like Jean Michel Jarre, Prince, and Talking Heads. I’ve always sought out a lot of new music on my own as well so I’ve gotten into a lot of different genres over the years. Visuals have always had a strong influence on me as well, whether its film, art, or photography. When I was younger I would draw and paint constantly, and that eventually evolved into me having a career as a Graphic Designer.

2. What does your setup consist of?

Right now my setup is pretty minimal. I used to have a lot of hardware that I sold off during a long break from songwriting. After coming back to writing music I decided that portability was important so I don’t have a lot in the way of gear. For those interested, you can view my setup HERE

3. Describe your thought process that went into making you debut E.P for Silk, did you have a concept etc?

A loose concept, yeah. The title track is about a fleeting moment that you want to last forever and the realization that it inevitability won’t. That theme kind of ties the whole EP together.

My wife and I moved across the US to California in 2010 and living here has had a profound effect on me and my music. Conversely, without going into too much detail, I began suffering from some health issues around the same time. So on the one hand I’m elated to be living here, but on the other hand there are days where I’m just miserable. I wanted the EP to straddle the line between those two feelings without going to extreme highs or lows. It starts off more optimistic and then becomes more melancholy yet still hopeful.

4. Your sound is very emotive and has quite a musical / ambient feel to it, is this something that you set out to achieve?

Absolutely. I gravitate toward music that moves me emotionally. That’s the sort of thing that resonates with me, and that’s the type of music that usually comes out when I write. My music is very melody based, so I spend a lot of time just playing chords, working with melodies and harmonies, trying to find that magic combination of notes that stirs something in me.

5. Being based in the USA and with the rise of EDM all across the country in the last few years, how does this affect your sound and what you are hoping to achieve?

I don’t think that it does affect me. The EDM scene and the style of music associated with that term are completely removed from what I’m doing.

6. What’s the best advice you can give to someone just starting out in the studio?

Don’t overthink it. The most important thing is getting your ideas down. You can always come back later and clean parts up, fine tune them, etc.

7. Give us your top 3 tracks of all time?

I don’t think I could ever narrow it down to three, but I’ve chosen 3 which are very special to me.

Telephone Tel Aviv – I Made A Tree On The Wold

TTA’s third album, Immolate Yourself, was a bold stylistic departure from their first two albums. I had the opportunity to see them perform live over a year before the album was released, so naturally I was unaware of their change in musical direction. They opened with “I Made A Tree On The Wold” and it just floored me. It’s such a stunning song, I never get tired of it.

Instra:Mental & dBridge – Translucent

This is the song that introduced me to the Autonomic sound. At the time I was rediscovering a lot of great synthesizer music from the ‘80s. Artists like Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, and this fell right in with those and felt like a natural evolution of that music set to a D&B tempo. It’s a deeply beautiful song that really takes its time to develop yet still draws you in right from the start.

Boom Boom Satellites – Embrace

Boom Boom Satellites are a Japanese band and while they have a large following in their home country they’re not widely known outside Japan. I was introduced to them when I saw them open for Moby on his 1999 Play tour and was completely captivated by their set. Their music has evolved quite a lot over the years, moving in a more emotional direction with more personal lyrics.

Their singer, Michiyuki Kawashima, has overcome brain cancer 4 times and in this song he reminds himself that it’s okay to feel despondent, but that it’s important to embrace life. I can really relate to the subject matter. There are days where I feel beaten down, but I don’t want to just give up. Life is incredible, and I think this song has a compelling message backed by powerful music.

8. Tell us something about yourself that nobody knows?

I’m an open book so anyone who knows me already knows pretty much everything about me.

9. Where do you see yourself music wise in the next 5 years?

I try not to plan too far ahead. There are some people that I’d really like to work with so it would be great if I could make that happen, and I see my output continuing at a steady pace. Other than that, who knows?

10. Any shout outs or final words you would like to share?

Just want to thank my wife for being so supportive and big thanks to Silk for releasing my EP.