Liverpool's Lewis Boardman gives the lowdown on his new EP 'Rambunctious' and his advice to aspiring DJs is just as bold.
Tomorrowaudio's Naomi Campbell caught up with the up and coming Circus resident Lewis Boardman in his native Liverpool to discuss his rise to prominence along with the release of his new EP, 'Rambunctious' on Cadenza Lab.
After a string of notable releases on labels like Play It Down, NRK and Souvenir, and remixes on Rekids and Renaissance, Lewis announces himself on Luciano's label with thee dance floor orientated tracks.
Hi Lewis, you've been renowned as one of Liverpool's new up and coming DJ's. Has it been hard work getting to where you are today and have you always waned to be a DJ?
It's taken around 12 years to be an up and coming DJ!
Following your 12 year residency in ‘Circus’ Liverpool, what would be your advice to young or aspiring DJs? You obviously work hard to maintain your status as the DJ they welcome back week after week, what do you think sets you aside from the 100s of other DJs in Liverpool, and the UK?
The most important piece of advice I would give is to take your time and say no to almost everything you get offered. Do one thing and do it well. What I mean is that you see these young DJs playing every week at any new club night - they literally would play at the opening of a bag of crisps! You need to be selective and learn the power of NO! Then you can build on one club night or one brand and do it to the best of your ability.
It seems that you’re a bit of a globe trotter having previously DJ’d in Berlin, Beijing, Ibiza and Moscow. (Jealous) What’s been some of your favourite locations to DJ and why? Some of these hot spots you’ve been to are in fact famous for their clubbing scenes and House DJs, so would you say you have you picked up any ideas or techniques whilst there, or noticed anything untowardly different in their approach to House music compared to us in the UK?
I think Berlin was my favorite, to play at Watergate was amazing! I think we stopped playing at 10am the next morning. Berlin parties hard and playing there was most definitely about the groove and taking your time to express your yourself musically, rather than banning away your biggest tracks in 2 hours. It's also an amazing city that’s full of cool bars, restaurants and shops.
After listening to your boldly brilliant new release, ‘Rambunctious’ I’m a little mesmerized as such. With distinct sound effects and dramatically deep vibes, it comes across as a refreshingly new sound. Was there a specific style you were aiming for when producing, or is ‘Rambunctious’ an example of your own individuality and skills you depict as a producer?
All my tracks are my own interpretation on what I like to play out in clubs, its a snapshot of what I feel would work not just at peak times at clubs but also in the art form of the warm up DJ. I feel that my track 'Home' of the new EP is a really good warm up track to set the tone for the evening, with it's swirling keys and the looping vocals. I really enjoy playing this track out .
When did you begin working on ‘Rambunctious’? Do you find it a lengthy process from when that first strike of inspiration hits until it’s finally out in the public eye, or are you a wizard of time mastering skills?
No not at all , it takes a lot of time for me to produce music. I work alone in my studio for anything from a week to a month on a track, then I send it to a few friends and listen to their feedback on what they like and dislike. Sometimes I will then go back and start again or tweak certain things before taking all my new demos to The Hold at The Shipping Forecast to test them out on a Funktion 1 sound system. Then finally at Circus I'll play a few new tracks out and see how the crowd reacts and the room feels, before I send them out to a few selected record labels.
‘Werk It’, the first track on the EP, appeals to me because of its indulgent sound effects and vocal edits, it never seems to dedicate itself to a specific pattern which works flawlessly; I never know what to expect next. What did you enjoy most when producing this track? Do you have a specific method you follow in which you create your sound effects, or is each track given different treatment?
As with all my tracks I start of with a drum pattern and build and build, for 'Werk It’ the beats come together really quickly and then added the 2 different styles of vocals that worked of each other really well. It was the ending of the track I struggled with on how to add that extra element to take it up a notch on the second break, but once I found the keys I was happy and the rest of the track came together really well. The last thing then I add will be EFX and then polish the whole track to make the project sound the best it can.
‘Home’ expresses a similar dark yet appealing ambiance. What influenced you to opt for this underground-like style? Is this a particular sound you find you use frequently or are we only indulged for this specific EP?
I would say my style is underground, and with this track I wanted to create something I would play at the start of the night. A favorite track of mine I always play is Ame - 'Basic Track' and I think its amazing! Its the perfect warm up track for me, I play it around 121 BPM and for me this was a major influence for 'Home' . But my sound as a producer is most definitely a reflection of what I play when I DJ, you need to make music you are proud of, and would play in your sets.
Final track on the EP, 'Rubber Johnny' seems to have more of a repetitive drive to it, featuring a simple synth which functions as the lead hook in the track. Is there always a particular sound in your head that you wish to replicate when it comes to the production of new beats, or do you prefer to roam around different styles until you find one that suits?
I tend to know what I want to make once I have the beats in place, it's then already telling you a story of what is happening. with ‘Rubber Johnny’ I had the beats and the structure of the track made for a long time, but I struggled to find the hook. I knew it needed a strong loop or pattern to hold the track but still needed to move it and not get too stagnant. When I made the synth pattern it was very simple but worked so well. With added EFX and automation I was happy with the end result.
Finally, you've been described as a new ‘up and coming’ talent which to me seems an understatement with this much under your belt! What’s been one of your most memorable experiences of your DJ’ing past?
The has been so many , but most recently it has been many of my idol’s that have been giving me such great feedback on my music. Signing records to Luciano’s Candenza and also to Loco Dice’s Desolat labels has been amazing, these have been my favorite labels for many years.
Lewis, you have been a pleasure to interview and I have thoroughly enjoyed reviewing your music and new EP. I wish you every most success in the future with your career and can’t wait to see what you will bring to the music of 2015!
Thanks guys!
Be sure purchase Lewis's track's here
