Throwing Shapes: An Interview With Braiden

Listen to Braiden throw down a three-deck mix on underground London radio stations like Sub FM, Rinse FM or NTS, or play alongside the great & the good of UK bass artists, and it’s clear that he sees music through his own unique lens. An exhibitionist described by FACT Magazine as “absurdly talented”, Braiden lives up to the hype with a mixing style that thrives on the element of surprise, incorporating the latest in jacking house and techno. An avid photographer who has shot portraits of a number of the capital’s DJs and producers, look to Braiden for a technicolour vision of the future of London music. Vivian Host speaks with the artist around the release of his new single “Belfry Tower” on Rush Hour.

It’s not uncommon in these ‘all Berghain everything’ days for UK bass DJs to profess a devotion to techno and house, but Braiden has been pushing 4/4 for years now, mixing up the likes of Kassem Mosse, Drexciya, Recloose and Omar-S while going back-to-back with pals like Bok Bok and Oneman. He’s probably best known for opening up the formats of such urban underground radio outlets as Sub FM, Rinse FM (where he was a resident for five years) and his current home, NTS. “DJing on radio is crucial to me,” he explains. “Not just as a means of promotion, but the shows very much shape my selection. I’m forced to find new material, and I get to experiment and put together tracks without any concerns of a dancefloor in front of me.”

A true Renaissance man, Steve Braiden retains a classy and restrained palette — whether on air, in the club or behind the camera lens (he’s also a photographer behind some of your favorite artists’ press shots). And though he’s been keeping a low profile since the release of his 2010 single “The Alps” (for Joy Orbison’s now-defunct Doldrums imprint), the man is back this month with “Belfry Tower” and “Paganini”: two chewy, darkly-hued techno numbers for the mighty Dutch label Rush Hour. We called on this graduate of London’s 2010 Academy and found out that he’s been meditating on Villalobos, Rothko and the singularity.

What was your first musical love and does it continue to influence you?

I remember being really into The Score by The Fugees when I was 10. I still remember most of the lyrics so I must’ve listened to it loads. But my first real musical obsession was Radiohead when I was 12. I would go on Napster and hunt down all their B-sides and rare tracks — I had that kind of obsessive curiosity, even at that age. As for influence – maybe. Radiohead has this brooding intensity at times that I’m still attracted to as an aesthetic, but I wouldn’t say they are my primary influence now (14 years later).

Where did you spend the most time in your neighbourhood when you were young?

I grew up in Harrow, a town in North West London, Zone 5. I loved videogames as a kid, more than music. Either I’d be playing football in the park or, more likely, playing computer games. Special shouts to Quake 2, Little Big Adventure and Street Fighter 2.

What’s a song from your younger days that still gives you chills when you hear it?

Anything that gave me chills as a young one will likely give me even more chills today for that very reason. I could pick a few… How about Boards Of Canada “You Could Feel The Sky”?

How long have you been taking photographs and how did you start?

I think I was about 19, around the same time I started DJing. My approach was very geometric and based around light and shade — much like it is today, actually. I wanted to create specific moods, often out of quite mundane subjects, and focusing on what can be communicated with aesthetic alone. I wasn’t taking many pictures of exotic people or spectacular scenes.

Do you see an aesthetic link between your music and your photography?

I do see some similarities, yeah. There is a sense of precision and clarity in both. There’s some sense of logic that pervades my creative output. I was good at maths as a kid. Though at the same time I avoid making things too sterile because that can lead to predictable and shallow work.

Do you experience synaesthesia? What are some moods and colours you gravitate towards and what are some you hate?

I experience it to some extent. Some tracks are very specific colours to me. When I released “The Alps”, I was asked what colour I wanted the label to be on the record; I knew instantly. It was a dark blue-greyish colour and I picked out the exact shade for them. The track is deep and somewhat metallic. “Belfry Tower” is a similar colour. “Paganini” is definitely a deep red or burgundy, much more sensual and warm. I’m particularly attracted to deep reds and maroons in general, there is something simultaneously relaxing and inspiring about this shade. The Mark Rothko room in the Tate Modern with his Red On Maroon pieces are a perfect example; I always spend some time in there when I visit. I don’t hate any colours, everything has its place, but if I had to choose, I’m not particularly attracted to washed-out putrid neon colours, brash and vulgar. Sometimes vulgar is good though.

What do you find relaxing?

That moment after completing something is when I’m most relaxed, after a gig or radio show or finishing a new track or photo shoot. Otherwise I’m striving to create my next thing. Sometimes though, a cup of hot chocolate and a few hours of browsing old grime videos on YouTube can induce relaxation.

You haven’t released many tunes. Do you have loads of half-done tunes at home or do you take a long time baking each one?

I do tend to spend a lot of time on tracks, yeah. I’m still figuring a lot out. I’ve been producing for less than three years at the moment, so I think my release rate has been okay considering that. Also I want to keep challenging myself and progressing rather than rehashing formulas to get tracks done quickly.

How did the idea come to you to sample this Ella Fitzgerald tune for “Paganini”?

I wanted a female vocal that was soulful, but not in an Aaliyah/Brandy way you see everywhere. Something a bit more jazz-focused, a little less slick. I searched for Ella Fitzgerald acapellas on the internet and found what you hear on “Paganini”. What I used was not Ella, but a cover of the song by a girl singing in her house with a cheap microphone. To me, it was perfect, even better for my purposes than an Ella Fitzgerald acapella would be. There’s an innocence in her voice, something very seductive and charming, not as polished as Ella but all the better for it, very breathy and sensual. These kind of vocal sounds are peppered all over my previous tracks anyway. I fell in love with her a bit during the couple of weeks I made this track. Also, she’s French.

Who is an artist or label you have really gotten into in the last six months?

It’s rare I really get fully into certain artists or labels. If I like 50% of someone’s discography, that’s a high hit rate for me. One label that has piqued my curiosity recently though is Golf Channel from NYC. I had a couple of excellent tracks from this label, such as Mark E’s “R&B Drunkie” and DJ Nature’s “Everyone”, but have recently explored a bit further and discovered some gems. The sound varies but their releases often come with an organic aesthetic, disco-tinged and psychedelic in parts.

What is one of the best DJ sets you’ve ever heard?

There’s always about three to four standout sets I see per year. The last one would have to be the first time I saw Villalobos at Fabric a couple of months ago. It’s so refreshing to see a DJ who is truly in control of the energy of the room rather than meandering around and shuffling along in the dark. His set had so much energy without being brash, and real groove-laden and percussive tracks — not the minimal aesthetic many assume he would play. Often times, he would cut between tracks with the crossfader, DJ EZ style, something I love to do too but I see rarely in other house sets. Also the set had real unique moments, like mixing an Omar Souleyman tune with a driving techno track and winding down and playing tracks like his Shackleton remix around 9 am. I hear he can be quite complacent at times but this set was far from it.

Who would play your perfect rave?

Well I guess I have to say Villalobos, after what I wrote above! As long as he’s on form. I’d get Audion to come back and do the live A/V set from his 2009 Hecatomb tour — that was mindblowing. Also Kassem Mosse doing a live set, no doubt. His is one of the best live sets I’ve seen, full of unique but irresistable grooves. And the way he arranges it, too! No big drops or builds, just slight changes so it’s never too brash but never boring. Very inspiring.

In room 2, I’d have Fred P playing strictly his own tracks for hours and hours and hours. As a producer, he is a don. Let me quote his mother: “When I first heard his music, I said to myself, ‘Is this my child with such a deep insight to feeling?’ His music is soul-searching. His sound makes me feel as though my spirit is free and can fly — like an out-of-body experience.’” Big up Fred P’s mother. I’d also have DJ Andres alongside Mr P. This man has selection for days, soulful and groovy, just effortless.

What is one time period of the past that you fetishise and why?

The only time period I’ve ever fetishised is the future, which is great because it’s the only place I’m heading. Mostly I’m looking forward to the singularity in a few decades and uploading my consciousness as a zip file onto WeTransfer.