Interview: Machine Drum

Illustration by Kent Hernández / Madeira Projects
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ravis Stewart is one of our favorite producers.  He's a digital wizard who blurs the line between genres, and artforms, as he continues to push the limits of electronic music.  His new album Want To 1 2 is exquisitely detailed dance music with rich melodies and beats that will make you wanna get your wolf on.  

PG-13: Tell us about the wolf imagery you've been using lately.

Machine Drum: Wolves have been around me since i was a kid. My dad went to NC State (their mascot is the Wolfpack). My favorite horror movies as a kid were werewolf movies. I bought a couple of cool-looking wolf shirts during college, threw up some random wolf animated gifs on my website and blam — everyone starts buying me wolf-related shit.  Let's cut to the chase.

PG: I love the cover of your latest release, Want to 1 2? — who did the artwork?

MD: Danny Scales, a.k.a. Philistine Design.

PG: The sound of your Machine Drum project has evolved over the years, becoming R&B and dance floor friendly lately.

MD: I've always stuck to a simple formula of making music I want to hear;  and lately, I've been wanting to hear bugged-out R&B and Pop you can listen to while on psychedelics.

PG: You've spoken about using a tracker to compose your songs. Given that the tracker is more of a compositional tool than a live performance one, what were some of the challenges in creating a set you could "perform?"

MD: It was a challenge at first because I kinda got stuck doing the whole "press play and glitch away" thing with just my laptop.  But within the past couple of years I've been chopping finished tunes into small loops, individual parts and acapellas. I later arrange these loops on midi controllers so I can remix live, creating a different result every time I play. This makes the live performance more entertaining and fulfilling.

PG: You've always had other projects going on, such as tstewart, Syndrone, Neon Black and more.  Do you work on these projects simultaneously, or do you set aside time for each and focus on them seperately?

MD: I work on multiple projects all the time because, usually, when I start a new track I'm just trying to work out an idea in my head.  After a while these ideas get grouped into their own projects.  At some point, I make a concerted effort to finish a project and I'll devote however long it takes to finish it.

PG: How long do you usually spend on a track? 

MD: Honestly, I've spent anywhere from 4 hours to an entire year on a track.

PG: What are some of your biggest distractions, and how do you deal with them?

MD: My biggest distractions basically come in the career management/business side of things.  Sometimes I can't even get myself in the right mental state to write music and do what I'm good at because my mind is too distracted by unfinished business.  I deal with it by making to-do lists — crossing things off feels really good!

PG: Any words of wisdom for up-and-coming younger producers?

MD: Find a work environment conducive to creativity and getting ideas out. There's nothing worse than having an amazing idea in your head, but no idea how to make it come to life using what you have. Just know this: your first few releases are going to define the rest of your career for many listeners. People will constantly compare everything you do later on to that first record.  Don't listen to those people; just make music you want to hear, and you'll be fine.

Download a sweet Machine Drum Mix here.  You can also find his dancehall track for our Circuitree compilation Silicon Graffiti here.