Boards
Sonic Router: Interview & Mix w/ Kevin McPhee [nakedlunch/Idle Hands]
Having lost count of amount of times we’ve read or even described someone’s music ourselves as being subtle, it begrudgingly seems perfectly apt when describing the work of Canadian producer Kevin McPhee. Built from a different more placated mould, his work, which we’ve been hearing in fits and spurts since the 3rd quarter of 2010, is finally hitting shops at the beginning of the year. Releasing on two of our most revered imprints, the Irish [nakedlunch] and the Bristol based Idle Hands (which is soon to be a physical record shop just off Stokes Croft in the city centre, seemingly filling the void left by Rooted Record’s closure last month) stands him in good stead from the off but it’s the fragility and soul of his music on tracks like the as yet unsigned ‘Try’ and ‘This Feeling’ that really connect.
His drum work also shouts just as loud as his twisted use of vocal snippets and samples with the [nakedlunch] signed ‘Bridges’ being a great example of what we’re attempting to shout about. Constructed from homespun and self recorded samples it traverses a drum pattern not a million miles away from the work of Mount Kimbie, but focuses a little harder on the punch of the kick drum, using those bitcrushed scratches and ticks around it to frame the resonance of the low frequencies. A track like ‘House 44,’ not included on his mix - an introductory production showcase of 100% McPhee material – is a perfect example of McPhee at his percussive best, all insistent thump underneath whilst a swamp of textures takes over the top layers hypnotically.
He really has nailed his sound deep, almost oceanic sound palette and after a bout of complementary AIM conversations we shot him some questions, playing on our own interest in his background as much as his music and he delivered our 66th Sonic Router mix. Split, in McPhee’s own words, between “slower and faster tempo tracks,” it’s a perfect and concise showcase of a truly magnificent talent.
http://www.sonicrouter.com/2011/01/interview-kevin-mcphee-nakedlunchidle.html
Kevin McPhee - I Will [???]
Kevin McPhee - Try [???]
Kevin McPhee - Sleep [Forthcoming Idle Hands]
Kevin McPhee - Bridges [Forthcoming [nakedlunch]]
Kevin McPhee - Sucre [???]
Kevin McPhee - Be [???]
Kevin McPhee - This Feeling [???]
Kevin McPhee - Get in With You (LV Remix) [Forthcoming [nakedlunch]]