Legendary Glasgow duo Silicone Soul have announced a smouldering fifth edition of their longstanding Darkroom Dubs label mix series. Inspired by the sudden splash of freedom and shows they have been able to play this summer and that great shared rush of energy we have all experienced in recent months.
Available as both a mixed excursion into the deepest corners of the Darkroom Dubs psyche and as a collection of unmixed tracks, Darkroom Dubs Vol. V focuses on the label’s recent releases, bringing us all up to speed on the underground sound they have always stood for and reminding us of the instantly distinctive and consistent signature they have spent the best part of 20 years honing and refining.
We have had the pleasure of speaking with him and this has been the result.
Can you tell us a little about your experience? Where are you from / how did you get into music? Was it all internet based?
Graeme and I are both Scottish, and we grew up together in Milngavie, a small town outside Glasgow. We attended the same secondary school and were in various Rock & Punk bands together. It was the early 90s when we discovered electronic music, and as the scene was in its infancy, the whole movement had a thrilling feeling of danger. It’s crazy to think back now, but it was pre-internet and pre-mobile, and later when we signed to Soma Records, we received a lot of early reactions to our records by fax.
Who have been your main inspirations (both musical and in «life»)? And how have they affected your sound?
Primal Scream was a massive influence as they were the first band that we loved that crossed over from straight-up Rock n’ Roll to Dance with their Screamadelica album. Soon after, we began to appreciate and understand the production of Andrew Weatherall and that Balearic, ‘anything goes’ multi-genre approach to music-making and DJing.
Both my parents were very encouraging, especially my Mum, and thankfully I didn’t have to listen to the «It’s time you got a real job» type chat. We were lucky to be surrounded by creative friends, particularly at Soma, like Dave Clarke and Glenn Gibbons. They were very supportive, especially in the early days, which gave us confidence in our DJing and production.
How would you define your sound?
I suppose now our sound could fall into the Indie Dance or EBM category or be prefixed with Deep or Dark, but to be honest, we’ve always struggled to self-categorise.
How has your sound evolved so far?
Over the years, production techniques and music styles naturally change and are refined, but the same core elements and sounds remain in our DJ sets and productions.
What can you tell us about your last release? What inspired you? What do you want to convey?
Our new release is our label compilation, ‘Darkroom Dubs Vol. V – Compiled & Mixed By Silicone Soul’. It is a DJ mix highlighting our favourite tracks that we’ve released on Darkroom Dubs, spanning the period since the last compilation back in 2017. The DJ mix is available with a Special Edition t-shirt by Glaswegian independent streetwear brand 1 of 100, and there is also a DJ-Friendly 22 track unmixed bundle.
In many ways, the inspiration comes from the artists, and it is a pleasure to showcase all the fantastic music they have produced for our label. It’s a project we hold dearly, and a tradition we have continued to keep alive since the first volume back in 2005.
How are you living the current situation because of COVID? Has your work affected you a lot? Do you think there is hope? I feel like the underground scene will continue to persist.
All things must pass, I guess, but it has been nightmarish for many people for a whole number of reasons. I lost my mother a year ago, and the backdrop of Covid added an extra level to an already bleak situation. I spent the lockdown caring for her, so naturally, it wasn’t a productive time but personally far more poignant.
It is the human condition, but there is always hope, and I’ve certainly grown as an individual due to the experience. I’m sure we’ll all come out stronger and wiser when it finally ends.
What projects are you working on right now?
We’ll be back in the studio in the new year with some new remixes and a new single on Darkroom Dubs.
