FOLD Invites Kerrie (Live Set) + Interview
Although born in Ireland, it was in Manchester that DJ, live act and producer Kerrie sowed the seeds of her musical career. Following the influence of her family and an early exposure to electronic music, Kerrie looked immediately towards production when she settled into Manchester. Frequenting the city's cultural hotspots - from interning at Eastern Bloc Records to DJing at local club nights - she shortly after took the dive and quit her full-time work to focus solely on music. Her courageous move paid off, and from 2013 the decision bore her the rewards of a permanent role at Eastern Bloc and a DJ residency which established and embedded her musical reputation.
Immersing herself in the history of dance music, Kerrie harnessed her grasp of its genres to deliver sets covering a broad range of techno, electro and acid. As an avid collector of records, her sets have always maintained a constant element of surprise, which has led to her holding down a busy touring schedule across the UK's most distinguished festivals and venues. Recognisably an artist with a growing profile up north and throughout the country, Kerrie has expanded her skill set to include performing live, and since 2017 she has taken her live hardware set on the road to perform alongside the likes of Objekt, Sunil Sharpe, Stenny and A Made up Sound. Following this evolution, her live set for Freerotation 2019 became one of the festival’s most talked about debuts. Back in August Kerrie played FOLD Extended with Anetha and Dana Rush, so we sat down to chat with her about keeping busy during lockdown, her tips for aspiring creatives and her favourite vinyl finds.
You had a heavy touring schedule pre-COVID. How did you balance time producing in the studio with touring?
Up until the lockdown I worked 2-3 days a week at Eastern Bloc and then 3 days in the studio. If I was preparing for a gig (DJ) I would set aside a day a week for that, and if I had something more intense like a live set to prepare then that would be my main focus in the run up. It’s always been ebbs and flows in terms of gigs so it’s just a case of changing my mindset to suit what’s coming up. Producing and gig-prep can be 2 different worlds – but both are about getting into the creative flow essentially! Lockdown has been good for me in a way as it’s given me a chance to fully focus on production and explore making more ambient / electronic styles of music too.
Tell us about your favourite hardware when producing. What's the creative process behind making a track and then compiling these into an EP?
My go-to pieces are the Elektron Analog Rytm and Elektron Analog Four – I could solely survive making music on these two pieces of gear if I had to. I’ve spent about 6 years with them now so that’s what I switch on first when I get to the studio. I recently invested in the Elektron Digitakt and the DSI OB6. I absolutely love the Digitakt drums – they slam! They’re great for electro and techno, in my opinion. The Digitakt is my first proper sampler too, so I’m having a lot of fun building my own kits and sound banks. The OB6 is a stunning piece of kit. An incredibly rich sounding analog poly synth - it’s ridiculous for bass sounds, the modulation capabilities are endless and the filters are just insane!
The creative process comprises of initial sound design sessions on the machines as well as sampling my voice, records and found sounds which I then load into the RYTM or Digitakt. I’ll usually spend a week or so every few months on sound design (especially if I have a live set coming up) so I have a sound palette ready to work with. This usually helps me to get going pretty easily and can keep me inspired too. I’ll usually get a kick drum loaded up on the sequencer just as a backbone beat and then start auditioning sounds til something grabs my ear. After I get the initial hook down, then it’s onto the fun creative stage where I’ll just jam for ages; building the drum pattern, adding more sounds, sculpting them as I go, utilising the outboard effects as sends on the mixer to create build ups etc, and usually things will lock in naturally if I get into a creative flow. After getting the idea together and composing variations in the machines I’ll then multi-track into Ableton and arrange in the box – structure and mix down are always in the box.
I don’t necessarily write tracks for EPs – just whatever I feel like that day. This might be inspired by music, film, a place I’ve visited, a gig or if I’m on a roll with a particular style or genre I might run with that idea for a few days. Recently I made a handful of ambient tracks in a row just because that was my mood at the time.
You have strong affiliations with I Love Acid and Don't Be Afraid. How did you forge relationships with these labels and are there any other collectives you’ve appreciated playing for?
These are the two labels I’ve released on so far. I’ve worked closely with DBA for a few years now and Benji from the label has given me a lot of direction and support which I’m very grateful for. Likewise, Josh from ILA has been very supportive and booked me to play ILA a few times which has always been loads of fun. He also released my ILA debut EP on the 29th of July. It was the fastest selling record on the label of all time which I’m really happy about!
Kerrie - ILA022 [preview Clips] by I Love Acid
I Love Acid 022 - Kerrie Out 5pm / 17:00 UK time, Weds July 29th (Bandcamp) Other shops will follow later in th...
In terms of great parties that I’ve played for there’s too many to mention. But in terms of those giving me constant support I’d have to say the High Hoops guys in MCR have booked me regularly over the past 6 years or so which I’m forever grateful for and its always a great buzz playing for them. Their parties are totally open-minded in terms of music, and the crowd are always a lot of fun!
I feel like I should mention Freerotation too, as it’s been a huge source of inspiration for me since the first year I went there - the standard of music is incredible and it’s such a family vibe. I’ve met so many friends for life through Freero and I was lucky enough to play a live set there in 2019 – it was such a special experience composing the set and then getting to perform it. I’ll always treasure that memory!
It's great to see vinyl still enjoying popularity in the present day. What are a few of your all-time favourite releases on wax?
It’s hard narrowing down to this list, but I can safely say these records have influenced and inspired me! I still play all of them, even though a lot of them are older they’ll always stand the test of time for me.
Plastikman - Sheet One (Favourite track - Plasticine)
Robert hood - Minimal Nation (Favourite track - Rhythm of Vision)
James Ruskin - The Dash (Favourite track - Outline)
Donato Dozzy - Dimensions EP (Favourite track - Gol)
Mono Junk - Suosikki/ Am I Okey (Favourite track - Suosikki)
Acid Jesus - Radiation EP (Favourite track - Radium)
DJ HMC - 6AM / Marouder (Favourite track - 6AM)
Sterac - Asphyx (Favourite track - Asphyx)
James Shinra - Meteor EP (Favourite track - Pinwheel)
Surgeon - Pet 2000 (Favourite track- Badger Bite)
What advice would you have for anyone looking to get signed?
I think any level producer can get signed, depending on where you’re sending music to. You can put out your own music too via the likes of Bandcamp. However, personally I think that becoming a proficient music producer is a better goal to have than to get signed. The releases will come if you put in the work.
It takes time so inevitably you have to be patient and be prepared for a lot of hard work. Lock yourself away in the studio for a few years and get focused. Listen to as much music as possible, not necessarily to influence your style, but more for the production side of things, and learn about structure / mixdown etc…
When you feel like you’re ready to send stuff to labels make sure the music suits the label and the tracks are finished. You might not get replies or what you were hoping for, but it’s all part of the journey. Be prepared to take onboard every bit of feedback you get - I think it’s great that people are releasing themselves these days, but I do think it’s beneficial to work with labels too, or at least have a well experienced mentor. Feedback is invaluable in terms of your development!
I’d also say: manage your expectations. I’ve felt like the last 3-4 years in particular have been a rollercoaster. You can get your hopes up and be let down just as quick, so as long as you enjoy what you do and continue to learn and develop for yourself then the releases will come naturally - as cliché as it sounds, it's all about the journey!
Hailing originally from Ireland, you've now made your home in the UK. What is it about the UK that makes it such a special place for the music you love?
Lots of reasons - the biggest one is probably the community I’m lucky to be part of in Manchester. I have a huge group of friends who are like family and have been there for my musical journey too and who are also really passionate about music themselves. Obviously, Eastern Bloc has been a huge part of my life and exposed me to so much music; it broadened my knowledge and taste. It’s also taught me the importance of local scenes and playing my part in nurturing these through booking and supporting local acts in my events role at Eastern Bloc.
I obviously absolutely love Ireland too though; it’s my birthplace and family home, but I've been gone nearly 14 years now and I’m fully settled in Manchester.
Back last year you joined us for an extended takeover with the likes of Dasha Rush and Anetha. How did you find it when you first played FOLD, and how did you approach your set that night?
I had a wicked time! It was a 2-hour DJ set that was initially meant to be from the start, but the set time was moved just before playing. Luckily I’d brought a generous bag of records, so I adapted and made it work. It was a totally improvised set. I had a lot of fun playing and was really looked after by Lasha and the team.
What was your favourite moment from that set, and how did it go down?
It was definitely an adrenaline rush playing - I don’t remember a lot! The set seemed to go down well though, and I remember the last track. It was Terrence Dixon - Self Portrait (I:Cube Remix) – an absolutely killer track, just perfect to end on.
What's been the best party you've played at outside of the UK?
I’m obviously going to say my debut at Tresor in January this year - it was such a special night! I had a big group of friends there to support me. Parties in Ireland are always a lot of fun too! They have the most enthusiastic crowds - brilliant energy. It’s probably because of the shorter opening hours that everyone is going for it from the off. It’s obviously special playing there for me as it’s my birthplace.
In this current climate, the industry is facing much uncertainty and instability. Have you seen any interesting or notable ways that people have adapted and made the most out of this time?
I think the concept of online clubs and paying to watch a DJ set is a good way to support professionals, although I do think there should be some sort of royalties paid to the artists that produce the music that’s being played too.
Artist wise, I’ve seen KiNK being super proactive with his live streams of live and DJ sets, plus his collaborations with others. He’s a fantastic artist and is always sharing music and his learnings too - very inspirational!
Speedy J has been hosting a YouTube event every Wednesday called Knob Twiddlers which has been awesome - he brings a group of very different, well-known artists in and they chat about production for a couple hours. I’ve been loving this!
Sebastian Mullaert created a platform called ‘In Bloom’ offering paid mentorship and online classes to groups based on the circle of live improvisational ethos, which I think is wicked! He’s super talented so well worth the investment I reckon.
What's some great music that you've discovered whilst on lockdown?
I’ve not listened to a lot of new stuff as I’ve been busy producing, but a few notable things were Sleeparchives’ almost daily upload of new unreleased music, some of which were a lot of incredible ambient pieces. Galaxian, Cultivated Electronics, Minos, Frankie Bromley and Out.lier also stood out for me.
I had Caterina Barbieiri and Barker’s most recent albums on repeat for a while too, that definitely influenced some of the ambient stuff I’ve been making for sure...
What can we expect from you over the coming months?
Production wise I’m making techno, electro, electronic & ambient tracks.
I have a forthcoming track on the DBA 10 year compilation, releases lined up for Earwiggle, Cultivated Electronics and I’m also starting my own record label this year so I’ve been spending some time curating the tracks and planning the design for it which has been really exciting! Its nice to have something to focus on in the midst of all the uncertainty at the moment. l have a couple of live streams and a few radio shows coming up and who knows about gigs, going to be slow on that side of things for everyone but taking a positive approach and using the time as best I can to be productive. Definitely lots of music making ahead and I’ll be composing a new live set, ready to whallop a dance floor as soon as I get the next opportunity!
Finally, can you tell us a bit about your contribution to the FOLD mix series?
After my Freerotation live set last year I was feeling super motivated and inspired so I got straight back in the studio to work on new material… This set for FOLD is a studio take of the newest live set. I didn't manage to get a recording at the gigs I performed it at in Sep/Oct so I recorded immediately after but this captures it pretty well!
Hope you enjoy and thanks for the opportunity FOLD.