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Artist Interviews
Q&A: Phaeleh
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 5 August 2011
Bristol-based producer Phaeleh, otherwise known as classically-trained musician and Urban Scrumping label boss Matt Preston, began putting out EPs and twelve-inches in 2008, pulling critical focus when he released debut album ‘Fallen Light’ last year on Afterglo.
Praised for its dexterous handling of serene, melancholic electronica, the LP saw Phaeleh blend pared-down dubstep rhythms with spacious synthwork and a warm, orchestral ambience, earning him comparisons to fellow Bristolians Massive Attack and Portishead. Phaeleh’s latest EP, ‘The Cold In You’, which features long-time vocal collaborators Soundmouse and I-Mitri, was released this week, again on Afterglo.
According to Phaeleh’s Facebook page, his next show is slated to take place at a TBC venue in Bristol on 25 Aug, with a slot at Croatian boutique festival Outlook booked for early September. We asked him to summarise his thoughts on ‘The Cold In You’, and his musical career at large, via our tried and true Same Six Questions.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
I started out playing guitar in bands, which covered quite a diverse range of styles but I slowly started getting more interested in electronic music and production when I was about eighteen, as I just liked making music without having to rely on other people.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Well, I’m normally just influenced by everyday life and my music generally reflects the headspace I’m in when writing a track, which was no different with the tunes on ‘The Cold In You’. Though I definitely wanted to show a progression in sound from my last album, ‘Fallen Light’, as well.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Each track is different, really. Sometimes I’ll start with the beats, other times it will be a chord progression on a keyboard or guitar. I tend to sketch out the rough tune and then fill in the detail afterwards.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
I seem to be listening to a lot of Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Brian Eno at the moment, and not listening to as much ‘dubstep’, so guess I’d say they were influencing me right now.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
I’d hope they like it, and recommend a late night listen on some nice monitors or headphones.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
The main thing for me is that people enjoy the music, so as long as people are rating the release I’ll be happy, though obviously if it does well commercially it’s always a bonus. In terms of the future, I’d like to start planning out my next album, and just get the ball rolling with that and hopefully see some more of the world through the DJing.
MORE>> soundcloud.com/phaeleh
