Following on from standout releases on the likes of Sasha’s Last Night On Earth imprint and Guy Gerber’s Supplement Facts, Canadian producer Gab Rhome makes his debut on Above & Beyond’s renowned Anjunadeep. We caught up with him this week to find all out the new “Drifting EP”, past highlights and all that is to come!
“Drifting EP” has just been released on Anjunadeep. What can you tell us about the creative process behind the three tracks?
The EP was all about having a natural/human feeling while hiding a subtle complexity in the back. Most elements were recorded through my microphones to get a unified sound and organic textures. I played most percussions, synths, and vocals live to keep the looseness of the human touch in the equation. All my synths are hardware gears and no midi was used, to make sure it stays alive and not overly computerized.
– With releases on Sasha’s Last Night On Earth & Guy Gerber’s Supplement Facts, it’s nothing new to sign to a global imprint but do you still get excited about where you sign your tracks? How did contact with Anjunadeep come about?
I’ve had my eyes on Anjunadeep for a while, and it seems like they had their eyes on me for a while too haha. A close friend of mine, and wine expert, one day made the connection without really knowing that it was already in my plans to get in touch.
– Your style is part of a new wave of deep house. How long did it take to find your musical identity? Is that something you feel you’re still developing?
I’ve never really thought about style to be honest. I’ve been playing and making music since age 6 and I’ve had intense music theory classes. I think this is why I have this melodic approach to making music. I am always evolving to new sounds as I learn more and more though. Music is a never-ending learning curve. If I was to stop learning in the studio, I would simply move on and do something else.
– In some of your Facebook pictures I noticed some analogue gear. Is analogue a central part of production for you?
My whole setup is analog, from synths to effects to processing boards. Soft synths are good for what they are (crisp, clear and cold sounds), but they don’t do the job for me. I need that extra warmth and beauty in a sound. I think it’s also one of the only way now to stand-out: the vsts are easy to access (for free) and everybody ends up sounding the same because of it.
– What/who were your original sources of inspiration when you first took to production?
Ulrich Schnauss, James Holden, Four Tet, Burial
– Are the same influences still impacting your work today?
The list got obviously longer. I get really inspired by movie-scores now too. My long-term plan is to one day make music for movies in a classy and gigantic studio/man-cave with a glass of Glenmorangie 18 YO scotch.
– The summer season is fast approaching, have you got any forthcoming plans or projects we should look out for?
Going back to South America for a tour in the next weeks, lots of shows in the US and Mexico in the first half of the summer, two really good remixes, and new material with Anjunadeep. I’m also moving to New-York, which I’m really looking forward to because it’s a really inspiring city.
More info:
https://soundcloud.com/real-gabriel-rhome
https://www.facebook.com/Gab.Rhome
https://twitter.com/gabrhome
https://soundcloud.com/anjunadeep
https://www.facebook.com/anjunadeep
https://twitter.com/Anjunadeep