As a typhoon battered the volcanic island of Jeju, South Korea, locals gathered for typhoon parties – impromptu gatherings where people shared resources and waited out the storm together. Albert, Barry, and Dibby first met at one of these gatherings, bonding over a love of vintage synths, blues guitar, and psychedelic electronic music. Island Hill was formed that night, built on diverse influences and a deep passion for sound exploration. Their debut album, Strangers In Paradise, released on John Digweed’s iconic Bedrock label, marked a defining moment for the trio.

Fast forward a few years later where they’ve returned to Bedrock with a brand new collab EP with Komilev and have a slew of offerings coming up in the summer months: teaming up with Phonique on Sanctuary, joining Budakid’s Flores’ family, and sliding onto AFFKT’s Sincopat.

We had to catch up with them to discuss all things ‘The Voyage’ and what’s to come!

It’s great to speak with you folks again. These days, we are spread across the globe about as far as possible for three guys trying to make a record. Dibby is way out East in Singapore, Barry is in Saudi Arabia, and Al is in Costa Rica. These distances reflect our day jobs as international teachers, which is what brought us together in South Korea back in 2019. 

WWD: Congratulations on returning to Bedrock (after 2023’s debut album ‘Strangers In Paradise’) with the excellent new EP, ‘The Voyage!’ Please tell us a bit about the EP and also how the collaboration with Ukrainian Producer Komilev came about?

We are so privileged and thrilled to be welcomed back to Bedrock. Our group chat was buzzing when the big man, John Digweed, wrote to tell us he wanted our new music back on his label. 

After our first album, we made it a goal to dip our toes into different genres and explore working with others more. We brought in new and talented collaborators as we wrote and recorded new music, aiming to make our “sophomore” stage bigger and more dynamic than ever. When we contacted Komilev and heard some of his ideas for remixes and collaboration, it was a no-brainer. His style of production brings a dark, powerful energy to our tracks that is instantly exciting. 

WWD: We loved your debut album ‘Strangers in Paradise.’ When do you hope to follow this up with your next album?

Since releasing ‘Strangers in Paradise,’ we’ve been tirelessly creating new music, so much that we could have filled multiple albums by now. But instead of rushing into another full-length project, we’ve taken a more deliberate approach, choosing to release singles and EPs with different collaborators across various labels. Our energy hasn’t slowed down, and with this year’s focus on EPs and singles, another album will likely be our next big step.

WWD: What other releases do you have planned for the next few months?

We have an exciting few months ahead with a packed release schedule for Island Hill. Kicking things off on May 9th, ‘Dreams Become Reality,’ our collaboration with Phonique, featuring an Alexey Union remix, drops on Samer Sultan’s label, Sanctuary Music. After that, we have a string of releases on nice labels like MultiNotes, Flores, and Sincopat, featuring both original tracks and collaborations with friends Of Norway, AFFKT, Panthera Krause, and Rigopolar, all accompanied by some incredible remixes. Plus, we have a few surprises in the works that we can’t reveal just yet, stay tuned!

WWD: As the three of you are based in different parts of the world, how do you usually work together on music? Do you find it easier or more challenging working separately?

Working remotely is a huge challenge, especially since we all teach full time and have new families. Our first album was largely written and recorded together in the same room while we all lived on Jeju Island, South Korea. The workflow was a lot more organic and spontaneous when we were all together, vastly different from working remotely. However, time and distance have also allowed us to not rush into things, which has helped us refine our music in ways that we might have never accomplished traditionally. Each track has had a unique process as we’ve worked through concepts and drafts and versions. It’s been a huge learning experience for all of us.

WWD: Which other artists would you love to work with?

There are so many people we love, some we daydream of working with are Gus Gus, Sasha, Whomadewho, Ame, DJ Koze, Eagles and Butterflies, Dave DK and Rufus Du Sol…

WWD: When you’re not in the studio, how do you like to relax?

Oh, you know, the usual ways, raising young children, earning master’s degrees, and staying crazy busy. Two of us have kids, so most of our time is spent with our families, while the one without kids seems to spend a lot of time cycling in the mountains. But when we do manage some downtime, we love to do what brought us together in the first place, travel the world and explore new people and places. It’s a lifestyle that’s hard to stop once you’ve started!

WWD: We can imagine! Thanks for the chat, guys! 🙂

‘The Voyage’ EP is available here