This edition of our MIXED BY/ series is brought to you by not one but two Bolting Bits regulars, New York’s Baltra (soundcloud) and London’s Fede Lng (soundcloud). Both artists have had a breakout couple of years finding their places, either by design or by serendipity, as frontrunners in the lo-fi movement. Below, you’ll find some extra info on each artist and an interview with Axe on Wax bossman, Fede Lng.

Fede Lng has carved out a coveted spot as both curator and creator in the dusty depths of London’s music scene. Since their inception in 2014, Axe on Wax and its sub-labels have gone on to see releases from a who’s who list of recent stars including Mall Grab, Chaos in The CBD, Trudge, Deejay Astral, and Jesse Bru. With a penchant for rough and raw tracks chock-full of equal parts grit, dust, and feeling, Lng has found himself in the middle of a musical movement that shows no signs of slowing down and continues to defy expectations.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/mixed-by-baltra-b2b-fede-lng”/]

Across the Atlantic, New York’s Baltra has been not so quietly making a name for himself with great self-releases and stand out EPs on labels such as Lost Palms and Of Paradise, the Philidelphia-born artist’s music has served as a gateway drug for many of lo-fi’s biggest proponents. And while his aesthetic blends seamlessly into what we’ve come to expect from the scene, the emotions contained within the music easily transcend the genre or any doubts about its staying power.

INTERVIEW

Hey guys, thanks for the mix! Were there any specific feelings behind the selections?
Nothing planned about the mix, just played what i’m feeling atm + unreleased Axe On Wax

How would you describe your approach to DJing? Do you have any idols, past or present, that you look up to?
Yes i do have idols, they constantly change tho, like every couple years or so…. atm i’m into Funkineven, Fabio Monesi, Slyngshot and Shanti Celeste.

What came first for you, by the way, DJing or making music? What was it like getting started?
Started DJing a lil bit before i started using Ableton to be honest, that was around end of 2012. I remember downloading Ableton and being like WTF is this nerdy thing, looks scary… and now i’m all over it !

What are some of the tools and techniques you use to achieve the aesthetic you’re looking for in your music? Is there anything unusual about your workflow you want to share?
Well to achieve a warmer sound i use stuff like Reel2Reel Tape and Culture Vulture, or if i’m ‘in the box’ i like to use the Decapitator, not on everything but on most things for sure!

Is there such a thing as too much saturation?
Yes there is, i.m.o it’s ok when the track is analog & you really distort the shit out of it, like my track ‘XX’ or like ‘X’ by Delory Edwards and Funkineven, but when the track sounds digital and you use too much saturation it sounds really shitty!

It feels like more producers than ever are looking back in time when it comes to their music and where they look for inspiration, how do you feel your music fits into the musical timeline? Are we in a nostalgia bubble?
I feel like my music could sound like it was made in the 90s to a non experct ear, but most ppl ‘in the game’ can tell it’s not from back then, some US producers still sound like their stuff is from the 90s but i feel like now we moving into different vibes… more breaks, more acid, more clean basslines. I’m not into a nostalgic bubble, i feel like there is still music that is coming out now. Obvs there s a lot more producers now, so like 70/80% of the stuff that comes out everyweek is shit, but still if you dig deep u can find good stuff!

You’re obviously both big fans of vinyl, but how does streaming fit into your life both personally and as an artist/label owner?
I’m not too much into streaming servies yet, for now i stick to Soundcloud and Youtube to find/listen stuff.

A lot of people’s New Year’s resolutions may have fallen by the wayside but do you have any personal goals for 2018? Anything you’d like to achieve either musically or personally before the year’s end?
Well yeah there’s loads of places i’d like to go and play for the rest of 2018 at obvs but don’t want to push things too fast atm. I’m already happy to have secured a lil Japan Tour for April.

What feeds your inspiration outside the studio and away from the decks?
Taking pictures really inspires me. As wel as seeing documentaries on TV about musicians, places in the world or just simply design, artsy things, even clothes inspire me sometimes

Tell us about the most important record in your collection.
It’s hard to pin point a specific record to be honest. But probably my fabourite is Jazzmatazz Vol1 by Guru, that’s one of the best mixes of Hip-Hop culture with Jazz !

Anything forthcoming you can let us know about?
A great Ep on Axe On Wax by a new artist called Verner, prob my fa Ep on the labels so far! + one on Axe Traxx by Physical Therapy aka Kirk The Flirt + one ep from me w 2 really amazing remixes which i’m gonna keep secret for now.

Interview by Adam. J.W
Photo Credit by Guido Biamonti

Cet article MIXED BY/ Baltra B2B Fede Lng est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.