Young Male Talks

Music

Seemingly appearing out of nowhere in 2012 alongside the emergence of White Material, the label he co-runs with DJ Richard, Young Male (aka New York City resident Quinn Taylor) has become something of a household name in recent months. Despite having only 2 releases under his belt, his productions have an air of accomplishment contradicting both his moniker & relative inexperience. We caught up with him ahead of his live appearance at the Work Them Records showcase at Dance Tunnel and talked influences and dancing.

Are you surprised at the rapid success of White Material?

Yes

How do you feel about the hype?

I'm not sure. It's a funny situation to be in. The hype is out of my hands really. I just wan't to put out my friends music and my own music and live my life. If people are psyched to listen to this stuff or play it in the club then cool.

What is it about the sound of the 909 that still endures after all these years?

It sounds futuristic and old at the same time. That combination of old and new is always potent. It's sound isn't perfect, but it is very expressive without sounding overly produced.

You have a design degree… Where do the process of making music and the design process overlap?

There isn't much overlap. Making music is such a different experience for me than working on visual art or design.

How did you first get turned on to house and techno? What was the first electronic record you ever heard? How did it make you feel?

I discovered house and techno : I first started listening to house and techno alone in my room, late at night on itunes radio. The first electronic track that I remember hearing was Autobahn by Kraftwerk. My mom had it on cassette. I remember sitting in the back seat of her car looking out the window listening to that song. It made me feel happy.