Track By Track: Chevel – Blurse
Though his name might be just one letter away from being a moniker that could have you thinking he's only horsing around, Chevel is very serious about his love for music and his passion for his craft is evident on the soon-to-be-released Blurse LP. Before the sounds hit the shelves, Chevel talks us through the album one track at a time in colours, seasons and what inspired him to create them.
First though, here's a little taste of what'll soon be hitting your ears;
Comb
COLOUR: White. (is it a colour?!)
SEASON: Summer.
INSPIRATION: I think this track started as a one minute sketch, like many on this album. I remember I settled the studio in my new flat and was a bit worried about not finding myself comfortable to make music again in a new environment. Luckily I had a rush of ideas, maybe too many at one point, so I divided the mole of what was in my head into little beats and experiments. Later on I went back to the files and made a bigger and longer structure. The inspiration on Comb is playing around with short percussion elements.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to autumn 2014.
The Windrunner
COLOUR: Dark blue fading to azure.
SEASON: Summer / Fall.
INSPIRATION: This track originally was a remix of French Fries – Change The Past but Valentino wanted something different. I really liked the drop though, so I started working on it as it was an original of mine and removed the French Fries vocal part. I kept the noise sample though and pushed it to maximum distortion. The title comes from my Nike jacket that I used everyday when I went jogging.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to autumn 2014.
Down And Out
COLOUR: Red.
SEASON: Spring.
INSPIRATION: Inspiration was definitely listening to a load of SND/Mark Fell stuff. I just wanted to make my own version of it but definitely more personal and funkier.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Low Roof
COLOUR: Pitch black.
SEASON: Fall / Winter.
INSPIRATION: I remember having a vivid imaginary scene in my head when making this, almost like my studio space faded and I found myself in that situation. I just imagined a small, dark, smoky and druggy club somewhere in UK with everyone hypnotised by the bass on this track.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Watery Drumming
COLOUR: Blue / watery colour.
SEASON: Winter.
INSPIRATION: I did this track around the time I got invited to play at FUSE in Bruxelles by the Hessle Audio crew to warm up their showcase. The excitement triggered the inspiration I guess. It started as a modular synth jam but I managed to sample it and manipulate it 'til I got these liquid, bubbly sounds.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Heimweh
COLOUR: Purple/red.
SEASON: Fall.
INSPIRATION: This is the only track I did with a reddish Swedish modular synth I got. I just used it for this track and I regret that I sold it a bit. The detuned melody triggers me many nostalgic memories about family moments and girls. The title is in German because it expresses clearly the feeling: ‘heim’ means home and ‘weh’ means missing, or something like that. It’s also a dedication to my moments in Berlin/Germany.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Flippant Remark
COLOUR: Dark yellow.
SEASON: Fall.
INSPIRATION: The track started as a modular synth jam with my mate and mentor Evn. I owe him for my interest in modular synthesis and he’s defintately a big source of inspiration for me. Then he left my studio and I cut into pieces the whole jam 'til I got the whole structure and groove. Ben UFO played this on Rinse FM as well as Bake from the All Caps crew.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Identity Switch
COLOUR: Green.
SEASON: End of summer.
INSPIRATION: The inspiration is definitely a sad day but I’m not sure I want to talk about this in public.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Loop #42
COLOUR: Blue.
SEASON: Winter, at night.
INSPIRATION: Started as a loooooooong polyphonic synth session, burned it to CD, went out in my car at night around the city and got lost. Then cut a section and looped it.
SETTING: Old studio.
Stranded
COLOUR: Grey and blue.
SEASON: Spring.
INSPIRATION: Inspiration was to push a classic drum machine to the limit of its possibilities in terms of processing and sound ‘destruction’. If anyone recognises it, please send me a tweet.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Loop #33
COLOUR: Foggy grey atmosphere.
SEASON: Fall / Winter.
INSPIRATION: Even if I recorded this on a bright day, I was somehow relating to the foggy days we have in the North East of Italy where I live. Sometimes I can see three or four metres ahead and then nothing, just a wall of fog. It’s a surreal experience and always triggers wild thoughts.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
A Form Of Love
COLOUR: Azure.
SEASON: Spring.
INSPIRATION: My ex girlfriend Beatrice. BPM is 94, like her birth year.
SETTING: My new homestudio/flat, spring to fall 2014.
Blurse is out on 25th September via Stroboscopic Artefacts.
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