Track By Track - Greymatter - Visions.

Music

So after our adventure into the world of 'Single Trax', Track By Track returns this week with a look at Greymatter's upcoming album 'Visions' (released on May 12th). One of WOLF's three original 'resident producers', Greymatter has a unique take on house music which incorporates the likes of 'world' music (music from all corners of the globe is a better expression), jazz and jungle – along with a healthy disdain of overproduced sounds.

Ahead of the release he took the time to talk us through 'Visions' in the good old-fashioned Track By Track way;

Get Up For The Beat Down

Colour: Dark Blue

Season: End of Winter / beginning Spring

Setting / Inspiration: This is an old track, probably going back 4 years, but one that never fitted properly until this record. Hard flipped samples and deliberately rough loops. Sounds amazing on a system at the beginning of the night, in amongst some other beatdown and boogie. Dark with a shade of light poking out in places. A suitable way to start an album I think.

Night Soldier ft. Sophie Brown

Colour: Purple

Season: End of summer

Setting / Inspiration: I've awlays wanted to write a track like this; a sleazy 80's groove track in the vein of dubbed out Gwen Guthrie, heavy on the sample edits. Sophie's vocal is always such a pleasure to work into, so many hooks and so much vibe, more often than not from single takes and no real writing (lady has serious skills). I wrote this in the kitchen of my last house (a common theme on this LP – thanks to Evil Tom for the vibes!). Compliments the abstract nature of G.U.F.T.B.D and lifts the mood of the record. Mid afternoon festival business I hope.

Give Up (Never Gonna) ft. Sophie Brown

Colour: Green

Season: Spring

Setting / Inspiration: Another kitchen jam from summer 2013 using vocals from Sophie. From start to a rolling, semi-arranged idea it took about 15 minutes, which is always a good sign for me. It's a driven, dancefloor house track with quite hard pitched vocals, so some people love it and some people don't.

Shape Your Mind

Colour: Dark red

Season: Autumn

Setting / Inspiration: An amalgamation of two broken/2step, sample based tracks from the end of last year. Written in the loft at my girlfriends parents house in the Kent countryside, during a mini writing break I had there. A lot of the ideas for this album came from that session. I have no idea why this came out while I was in that environment though, seems a bit odd…

Cream ft. KRL

Colour: Dark green

Season: End of summer

Setting / Inspiration: This was the last track I wrote for the album, during the final week before deadline. It's the first track to be released that was solely written in my new studio setup. Uses parts that KRL and myself had left over from writing WOLFEP020. I love working with KRL; we are brothers and have spent a LOT of time on music together over the years, hence we have a similar feel, for drums in particular. Also it means you can say what you like to each other without pissing anyone off which is extremely useful and very rare in collaborations.

Straight Billn' ft. KRL

Colour: Olive green (ish….)

Season: End of Autumn

Setting / Inspiration: This took ages to click into place but when it did it was an instant yes from both of us. It was the lead track on WOLFEP020. Straight dancefloor jam that works particularly well in UK clubs; dutty and soulful. With a bro-drop.

Visions ft. Sophie Brown

Colour: Dark green

Season: End of Autumn

Setting / Inspiration: This also came out of the mini writing session that I had in Kent, start to finish. Particularly like the triplets on the morse code esque synth. Definitely influenced by tracks like Critical Point & Vikter Duplaix 'Messages' and Duplaix's 'Manhood', with slightly rougher production. I left the room mic open in the mix on this which adds a real live feel to the vocal, which is for the most part one-take here. Another testament to Sophie. Written to be heard at CO-OP, early on a Sunday evening.

Intermission

Colour: Various

Season: –

Setting / Inspiration: This is a one take, live Kaoss pad sample mash up jam. Push record and run it. I have loads of these sitting about on my computer, but this one fitted best. Sci fi movie vibes.

TIEF

Colour: Green

Season: Autumn

Setting / Inspiration: One of my favourite tracks to date. More accomplished and driving than most of the others on the record. One for early mornings on mainland European dancefloors. Sketched out but pumping when it needs to be. Also interesting to work in and out as a DJ tool sometimes.

17 Hours ft. Schoolbell

Colour: Green

Season: Spring

Setting / Inspiration: This was a beat I had sitting on my computer, so during my last day in Sao Paulo last time I was there, Eduardo and myself sat down and jammed out some samples and parts on his Moog to get a vibe going. I took it away and finished.

This track sounds like Sao Paulo in my opinion. It's got the same texture and glamour but also the dirt and slightly shady edge. The busy synth lines sit surprisingly well together.

Fear (One for Pepe)

Colour: Dark Orange

Season: Autumn

Setting / Inspiration: Pepe Braddock is an extremely strong influence on my music. I just wish I could make records like him. That is all.

Overload 101

Colour: Dark Blue

Season: End of Winter / beginning Spring

Setting / Inspiration: This came out of the same period of writing as G.U.F.T.B.D and I feel the same way about it. I was definitely feeling the slo-mo, chuggier stuff at that point. I had just left London and was relatively new to Ableton. Glad these bits found a home though, they didnt quite fit before now.