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AL USHER INTERVIEW
Hey Al, please tell where you are from and what were your early musical influences?
I'm British. I was born in Luxembourg and grew up in Edinburgh, St Albans and Exeter in the
UK. My mum and dad listened to and played classical music, my mum was a classroom music
teacher, but they didn't seem to mind that me and my brother developed an interest in music
with drums at quite an early age. I played the viola until my early-twenties. I liked chamber
music. I still do.
Where are you living at the moment and does it have an impact on your music?
I live in London. I suppose the hallmark of London is the scale and variety of different things -
and people - going on. That has to be invigorating, musically or otherwise. But, yes of course,
it's painfully expensive, and impatient, and all those other things people say. Despite that,
there's lots of good and generous people here, honest.
It was, I think, 4 long years between your first incredible "Slipshod ep" and "Gnanfou" this
year. Hope we don't have to wait so long for the next one! Luckily you keep us happy with
plenty of remixes, is there anything in the pipeline for 2008?
Four long years. I did have a small catastrophe when my beloved G4 got burgled a couple of
years ago, taking with it about a year's work, not backed-up. The main reason for my lack of
productivity, though, is that I'm a part-timer. I do a Proper Job four days a week.
'Lullaby For Robert' is set to come out again on Prins Thomas' Internasjonal label in 2008. And
there'll likely be a few more remixes. I hope there'll be at least one re-edit coming out next year.
Maybe.
"Lullaby for Robert" off the "Slipshod ep" is a big favourite. It's very different from the other
two cut-up disco style tracks on the ep, which are great as well, but how did "Lullaby" come
about as it seems to succeed much of the nu-disco / slo-mo etheral style tracks coming out
at the moment?
The Robert in question is my eldest nephew. It was a big moment for me and for my family
when he was born, and so I wanted to do something for him (and keep him on the musical
straight and narrow). Avuncular boogie. At that time - 2001, I suppose - the Risco Connection
version of 'Ain't No Stoppin Us Now' was reissued and I listened to that non-stop - I liked that
idea of dub disco having a bit more of the dub, the reggae in it; I was also listening to the first
time to new music from Eastern Europe, courtesy of Charlie Gillett's radio show (also the place
I heard Camille for the first time). Suppose 'Lullaby' falls on a wiggledy line somewhere
between those two.
What is it about slower speed dance music that appeals to you?
Ha! I do like up-tempo music too. The first dance music which turned my head was slow/mid-
tempo - hip hop, and the accompanying obligatory obsession with soul and funk and jazz. The
idea became fairly engrained in my mind that slower music was actually better to dance to:
something about the groove. A couple of French house tracks in particular, 'Tout Est Bleu' by
Ame Strong and Etienne de Crecy's mix of 'Modulor' by Air, really swayed me toward the slow
4/4 cause, if such a thing exists. Having drunk deeply from the cup of disco, house and techno
since, I'm not sure I'd fully endorse that view now - fast music is exciting - but as a dancer I think
I still prefer to cut a rug to mid-tempo.
How long have you been producing and what's your favourite piece of kit?
I started in 1999. That said, the first proper tracks I did were released in 2003 as the Slipshod
EP. Slow learner: I'd never really used a computer before. Accordingly, I'm not big on tech, and
I've never really invested in outboard - except the portable hard drive ;) So I'd have to say my
favourite bit of kit is the records I own, and Ewan's ears - they've done me many favours.
You and Ewan Pearson have released some cool tracks like "Cruising" as Partial Arts. How
did you guys meet, what makes it work and are there any more releases together lined up?
We were introduced about seven years ago by a mutual friend: Ewan suggested, to my
bemusement, that the best way for him to impart some tricks of the trade was for us to make a
record together. I turned up at his flat armed with a stack of oddball records, and we proceeded
to patch little bits of some of them - quite a few of them, really - together. The result, six months
later, was 'Canopy', the first Partial Arts track. We've carried on doing things together, more or
less regularly, ever since.
What makes it work? Well, it helps that he's quite a handy producer.. I think we're both open to
negotiation. He and I have quite different musical reference points - we were dancing in
different rooms in 1991 - but there's obviously quite a lot of musical fondnesses that we share.
It's easy working with him; I don't think we're done yet. There's a new single on Kompakt out in
January 2008, called 'Telescope'. Matt Edward's remix is quite something.
What 5 records influenced you most?
I suppose the honest answer is the straight pantheon of the greats - Miles Davis, James
Brown, Stevie Wonder. But here's five brill records that have definitely schooled me and the
music I make.
1. Neil Ardley - Harmony of the Spheres LP
2. Shot - Main Thing
3. Tabu Ley Rochereau - Maze
4. Tom Ze - Defect2:Curiosiadade [John McEntire Remix]
5. 69 - Desire
What contempory producers / musicians / bands are doing it for you?
Lots. New York seems to be quite a productive place right now, no? The prospect of a fresh
Kelly Polar LP is pretty tantalising. On this side of the Atlantic, you should definitely check out the
next release on Misericord (totally impartial suggestion): Geoffroy aka Mugwump comes correct
with high tension orchestration, including the timpani section. The Brontosaurus label seem to
be on to something good, and it will be interesting to see what TIm Paris comes up with next - I
think his two Marketing releases have been remarkable, and he's not afraid to get that bit further
towards out-there.
Apparently Tiken Jah Fakoly - Ivoirian reggae man - has a new album: looking forward to
checking that, as his last - including the mighty 'Rien ne m'etonne' - was a Sly and Robbie-
produced thumper. In terms of DJs, Mark Seven for President.
How can people contact you for bookings?
myspace
Tracklisting:
Snowball – Life In Space (Edit)
Ensemble Orlan – Bashkir Village’s Blues
Gatto Fritto – Invisible College
Anthony Moore – ABCD Gol’Fish
Daddy Cool – Take “One”
A M Tala – Get Up Tchamassi
JT – I Love Music
Lauer – Hotello
Mike Mareen – Dancing In The Dark (Galactica Mix)
Monsoon – Ever So Lonely (Dub)
Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts – Les Gans (Philip Sherburne Remix)
Keynotes – Enter-State (Mering Techno Mix)
Graffitti – Peaks And Valleys
