- Fri, 2013-03-22 13:47
Two years since uploading his first track to Soundcloud, 19 year old Dublin producer and artist Mmoths has built a steady stream of support for his introspective, poignant electronic compositions.
Following his 2012 self-titled debut EP he now releases the Diaries EP, featuring collaborations with XL Recordings Holly Miranda and RnB newcomer Young & Sick.
We sent across some questions to find out more. Read his answers and listen to his music below.
ILM: Hello. How are you today? Where are you right now?
Mmoths: I’m good thanks. I’m in my sitting room at home watching some rubbish TV.
ILM: It's just over two years since you uploaded Heart to soundcloud, how have things changed for you?
Mmoths: I guess I’m taking things a lot more seriously now than I was back then. It’s not just me working on this project now either, I’ve some great people working with me in terms of the live band, management etc etc. I’m in a good place.
ILM: Has the increased response to your music changed the way you make it / perceive it? Does it change things now you know more people are listening?
Mmoths: I spend a lot more time listening back to demos and tracks before they’re released or before we decide to do something with them. I guess I’ve come to realise when something it put out there you cant take it back in a few months time and make some changes. That goes for anything we do with this project. I’m definitely a lot more focused.
ILM: Where do you make your music? Can you describe the environment for us?
Mmoths: I write best when traveling. The new EP diaries was written while I was on tour last year. I usually write demos on my laptop wherever and then head to the studio and flesh them out with live instruments and stuff.
ILM: What's your preferred set-up? Software / hardware? Any new bits of equipment?
Mmoths: Ableton Ableton Ableton. That’s the basis for everything I do.
ILM: The music you make is beautifully textured. Can you describe the process of creating any one track in particular? How long did it take? How were the sounds formed?
Mmoths: Samples are mainly what I use. I usually take a small clip of something, mess with that and create a texture and then build around that. That’s how the majority or the tracks were made.
ILM: To me, your music evokes a wide-eyed wonderment, it's very contemplative, at times it seems to ache with melancholy. How does it make you feel?
Mmoths: I rarely listen to my own music unless it’s when I’m writing it or listening back to something after getting it mastered. Diaires is probably the only thing I can listen to. I think that’s because I wrote it while traveling and certain parts in certain tracks remind me of where I was when I was writing it.
ILM: Is there a dark side to what you create?
Mmoths: Diaries is pretty dark. I was traveling a lot by myself while I was writing it and that was a lonely time for me. I don’t really know what others take from it though, that’s just me.
ILM: Does the Diaries EP reflect its namesake? To what extent is it autobiographical?
Mmoths: As I said before I wrote it while touring last year. I guess it kind of contains what I was feeling at that time.
ILM: Why did you choose that image for the cover?
Mmoths: It’s s photo I took of the hotel room I was staying in in Los Angeles.
ILM: What can fans expect from your forthcoming live shows?
Mmoths: Whenever I have time off it’s usually spent developing the live show so it’s constantly changing. We now have a guitarist and a drummer in the live show so it’s definitely more ‘live’ than before.
ILM: In a dream scenario, what would be the ideal way / setting for audiences to experience your music live?
Mmoths: I’ve always wanted to play in a church. I don’t really know why. I guess the acoustics would suit the sound pretty well. I love stained glass too and would love to somehow work visuals into that. That’s definitely something we’re going to be doing in the next few months, I’ve been thinking about it for a while.
ILM: What can you tell us about a debut album? Is there one on the way? What can we expect?
Mmoths: Hahah I really have nothing to say about this. I don’t even know what’s going to happen next. We shall see.
