Kenny Hanlon chats for Bodytonic with Andy Stott about production, British techno, Dubstep and how he's only now discovering the whole early house-techno sound.

Andy plays a live show at POGO in the Pod this Saturday too.

KH: It's been a pretty good couple of years for you since you started putting out records. How long had you been making music before the hook up with Modern Love?

AS: I'd been making music since I was about 14-15, but always had an interest since I was about 9, just used to play around on little keyboards gradually getting better ones. I still use my roland d10 now, I got that when I was about 15 I think. I'd say it pretty much started there. Just making stuff up and copying the odd tune off the radio, gradually gaining bits of kit and software I could then start taking it a touch more serious, especially when Modern Love wanted to release my stuff.

KH: In the relatively short time you've been releasing music, your sound hasn't been too staid. Where do you see it going next?

AS: I've just wiped the slate clean now and basically starting again, going about tracks in a totally different way by trying to spanner them out more and really trying to get some different noises out of my kit. With what I'm doing I'd say my sound is getting a bit tougher in comparison to my previous releases, excluding demon in the attic and ceramics of course.

KH: What music of late has being influencing you?

AS: I'm always being introduced to new music, new and old. basic channel have been a massive influence as you can probably tell, but lately I have been listening to S n D, Gas, Raymond Scott, Delia Derbyshire, Bruce Langhorne, Tim Hecker and Clipse. It's tough at the minute, being shown all these new artists and still trying to write something new, trying to remain uninfluenced.

KH: Modern Love as a label is making some pretty big waves at the moment. Outside of the label how do you think the rest of the British techno scene is doing? Or does it hold any interest to you?

AS: I don't really see techno broken down into where it comes from, so in regards to the British Techno scene, I have no idea how it's going.

KH: You've so far worked on your own, is there anyone currently producing that you would be interested in collaborating with?

AS: I'd like to do some tracks with some of the lads off the label actually, I think it's because I'm good mates with a few of the artists, it would be fun to work with Claro and the Pendle lads, I think because we'd have a scream in the studio but I reckon the out come would be interesting.

KH: Your upcoming gig @ Pogo will be your Irish debut. You haven't been doing the live show too long. How is it working out for you so far?

AS: Yeah can't wait to play at POGO, the live show's I've been doing are getting better from my perspective, learning what tracks and sounds work better live, it's influencing my writing and production in a way. So yeah I'm really enjoying it.

KH: Was playing something you always envisaged doing or has it come more out of demand?

AS: Playing become more of an outcome, I never imagined having a 12 out, then when that happened I was kinda expecting not much more, especially playing out to crowds. 1st gig I was shitting myself but now it's a really good buzz, trying things out for the first time and testing tracks.

KH: Your music has taken on a deep dubby sound in the last few releases. There has also been a real resurgence in that sound of late taking its cues from the likes of Basic Channel. How or why do you think this has come about?

AS: Like I said earlier, basic channel have been a huge influence. When I first got introduced to them I was blown away and wanted to know how they got that sound. I just messed around with what I had to see if I could get anywhere near. I think I made some nice patches in doing this, so before I tweaked them to much and lost the desired effect, I put them to use.

KH: You've also delved a little bit into Dubstep. Do you think there is some real lastability in this new scene? There are always people waiting in the wings ready to knock down something new and fresh, as if it's a threat to them…and this seems no different?

AS: Dubstep is huge at the minute and there are some wicked producers making a big imprint in the scene. but when I’ve heard it being played out sometimes it's like the same track has just been played but with a slightly different arrangement, the first time I heard it though I was blown away, so I turned my hand to it and wrote something on those lines trying to get my sound over but in that formula. Again I suppose it's like the basic channel thing.

KH: I read recently in an interview where you admitted that aren't too up on some of the classic/older techno. Some producers at the moment feel that a problem these days is people's lack of knowledge on the history of techno music, be it newer producers or the listeners/audience. What's your opinion on this?

AS: I'm going backwards listening to techno. I'm finding most of the older stuff is amazing listening wise and production wise. Also noticing how much music is sampled from these tracks from back in the day. I think it's important to go back and check out the early stuff. I think producers were really pushing things forward back then, as early as the 50's like the Radiophonic workshop stuff, just unreal, then the likes of Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode, and then through the Detroit and Chicago scene. Like I said though I'm still going back into it and still don't know all the classic producers, but when your hear a track like Acid Trax and then you find out when it was done, it's just jaw dropping in my opinion, and I seem to be finding that with a lot of early techno/house.

Andy plays live @ POGO this Saturday alongside Barry Redsetta, Alloy Mental & JB the Deejay.