Label: Cool Kid Music / Dandelion Lotus
Genre: danglo’s favourite description
Based: London
Sounds Like: Flume, Jamie xx, SBTRKT
Links: Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr
Bondax first put us onto danglo after they posted Don’t You on their Facebook. It’s got the hints of House influences that run through all of danglo’s productions with the sensibilities of a fully-formed pop song. Then we found out that danglo will be playing at Twenty Something London’s Know More Festival this Sunday, so we had to get him in the mix for us. Have a play of our favourite danglo tracks below and head to the bottom of the page for the tracklist.
First a bit of basic information about danglo. You feature a lot of vocalists in your tracks – is it just a one-man effort at the core? And what’s behind the name?
I have featured quite a few vocalists, yeah, and up until recently it has been a one man effort. But lately me and Ivan have been sitting down and writing lyrics together, so its starting to have a band kinda feel now, which is great.
A while back I called myself Anglo Jackson as I’m English and called Jackson and I’m blonde. But there was an American band already called that so I went through the alphabet drunk one night and got to ‘D’. I became “Danglo Jackson”. I also ran a night in Brighton for a three years and often had my friend “Action Jackson” playing at the night. People kept getting our DJ names mixed up so I dropped the Jackson and became “Danglo”. Oh and I do kinda prefer it with a lower-case D. So, well spotted, I do kinda prefer “danglo”.
How would you describe your music?
I really don’t know. People use words like Post-Dubstep/Future Garage/Footwork/UK Funky/Emosh R&B? What? I just don’t know, I like to sit down with no brief in my head. If I sit down and decide to make a certain genre, it doesn’t feel right at all. It’s Electronic Music…. But isn’t all music now electronic? Even guitar bands are quantizing their audio and using subtle amounts of Autotune. How would you describe my music?
Do you have a process when you’re making music?
It varies. I’ll most of the time start with the drums, but sometimes if I’ve got a synth thing that seems to swell with some kind of rhythm I’ll let that dictate the tempo/feel for the whole track. So it can start with that too. The other day I started strumming a Bass guitar a bit like it was a normal guitar and Ivan sang over that. I also am revisiting music I wrote on the Piano when I was 16. I wrote the chords and descending bassline/melody for Liar Liar when I was 16 or so. I’ve gotta keep up with Bondax, Karma Kid and Disclosure somehow!
I’ve just realised your track Call To Reason has been on my iPod for ages without realising it was you (bad labelling!) It’s always nice when you realise you’ve known about an artist longer than you think and it got me listening to your back catalogue, and I’m noticing quite a variety. Can you talk us through how your music has changed from Adapt EP, to Introverse EP, and now with Don’t You?
I want to keep things as fresh as possible I suppose. Did I Love & Smitten have similar garage vibes, but I don’t reckon I’ll make tunes that have that vibe for a little while. With Eagle Eye, I don’t reckon I’m going to sample any more operatic voices in that way any time soon, that would be repeating myself. It keeps me interested. Don’t You is a step towards full lyrical content. Me and Ivan hung out together more and played more Live shows, it has started to make sense to write songs.
Your last EP Introverse came out on Toyboy & Robin’s Cool Kid Music label, who have been making big waves recently. How did you get involved with them?
They emailed me after hearing Introverse on Soundcloud. Toyboy and Rob are great, lively, smiley guys and their tunes are blinding! Its a real privilege to be involved with Cool Kid as all the artists on the label are so great. It feels like there’s a family forming too. When I play out a track by a Cool Kid artist it kinda feels like flying a flag or something… it Feels So Good, you know?
Favourite three tracks of the last year?
The three that spring straight to my mind are TCTS Feels So Good, Toyboy & Robin In Need, aaaaaand Justin Martin Don’t Go. I wanted to put the TCTS and Toyboy & Robin tunes in my mix, but TCTS already did it for you guys the other week, he mixed them both together, like I was going to do!
Three artists we should keep an eye on in 2013?
Well, again Toyboy & Robin, TCTS and my buddy Ides who has a 12 inch coming out on my other label Dandelion Lotus really soon. I put his track (not on his upcoming EP) Horning of the Cults in the mix. Ides says he doesn’t think the track is finished, but I love it, so had to put it in! Again, when I play a track from the same label as me, it feels so good, you know? But seeing as you already know TCTS and Toyboy & Robin…TJPN and Johnbear are making some seriously great music.
Talk us through the mix you made for us. It almost feels like you’re taking us on a musical journey through your influences. Is this the case or are these just tracks you’re feeling at the moment?
Every bit of music I hear influences me, even songs like Call Me Maybe influence me, the string part is tight! So all these tracks of course influence me. Bondax are awesomely talented, Diplo has somehow managed to bridge a gap between mainstream and underground music, which I really respect, the same with Jamie XX. Burial and Four Tet are just geniuses. I can’t wait to hear Ides’ debut EP so I had to play something from there. Justin Martin couldn’t make a shit tune if he tried. Thank you for saying it feels like a musical journey, that’s the biggest compliment you can give a DJ I reckon. Thats what I try and aim for every time. In this mix I did a lot less mixing “in key” compared to normal, as it was largely tunes I haven’t played out before and I was kinda improvising.
You’re playing at Twenty Something London’s Know More Indoor Festival this week. How did you get involved with them?
The extremely talented Tom Hatton, who does my artwork is friends with the guys that run it. Tom showed them my soundcloud account.
You’ll be playing a live and DJ set at Know More. How do you approach the different setups and what should people expect from both?
The Live show is really different to DJing. I play Drums/Keys/MPC Pads and concentrate on a click track in my ear whilst Ivan serenades everyone with his smooth soulful singing. Also, it’s more of a gig vibe, where there’s gaps between songs and hopefully some clapping, and we’re not always playing house and garage bangers. The DJing is a constant stream of music to boogie to, and a chance for me to knock back a few beers. I’ll read the crowd and see what they’re feeling, but I’ll largely stick to some classic breakcore and gabba I reckon.
What’s in store for danglo in the future? Any more live dates and releases we should know about?
I’m sorting out the release for Don’t You at the moment. No release date as of yet I’m afraid. I’m DJing with Jackmaster and Leofah and Waze & Odyssey and Dense & Pika and the fabulous Eton Messy boys at Troupe Bristol on 23rd February. That is gunna be one hell of a party. I’m also running the FourFold parties upstairs at XOYO.
Thanks for your time and see you at Know More!
TRACKLIST
danglo wanted to open the mix with Bondax – Baby You Got That but Soundcloud wouldn’t allow it for legal reasons.
danglo – Eagle Eye
Private – My Secret Lover (Diplo Remix)
Glasser – Tremel (Jamie xx Remix)
danglo – Don’t You
Burial & Four Tet – Moth
Ides – Horning of the Cults
Farben – Beautone
Justin Martin – Don’t Go
Destiny’s Child – Say My Name (Cyril Hahn Remix)
Pedro Pilatus – Romario’s Theme
Duke Dumont – The Giver
Hermitude – HyperParadise (Flume Remix)