Paxton Fettel ’s work first hit our radars courtesy of Matt Densham’s Greta Cottage Workshop run from the small seaside town of Torquay. Impressing with his first pressed EPs via GCW, Fettel followed up earlier this year on Apersonal Music; ‘The Secret Ingredient Is Crime EP’ revealing again the producers grasp for jazzy note formations and uncomplicated depth through analog manipulation. ‘Tripped Out’, Fettel’s take on the Curtis Mayfield’s classic still has us bobbing.
After premiering our pick off his debut LP last week, we thought now would be as good a time as any to find out a little more about the producer. Alongside a mix Paxton kindly agreed to record for us we look into his experiences recording the new album, we also peel back the layers to find out about his connection to music and his inspirations new and old.
Paxton Fettel’s Everything Stays The Same LP is available in digi and double vinyl right now on his Bandcamp page.
Download Stamp Mix 42: Paxton Fettel
Hi Nic, how are things? What have you been up to since finishing the album?
It’s been quite a hectic spring. Playing a lot of dj-sets, while doing my full-time job thing. I haven’t had too much time to work on music, but I’ve been smacking out tunes in my studio lately. It’s a bit different now, compared to the album; where I had a lot more time to sit around and do long sessions. Recently, I’ve just been doing 30 minutes here and there, which is actually a nice workflow for doing some edits & some EP material.
Congratulations on the LP, we’ve appreciated it greatly since getting our hands on it. What was the creative process like? Did it come easy or was it a long one with filled with challenges?
Oh thanks alot – glad you like it. Challenges we’re plenty, but I liked them. The whole process for me is getting my head around what I actually feel I wanna transmit through my own little personal space-radio. When i get tuned in, it comes easily. It’s roughly 12 months since the beginning and we’re now finally ready for lift-off.
In an LP, artists tend to explore outside of the musical realms an EP usually confines them too, with you it seems to stay true. Would you agree with this?
Naa, yea.. well maybe. I think my overall output has been with variety in focus from the beginning. Take for instance “Nothing Never” from the Not Bad for a Tenner EP, and hold it up against a track like “Permafunk” off of the same E.P. There’s quite a lot of difference there as well. The recent disco EP on Apersonal music was more of a project thing, where I wanted to put out some cuts of mixed dance-floor friendly tracks. It’s hard to fit in the 92bpm ambient tracks in a vinyl club set, so I wanted to have something a bit more smacking than what I would usually put out on Greta Cottage Workshop.
You worked with Takuya Matsumoto on the track ‘Afloat On A Sea Of Nothing’, what was it like working with him and do you see yourself working with more producers in the future?
Well, Mr. Matsumoto is an incredibly talented producer. It was one of my most interesting musical experiences doing a track with him. It’s hard not to love what he does. Regarding the future – I don’t know, I like to stick with people rather than surf the ever-shimmering sea of record label offerings and collaborations. So as for now, I think I’ll stick with Ryan (my room mate & partner in crime) & Takuya as people I’ve worked/are working with and we’ll see what happens in the future.
Are there any particular experiences or emotions you try to express through your music?
Generally those I can feel at the time of creation. But you know sometimes i try to play around altering my feelings to get in a certain mood. That is usually done my playing some records or listening to other stuff before taking the production plundge.
What is it that first connected you to music and keeps you dedicated everyday?
First I’d like to say, I’m not dedicated everyday. Are you? 😉 But when I dedicate myself to do music it’s just because i wanna have fun and do something i like. My first connection was due to influence- from friends, family, etc… Which is still very much the case.
Do you ever feel nostalgic for music of your youth or are you finding new inspiration in the work people are doing today?
Well, yea. I think music & memories are really closely related. Music from my entire life pops in every once in a while and tells me a tale of the past. That’s one of the absolutely most stunning things about music. It’s just like certain smells, it evokes tons of memories.
What is your favourite piece of kit in your studio setup and why?
My ears, my hands & my brain. All the other stuff is just.. stuff.
How often do you get new gear?
As soon as I have the dough for it. So roughly every month.
What do you have on your headphones at the moment during a long commute?
I like mixtapes. Especially the Greta Cottage Workshop radio show – always stellar selection and awesome guest mixes quite frequently. Soul/disco/funk/hiphop/raggae/
Are there any young up-and-coming producers from Copenhagen you think we should keep an eye on?
Ouuh, this is always the hard question – in fear of forgetting someone. So first a toast to the forgotten heroes. The people on the Danish imprint Copenhagen Underground Posse are doing some really wicked stuff – lovely parties & their first vinyl release is absolutely one of the best Danish vinyls in a long time. Kasper Marott, Daniel Savi, Dee Brown, Samuel André Madsen, to name a few. Super stuff. Quality people.
Tell us a bit about the mix you made for us.
The mix is basically just a mix of tunes that I wanted to hear that afternoon. I put them on and pressed record. I think of it as one of the better afternoons I’ve had in a while. So,…good times.
And finally, what’s next on the horizon for you? Any releases, festivals or shows coming up?
After the album, the remix I did of a track from CHOCKY‘s next release on Secret Reels will be out. And yeah, a lot of nice things happening, but still a bit too early to spill the beans. You will know soon enough. Just confirmed that Norm De Plume from Plumage Recordings is coming over to play with me, Ryan Dank & Kris Percy on July 18th. Looking well forward to that.
