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For those of you waiting for a new musical obsession, let us introduce Lung, a young, dynamic producer, coming fresh out of the valleys and breathing new life into the darkest monochrome rhythms of Dubstep.
This week sees the Cardiff based creative release his much awaited EP, ‘Why Does Anyone Ever Do Anything?’.
Recently signed to Med School (Hospital’s ‘twisted sister’ label), Lung immerses us in transcendental, mellow vibes and at the age of only 21, he is already raising eyebrows within the Drum and Bass elite.
It is widely held, this boy is going to be hotter than a habanero chilli in 2012.
Purple Revolver caught up with the Welshman, talking about his musical vision past and present, as well as the more arbitrary questions we love to throw in…
Purple Revolver: How long have you been producing and did you always know you wanted to be in music?
Lung: Yeah, definitely. Both my parents were in bands, and I got my first guitar when I was 13. I’d record all our old demos on my laptop using GarageBand… it’s naff really, but that’s how it started out! Then I got into electronic music like DnB and I started experimenting. Later on I signed with Kokeshi and produced Afterlife in 2009, and it went from there.
Purple Revolver: So what inspires you when making music?
Lung: Well, I actually try not to listen to too much DnB and dubstep that’s current, cos I feel that you can sometimes subconsciously start sounding like someone else and it all becomes a bit stale. The music I listen to when writing is old bands – ‘Deftones’, ‘Killswitch Engage’, that sort of stuff!
Purple Revolver: So would you say you actually avoid listening to that sort of thing?
Lung: Yea definitely, cos then I know what I’m writing myself is completely organic.
Purple Revolver: That’s really impressive. What effect has becoming involved in Hospital had on your growth as a producer?
Lung: A tremendous effect. The guys there are just great. The experience they have within the industry is invaluable. It’s great to have that strong support network there – they’re like a well-oiled machine!
Purple Revolver: Do you have a favourite track off the new EP?
Lung: Yea, my favourite track is ‘Asleep in her bed’, because it’s totally different from anything else I’ve ever written. It just came to me and I wrote it in a day! Normally I work with audio, but with this track pretty much everything is synthesized. I like the fact that it stands out on its own.
Purple Revolver: What do you do when you’re not making music? How do you chill out?
Lung: To be honest I don’t go out to a lot of DnB raves since I’ve got busier with my music production. Going out is like ‘my job’ now!
Purple Revolver: Yes, a bit close to home?
Lung: Yea, I don’t want to be doing that all the time! I much prefer sitting in a beer garden with mates. I guess I wind down doing stuff completely unrelated to music.
Purple Revolver: Makes sense! What about if you have a writer’s block. How do you get over it?
Lung: Chilling out, reading. I’ve just read ‘Alice in Wonderland’ – sounds weird, but if you read it at this age you realize how dark and twisted it really is!
Purple Revolver: Ha we’ll have to have a read! You’ve produced both dubstep and DnB…Which do you prefer?
Lung: I think I’ll always prefer Drum and Bass because of its sentimental value. I remember the first time I heard a DnB tune…my brother got a new mobile and this tune came as a preloaded ringtone – ‘No Time To Love’ by DJ Marky? I was hooked!
Purple Revolver: So you spent the rest of the day calling him?
Lung: Exactly! I loved it and it started from there. I do also love 140 dubstep stuff. Not the stuff you hear in the charts though, that’s depressing! But yea, Drum and Bass is where my heart is.
Purple Revolver: What would you do if you weren’t making music?
Lung: Well, in between dropping out of two uni’s, I was doing gardening for a year…trimming hedges *laughs*…so I guess I’d still be doing that!
Purple Revolver: We love a good bit of gardening! Some people compare your tunes to that of Burial. Is he an inspiration?
Lung: It’s always gonna be a compliment. He’s king of emotive dance music. I wouldn’t say I’ve ever tried to sound like him, although he’s a huge influence. I like to find my own voice and my own sound, so I’d like to think my music has moved on from there.
Purple Revolver: What can we expect from you next?
Lung: Since I finished up the EP I’ve just been continually writing, so potentially could have something by the end of the year! There’ll be a couple of collaborations on there too, with Tolerance and Phaeleh which is cool.
Purple Revolver: Ok now for some quick fires…
Dream collaboration?
Lung: Stewart Copeland from The Police, Johnny Marr or Stevie wonder!
Purple Revolver: Top 3 songs?
Lung: ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by The Verve, ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ by The Smiths and ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael! *laughs*
Purple Revolver: Worst song ever made?
Lung: Bird is the word – it’s relentlessly catchy, it doesn’t let you go!
Purple Revolver: Ever played an instrument?
Lung: Guitar and drums and I did used to do a bit of vocals – mainly that screamy stuff, you know!
Purple Revolver: Top 3 films?
Lung: Donnie Darko, Stand By Me and Drive.
Purple Revolver: Fave comedy?
Lung: I love ‘Facejacker’, I’m obsessed with it, especially Brian Badonde! It’s that kind of awkward comedy where you’re just cringing. I also love Ricky Gervais, ‘Peep show’, ‘Campus’. I do like a bit of British comedy!
Purple Revolver: What 3 things would you put in a time capsule to be opened in 100 years?
Lung: Hmm….I’d burn a CD of all the music I have, a pectrum and a good DVD – that I haven’t decided on yet!
Purple Revolver: And finally, if you could rule the world what’s the first thing you would change?
Lung: “World peace”? Nah, too cliché…I’d ban cyclists who have a sense of entitlement on the road!”
Chatting to Lung, he has the cheeky, down-to-earth charm of a Cardiff boyo, coupled with a sense of maturity and wisdom way beyond his 21 years.
Already preferring a pub garden cider with his pals over ‘partying hard’, just so he can knuckle down with his music making, this young lad’s work ethic is one to go by.
Lung certainly has his head in the right place, and his career on track for big things. Watch this space.
Lung launched his EP at Clwb Ifor Bach on Friday 20th April, and performed a special in-store set at Catapult Records on Saturday as part of record store day. Buy his new EP here:
http://shop.hospitalrecords.com/product/MEDIC28/