Fjarde are manning the controls for this episode of All My Friends. The producers due fro Preston are taking you through a medley a minimal bleeps, boops and bass. Interview below.
Hi Fjarde, thanks for coming on the blog. Fjarde is a duo consisting of Ste and Dec, can you tell us how you guys got together? When did you start playing and producing music and do you have a specific dynamic between you that makes production and djing work really well?
Hi, thanks for having us on. Fjarde came about after we went to beatherder festival in july 2017, we talked about buying a DJ controller to learn how to mix. it was around December 2017 year we picked up a roland dj-202 and got cracking. We did our first house party a few weeks after for new years eve and got hooked. We then started messing around in Ableton making tracks, the dynamic between us is still quite new and fresh so it is growing as we go. Ste is more experienced with the Djing side of things whereas I am more experienced with the production stuff, so we are learning from each other all the time. In terms of when making music, ste is the keys guy and im the drums guy. the rest we sort out between us.
You’re both currently residing in Preston, is there much of a dance music scene there or do you find yourself heading in to Manchester and Liverpool alot for music? Does the isolation of Preston help or hinder your creativity when making music.
the scene in Preston is pretty non-existent to our knowledge. We generally look towards Manchester/Liverpool for events and to discover new music. There isn’t many events that are put on in Preston, lack of records shops with not much of an interest in an underground scene it definitely hinders creativity. Moving the Manchester is something that is on the cards for 2019.
You’ve currently got a track up on Soundcloud ‘No Distractions’ a spaced out, deep techy number. Is this track typical of the sound you aim for when you’re producing music and how do you both go about creating your sound? Do you tend to employ a lot of hardware into your productions are are you working with a DAW and a handful of VST’s?
‘No Distractions‘ came about after first discovering dub techno, We wanted to make something that had those deep and dub style chords but that was also quite groovy. The track is not necessarily the sound we aim for when making music, but it is definitely a vibe we can go for. We are currently in the process of finding our own sound, i think it is something that will be forever evolving as we are inspired by many different sounds and styles. Our set up includes both hardware and software. We use Ableton as our DAW and most of the FX, processing and drums are done in the box. The Waldorf blofeld is our go to synth when creating sounds. We are currently on the look out for some new gear, a drum machine is defo high on the list at the moment.
Do you have any producers or collective you cite as inspirations? Are there any artists out there you always refer back to when you’re facing a bit of writer’s block?
We take inspiration from lots of different types if music, Carl Finlow and John Shima inspirations at the minute, as you will hear in the mix. Jon Hopkins is a big one, after seeing his set at beatherder it was something that inspired us to start mixing and making music. Hopkins absolutely killed it that night, one to remember!
Moving on to your mix. Can you tell us how you approached the show. Is this a typical way you approach DJ’ing or have you switched up your style for the show?
This is our first time doing something like this, so it has been a learning experience for sure. Our aim was to put a mix together that started with a minimal vibe to and then to more of a dark electro vibe. We also wanted to create something that reflected what we are being inspired by at the moment.
Are there any standout tracks you wouldn’t mind sharing with us?
Tricks of the trade by Ray Mono on the pathway traxx label coming out of Leeds, sick track. Marauders by Carl Finlow is a monster!
Finally, what’s coming up for you in the New Year any events you can tell us about?
No events planned at the moment. Looking to get in the studio as much as possible and finishing some more tracks off. Thanks for having us man
Hope you enjoy the mix!
