⋆˚࿔ untitled 909 podcast 278: martyn ⋆˚࿔

“When I make music I often visualize several songs I really like blending together into one and then try and make that imaginary track. In my notebook I have written down lots of little ideas like that, usually something along the lines of “the beats of [X] but the vibe of [Y], and a melody like [Z]”. And once I find some sounds that match that rough idea I start putting it together in my mind. The more disparate the songs are the more excited I usually get, but also the less likely the end result is going to sound anything like that initial idea.

When I was writing this new album I quickly started to realize that musically it was going to be quite different from what I had been doing before, and when I finished “Heavy Sound” (the opening track) I recorded this “vibe mix” for myself and a few friends I usually send stuff to, to get a sense of what the rest of the album could sound like, and to build a little sonic world for myself that I could visit while making the album. It serves the same purpose as the note taking but in a sonic form. I listened to this mix a lot and I guess it gives a little insight to my process as well so I thought I’d give it to you!”

welcoming back a familiar face to the 909 world, martyn <3

for this week’s edition of the 909 mix series, martyn delivers a collage of influences and soundbites that helped build the sonic world of his new album, music for existing, which is out now via 3024. this session gives a deeper insight into the process behind martyn’s prolific production journey - one that started over 20 years ago.

in that time, martyn has become one of the most important voices within electronic music. growing up in the netherlands, martyn initially came through the uk-originated hybrid of bass music before becoming one of the key bridges between the dubstep and techno worlds, going onto releasing on the likes of ostgut ton, brainfeeder and intercept records. now based in washington dc, martyn is steadfast in his role as a connector. through various projects, martyn utilises his platform to champion and educate others. through his mentoring programme, which has been ongoing now since 2020, martyn hosts workshops, talks and interviews with industry figures and notable artists through the deeper dives series to genre-specific talks, production walkthroughs and group release sessions that help new and emerging artists learn everything there is to know about putting out records, different scenes and sounds, and how their favourite artists forged their own paths. the community that he has managed to build within the programme is beautiful and incredibly refreshing in a system that is driven towards division. there’s so much support for one and another within the discord walls which goes above & beyond into the real world with new labels, parties and more coming into play from these conversations. this kind of nurturing environment is vital for bringing to life new scenes, sounds and voices.

now seven years on from the release of his last album, martyn steps forward once again with another sonic evolution in his longstanding career. noted in the press release, music for existing ‘is more than a collection of tracks; it is a profound exploration of what it means to remain devoted to a craft in an era of relentless noise’. the noise of algorithms, trends, and content farming, martyn sticks to what he does best and that is following his heart, making music that is uniquely his and a pure expression of where he is at in life. it is an album that sees him collaborate deeply for the first time in his career, a community album of sorts with contributions from duval timothy, dan only, lucinda chua, mark cisneros, mischa porte and cees bruinsma, alongside the evocative words of writer and poet musa okwonga. a pretty special body of work that shows an artist still at the top of his game <3

to accompany the release of martyn’s mix, we speak about the roles of education and mentorship, how the environment martyn works in influences his output, his relationship with jazz and what he learned from collaboration.

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Hey Martyn! How are you doing today? What has the past month looked like for you?

Hey doing well thanks! Hope you are doing good!.. I’ve been pretty busy, I made a new album called Music for Existing, which came out late May on my label 3024 - it’s been a while since I released a full length album so I’m pretty excited about it. To be honest this album is a very personal one so having it out there for people to listen to and engage with is really nice and also a little scary. It’s interesting to see what the music does with people.

Congratulations on the release of your beautiful new album, ‘Music For Existing’, can you tell us a little bit about the story behind the album and what the process looked like whilst making it? How did the collaborations and contributions on the album come about and what was one of your biggest takeaways from making an album within a communal environment like this one?

The last couple of years I’ve spent most of my time teaching and mentoring, as well as running the label, writing and touring. There was time for music making, but not a lot and to be honest I’m not the type of person who spends countless hours in the studio trying to make tracks anyway - it’s either I have something to say or I don’t. Teaching about music makes you think a lot more about the creative process, how to be able to generate ideas and how to focus on realizing them. A lot of the initial sketches for this album were made over the course of several years and just sat on my desktop waiting for another element to be added to it.

During the pandemic I made some music with Jim (Om Unit) and I really enjoyed the process of bouncing ideas back and forth and blending styles. Being accustomed to making music on your own all the time, collaborating with someone takes the pressure off a little bit too - you’re more of a contributor than the sole responsible person for the music. It’s like being part of a band rather than a solo artist.

The sketches that I made were all really loose, raw ideas recorded in 5min takes, things like that, and I really liked the idea of turning them into a release. I started to play them to some of my friends like Duval (Timothy), Cees (Bruinsma) and Dan Only - the latter two are also alumni from my Mentoring Program. They recorded a few takes, just freestyling on top of my ideas. Cees also linked me with Mischa Porte who is an amazing drummer and once I heard his stuff we started working on the sketches. This back and forth eventually became the core tracks of the record.
Working with other musicians was never “the concept”, it’s also not one of those “electronic producer gets the label to hire some session guys so it sounds more serious” kinda record, and it’s definitely not a Martyn does Jazz record ahah but just a real organic development where me and my friends were enjoying making some good stuff together. Half the time people aren’t really able to tell what’s played live and what’s sequenced in the DAW and I think that means there’s a perfect blend of sounds and ideas. Personally, working with all these amazing people made me so much better too as a musician. I wrote some things for this album that I didn’t think I was capable of even when I started the project. It’s a great feeling to unlock that and I’m grateful to all the contributors for believing in my idea.

You mentioned in a recent interview that you prefer to make a lot of your music outside of the studio and that you like to listen to music whilst walking or moving your body. Have you noticed any patterns or shifts in the sounds and styles that you’re drawn to because of this? How much does the environment that you work in influence the output?

I don’t think it’s necessarily the music (sound, style) that’s influenced by the environment, but more so the process of creating things. By purposefully listening to sketches and ideas outside of the studio, it forces you to consider eventual changes and adjustments much more carefully than when you are in the studio where you can do it instantly. You cultivate a much lighter touch to the original ideas and so they keep that loose, human feel rather than trying to overproduce them or “correct” things that are “wrong”.

Waaaay back when I started making music, someone told me to listen to my tracks with the computer monitor switched off (I don’t even think computer screens have off buttons anymore), so you wouldn’t be able to see in the DAW what’s coming next in the track - it’s that same concept - you’re making music for listening, so it should work without being able to see it or touch it.

Do you think that having the NTS show, The Darkest Light, helped give you the confidence to move in this direction with the album where you draw from jazz influences and practices?

Yes and no. Making radio is a whole different thing than making music, even immersing yourself in a style of music doesn’t necessarily bring you anywhere closer to being able to make that music, apart from maybe knowing what you like to hear? Like I explained earlier I didn’t set out to make a “Martyn does Jazz” type of record but the music has definitely been in my DNA long enough to reflect into my own music, even long before “Music for Existing”. I came across a super old track of mine the other day, called “JW On a Good Night”. I had completely forgotten about it but it’s funny how close it is to the music I do now. (Apart from the fact that back then I only used samples) Anyway, once the record started to take shape a little more and sonically it veered more and more into the jazz realm, a good friend of mine said it sounded like he was listening on headphones to my old stuff in one ear and The Darkest Light in the other - and I thought that was a great compliment!

You mentioned that you have imposter syndrome when it comes to this show, what helps you overcome this and continue to host the residency? Why do you think the jazz scene feels this daunting and do you think it’s become more accessible since you first started listening to jazz radio shows as you were growing up?

Maybe a little less now that the music is more easily available than back when I got into it, but jazz and classical music have always felt like genres that are on some sort of pedestal. Like, you need to know what’s going on musically, know music theory, know the players or history of the piece, experience it live otherwise you wouldn’t ‘get it’ etc. Even jazz on the radio was always on some tucked away public channel and felt very serious, a bit classist even, which is hugely triggering for me but that’s maybe a story for another day.

I’ve been listening and collecting for a very long time now but I never enjoyed that gatekeep-y aspect of it. Really, the only thing you need to be able to do to enjoy jazz is to close your eyes and listen. So when I started the show on NTS I wanted to just play the music I had discovered myself and talk about that discovery - and I think that makes it a more level kind of experience for the listener, because everyone can relate to the excitement of discovering something. Some of the stuff I play is niche and some of it is really basic and that sometimes gives me imposter, because who the hell plays Miles Davis on a dedicated jazz show on NTS? But what’s basic to me can be mind-altering to someone out there and that’s the whole point of doing radio in the first place.

As far as imposter syndrome, when it comes up I always tell myself it’s just about genuinely loving the music you play on the show. There’s always gonna be someone out there that’s more of an expert than you, but YOU are the one putting on the show every month and not them. Also I don’t think the owners and the team at NTS get enough credit for the mountain of work they put into programming the station. They’re always supportive and that also gives me confidence to try out new things for the show.

What have been some notable records that have helped shape Music For Existing? Can you tell us about one or two stand-out jazz records you’ve collected on your travels and what makes them so special?

I’ve thought about this for a long time but it’s just too hard to pick out one or two specific records - what’s so nice about collecting physical items (like records) is that each backstory is as unique as the record itself. It can be a record you bought at a specific place, something that’s been recommended to you by a specific person (or a random person), a record that hit you at exactly the time you needed to hear it, or a record that provided you with a very specific idea that inspired you to make something yourself.

A while back I was in Bristol and got in an Uber to the hotel. The Uber driver said he couldn’t get exactly to the front door of the hotel so he dropped me off on another street for me to walk there. That dropoff happened to be right in front of a record shop (called Wanted Records) so I went in and found three records by Joe Harriott (a Jamaican/UK sax player) that were on my list for a long time! Another discovery came from a conversation I had with Nat Birchall, who records a lot of music that sits somewhere between dub and spiritual jazz. He tipped me to go and listen to Booker Ervin’s “Freedom Book” - and it’s been one of my favorite records ever since. I love recommending music to people and am always keen to check out what other people are into. It’s a much more satisfying way to expand your personal tastes away from the recommendations of the algo too.

When I was writing Music for Existing I made a small playlist of songs that didn’t necessarily sound like anything I was making but that contained some ideas I wanted to try out. There’s a Miles Davis piece from In a Silent Way called “Shhh / Peaceful” and it’s this sort of long drawn out jam. If you listen closely you can hear that within its 18 min runtime different takes are spliced together (on tape) so I used that idea with some of the stems I used on my record. I love picking up ideas like that - for a while I put a slapback echo on a lot of my riffs and stab sounds cos I really like how it sounds on 80s new wave vocalists- this sort of claustrophobic, close sound you know that makes it very direct without being too dry. Outside of music there are also so many interesting techniques and approaches applied in other forms of art that you can translate to your own practice. The way a book is structured, or how a scene in a movie is filmed - all those techniques can be used in music too if you just use your imagination.

You’ve been running your mentoring programme since the pandemic, which has gone on to birth so many incredible artists, releases and projects, what has your experience been like stepping into the role of a teacher? What was going on in your life at the time, aside from the pandemic, that made it feel like the right time to explore this avenue?

I never pursued it as a full time job but have some teaching experience, interning while at uni as a Dutch teacher for refugee kids and also subbing as a geography teacher (! talk about imposter syndrome I had no idea what I was doing lol). I had been thinking about some sort of teaching / coaching / mentoring type of project for a while, mainly because I felt the space was so littered with ‘career advice’ / secret sauce type schemes and an overload of music tech information. But what I want to do is support artists and provide what they’re looking for, mainly disentangling their workflow and giving them control over their process so that they can further explore their own creative ideas. Part of being a musician is to pass on your expertise and knowledge to the next musician, and the mentoring program feels like a way where I can do it in a sustainable and productive way.

It’s crazy to look back and see how many releases, collaborations, labels and other projects have sprung from the program. Not just the eight (!) compilations on 3024 featuring artists on the program, but so many great side projects. Half the time when I see a flyer for an event there’s at least one person on it that passed through the program or has some sort of relation. Also there are these monthly artist interviews called Deeper Dives, quite similar to the old RBMA lectures but on Zoom, and last week I recorded the 60th one (with re:ni and BiggaBush). The Deeper Dive archive is just so valuable - all these amazing inspiring artists sharing their thoughts and ideas about music making.

I’ve said this before, but the energy you get from teaching is similar to the energy you get from DJ’ing - you put your ideas out there and people respond to it, each in their own way, and the results can be really inspiring and uplifting. I love that about the program - it’s a lot of work but also super invigorating and never the same.

What do you think makes a good teacher?

Maybe it’s better to ask someone else whether they think I’m good or not, but I think being perceptive is really important. As a teacher you are there to make your mentees better artists, not to force your own views on everyone, or make them into carbon copies of yourself. So it’s important to listen for cues and find out what someone needs from you and then try and provide that. It can be technical knowledge, it can be a little support for their ideas, a widening perspective, a confidence boost, acting as a sounding board for new ideas, or guidance in taking major steps in a career.

Do you think all artists need a mentor in their life to help them succeed? Did you have a mentor in the early days of your artistic journey?

No, I didn’t have one particular person I would say was “my mentor”, but I did learn important lessons from various people along the way that shaped my personal artistic journey. Some of the most important advice people have given me is to always be hungry for new music and ideas, to be very conscious of people trying to interfere with your art, and to always retain playfulness and joy in your music making while also making a serious commitment in time and priorities. I am super grateful for people who made a little bit of extra time for me to help out, and I try to do the same for others.

I’ve now been involved in music for three decades, making records for two, and I’m still learning so many things on an almost daily basis.

Are there any issues or solutions that have come up in the mentoring programme so far that you were surprised by? Is there one teaching that you would like to share here that you wish for more artists and music participants to take on board?

I think a big difference between how I started out as a musician and most young artists today is the immense pressure of time. I only started actually making music after I DJ’d and promoted events for almost 10 years, there was a lot of time and space to try out things, and also to make mistakes and learn from them. Artists nowadays often feel they only have one shot at ‘doing it right’, and put an unnecessary amount of pressure on themselves. But the fact of the matter is that nothing has to be perfect - pick a weird alias, do your own artwork even if you’re bad at art, make the record you wanted to make just cos you felt like it, not because it’s the right move. It’s all part of being a creative person and getting better.

Lastly, can you tell us about the mix you’ve contributed to the 909 series?

When I make music I often visualize several songs I really like blending together into one and then try and make that imaginary track. In my notebook I have written down lots of little ideas like that, usually something along the lines of “the beats of [X] but the vibe of [Y], and a melody like [Z]”. And once I find some sounds that match that rough idea I start putting it together in my mind. The more disparate the songs are the more excited I usually get, but also the less likely the end result is going to sound anything like that initial idea.

When I was writing this new album I quickly started to realize that musically it was going to be quite different from what I had been doing before, and when I finished “Heavy Sound” (the opening track) I recorded this “vibe mix” for myself and a few friends I usually send stuff to, to get a sense of what the rest of the album could sound like, and to build a little sonic world for myself that I could visit while making the album. It serves the same purpose as the note taking but in a sonic form. I listened to this mix a lot and I guess it gives a little insight to my process as well so I thought I’d give it to you!

‘Music For Existing’ by Martyn is out now - buy here.