![]() ![]() The wait seems to have paid off: ‘Infinite Window’ will surely dominate end-of-year lists. I nearly released ‘Infinite Window’ in 2018 or 2019 as an EP, but I committed to turn it into an album for Brainfeeder instead.” “Inevitably I started writing my own music again, but then the pandemic took out any remaining spare time since all kindergartens closed. Some people can stay productive in the evenings when they have very young kids honestly, I’m just in awe of them. I also had a kid coming, and I wanted to parent rather than tour. I was employed as a virtual reality sound designer for a while. “Following ‘Slow Knife’, I focused on working on things for other people, and music for production companies. ![]() So what was he doing in between, and why has his third LP taken so long? This more orchestral direction has been reflected in the releases Kuedo oversees through his Knives label, but in terms of his own output, Teasdale went quiet after ‘Slow Knife’ until he resurfaced with a soundtrack to documentary, The Sprawl, two years ago. “But there were a lot of internal barriers in the way, both in terms of teaching myself how music worked, and just daring to think of myself as composing rather than producing beats.” “Although the first tunes I released were in the UK dance vein - grime, garage, jungle - I became increasingly in awe of and intrigued by more visually and emotionally evocative records, whether that was Vangelis or Cocteau Twins,” he says. Whose soundtracks was he immersed in this time? Did he ever see himself as a composer or filmmaker instead of a musician? It’s hard to pick out a single overarching influence on his new record. Now returning with his third LP ‘Infinite Window’ on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, Kuedo in 2022 feels more cinematic and more beat-driven than ever. ![]() Think the rollercoaster ride of Aliens (1986) morphing into the bleakness of Alien3 (1992). Instead of flying to Hollywood though, Teasdale returned to his sound design, and in 2016 released ‘Slow Knife’, which maintained the rich synth pads of its predecessor, but swapped the sci-fi/adventure feel of ‘Severant’ for something gloomier. It seemed Kuedo had found the sweet spot between drum programming, melody, dancefloor appeal and movie licensing potential. Reviews proclaimed his record “ a new micro-strain of music” primetime TV soundtrack spots followed. ‘Severant offered cutting-edge trap beats over lush keyboard textures. For those years, I probably saw soundtracks more as something to sample.”Įven in samples, Teasdale’s brand of propulsive synthwave manages to capture the same widescreen awe that composers such as Vangelis are famed for. I saw people who seemed relatable being music producers and DJs: that became the singular model I had for expressing creativity, I guess. I just lived and died for it - I probably over-depended on it for identity. “But at that same time, I discovered jungle/drum & bass, and that totally hijacked any other idea of creative output. “Discovering arty world cinema was a huge coming-of-age moment for me as a teenager,” Teasdale tells DJ Mag now, 11 years later. ![]() Though his 2011 debut album ‘Severant’ referenced the iconic soundtrack, it was far more than “Blade Runner set to beats”. Berlin-based Jamie Teasdale, who records as Kuedo and was formerly one half of dubstep duo Vex’d, is a big Vangelis fan - but not a worshipper. A BBC tribute showcased tracks by Daft Punk, Donna Summer and Massive Attack, while countless other artists have mined Vangelis’ hallowed Blade Runner score. The passing in May of composer Vangelis showed just how much influence the Greek synth pioneer has over electronic music. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |