Written Interview with Lakker (Ian & Dara) for FWD.DJ 2018

Listen to the mix here: http://www.fwd.dj/mix/fwd116-lakker/

Where was this mix recorded and what gear was used?

Ian: we put it together in Berlin, Germany and Wicklow, Ireland using Ableton Live and a Novation Launch Control

What gear do you guys use in your studio for track production?

Ian: Everything is done in the box - we use Ableton and Native Instruments software and a few other plugins. We do a lot of sampling and field recording so a good mic and portable recorder are essential for us. And various instruments like guitars, flute, piano and
percussion instruments - shakers, beaters and hand held drums.

Dara: It's mainly about know your equipment well so instead of having a hundred million plugs just pick a few and see how far you can push them. There is also lots of great free vsts out there if you take the time to get to know what each one is good for and spend the time
just mucking about with them.

The mix itself is incredibly complex - how long did it take you to stitch it all together in your head before hitting the record button.

Ian: A few days of planning and experimentation to see what works, then we recorded the mix in real time.

You use tracks/songs from many genres all across the spectrum - do these disparate genres mirror your own influences/listening habits?

Ian: Yes, I think so. We’ve both always listened to all kinds of music. There's no restrictions in our listening habits, so we don't place restrictions (apart from what works musically) in our mixes / dj sets, or in our own productions.

Dara. I think all 99 percent of music genres have something to offer, there are always people pushing and mutating genres or else just refining and truly mastering old ones. It still amazes me that some one can come along after all the years of acoustic instruments and still play
them in amazing ways that are totally new and fresh sounding. Colin Stetson is for me the perfect example of this. The point is that there is always exciting things happening in every genre , so it's just about digging them out.

What have you been listening to alot lately?

Ian: For me, quite a lot of folk and spiritual music from all around the world. And also the Ugandan labels Nyege Nyege and Hakuna Kulala are putting out amazing music right now.

Dara: At the moment I'm listening to lots of online mixes and radio shows, and lots of Gqom.

Your own music is noticeably absent from this mix - was there a particular reason behind this decision?

Ian: I think a lot of times it's more enjoyable to play other people's music! We obviously play our own music in our live sets, so when we get an opportunity to do a mix or DJ we like to delve into other music.

Dara: Yeah i think we go through phases where we put some of own music in and others where were more in music research mode and just stick to others stuff, especially for online mixes and radio shows. If were DJing in clubs etc we usually blend in some Lakker and our
solo projects.

Your last album was released back in 2016 - can we expect to see a follow up anytime soon?

Ian: Yes, there's something coming! Don't want to say too much yet, as we're currently finalizing details, but keep an ear out for our next release in early 2019.

Your music is often compared to the output of luminaries such as Andy Stott and Raime. Who do you see as your contemporaries?

Ian: We’re fans of both Andy Stott and Raime, so we would also see them as contemporaries. Also acts like Emptyset, JASSS, M.E.S.H., Electric Indigo, Kyoka, Lee Gamble - acts who put out strong individual album statements, which we really respect and
would consider as exploring similar territory to us.

If your mix was the soundtrack to a film what would the film be about?

Dara: not sure really. Probably a weird travel documentary.

Tags: Andy Stott, Lakker, Raime