I’ve already warbled enough this week about Drew ‘FaltyDL’ Lustman and his two albums for Planet Mu, Bravery and Love is a Liability. Here’s what I said about them in my recent column:
“I don’t want to get too in depth about Falty’s work here, as I’m in theprocess of interviewing him for a full FACT feature, but I kind ofslept on Love is a Liability whenit first came out. I was much more into the ‘To London’ 12″ on Ramp,which is great, don’t get me wrong, but there’s a depth and a longingto Love that really sets it apart. I love the way it soundslike a garage and jungle head from New York who’s also into Luke Vibertand uZiq making a 2step album on Planet Mu should sound, and Ilove the way that although the music Falty makes is heavily indebted toUK dance culture, there’s also something indescribably New York aboutit: tracks like ‘Dionysis’ and obviously ‘To New York’ are like theseslick, lens-flared conveyer belt rides through a set-up of skyscrapersthat disappear into the clouds. There’s a swank to it that you neverreally get from dance music albums that come from London, becauseLondon can’t do swank: it can do swish, and swagger, but not swank. Youhave to be American really.
“Anyway, there’s a lot of chat about Bravery, the forthcoming FaltyDL mini-album on Planet Mu, being even better. I’m not sure yet; I’ve probably listened to it more than Love is a Liabilityand I don’t quite revere it in the same way, but it is really good andI don’t think I’ve got the full picture yet. It’s a lot more analogy inproduction, quite dusty like some of the recent Mount Kimbie EP (Idon’t think it’s just the quality of my promo) and a lot more Burial.In fact, ‘Mother Beam’ sounds like you might expect Burial to sound inan imaginary world where he’d been born twelve years later and grown upworshipping Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. It’s maybe more varied thanLove; ‘Discant’ is almost Drexciyan, where as ‘Bravery’ could be Jokerin black and white. Like I say, I need to get my head around it more,but both these releases are very good, and I should have recommendedthe former a long, long time ago.”
Here’s Lustman’s side of the story, as told through a series of emails this week:
Hey Falty. What’s your background in music? Are you a skater, or is that just a trick of the light on that myspace pic?
“Does it look like I’m on a skateboard? [Nah, it looked like you were on skates but we’re wrong either way – Ed] I should check that again. I grew up playing drums and bass. Classical orchestras and small jazz combos. My father was very into Frank Zappa and Miles Davis, and experimental music was pretty much playing all the time in my house growing up. Growing up listening to music, rather then dancing to music was my experience. I think that’s why I want to make people dance now. Sort of the opposite of my childhood.”
You’ve said you were in a jazz band before. Were you into dance music at that point, or was this before all that?
“I was into the fringes of dance music you could say. I listened to a lot of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. You can dance to that, but it’s hard I think…well, hard for me at least. The jazz group got really annoying basically, I wanted more control [laughs]. I found all the control I needed in music software.”
People bring up connections between your music – particularly the stuff on Love Is A Liability – and UK 2step, and heavily 2step influenced DJs like Oneman mix your stuff into garage. How strong is the connection between 2step and your music?
“Yeah, there are connections. It’s all around 130 BPM and there is a shuffle in the drums, similar to UK 2step and NY Garage – that shuffle from swinging the high hats and placing the kick all over the place. I’m sure people would argue I don’t make garage properly or correctly, but that’s just what I hear in my head. It’s got so much more in the pot too, soul and hip hop spring to mind. Things I’ve been hearing since I could remember. I used to make music around 180 BPM but i cant even touch that anymore… maybe I will again. I think the connections are in form and function, but that’s where it stops to be honest. The samples and synths are from something else, somewhere else…”
What other music has informed your music most over the years?
“Hip hop. It’s just everywhere in my life. Outside my window, on my computer, on my iPod, in the corner bodega…everywhere. Good stuff too. People who know their shit and still bump early Nas etc. and Erik B and Rakim. I went to the same school as EPMD too, although admittedly years apart…”
Likewise, you’ve got a sound that’s arguably London influenced, but there’s also something really New York about ‘Dionysis’, and obviously ‘To New York’. Like you can see the skyscrapers disappearing upwards – or I’m just being really wanky. Either way, how do your NY surroundings influence your music?
“The pace of this city is ridiculous. More then the architecture or the people, the pace is light speed. It’s made me stronger and thicker skinned. I get shit done so fast now living here. I have a competition in me – I step outside and shit rushes by, if you blink you missed it. You missed that opportunity that would launch the next chapter of your life. Get into it, groove with it.”
Love Is A Liability – tell us about the album. There’s a longing to it, in both the title and the music, particularly the vocal snippets, then there’s the touch of soft-porn on the sleeve. Are there any underlying themes or concepts to it?
“Love is indeed a liability…think about it, has it been for you? Fuck it, try and grasp the meaning of love in your lifetime, good luck and holler if you figure it out. Although I am trying, everyday. I’m a sucker for diva vocals, especially with a lot of reverb and delay. It fills the air so nicely, the space becomes a voice and a loving lusting one at that. How much better can it get?”
What was the process of making the record like?
“At points very organized and in tune with Mike Paradinas. At other points grueling and soul searching. In the end I made over 100 tracks for the album and figured it out from there. I’m glad its done and out there, no more first album stress…just second now [laughs].”
How did you end up working on Planet Mu? I’ve seen you mention that you grew up on people on their roster, like Luke Vibert…
“I’m honored. Equally honored to be on Ramp as well, something from near the start. But yeah it’s hard to believe I share a label with so many people I look up to musically. Vibert and Paradinas have been on my stereo for the past 10 years, Boxcutter and Shitmat for the last four. It’s dope. I’m comfortable there and would like to continue to work with them, provided I can still make the tunes good…”
Tell us about Bravery, the new record for Mu.
“It was recorded almost immediately after the album came out. Some as new as just a month or two ago. It’s different, it swings even harder. I want to swing so hard it stops making sense sometimes. The opening track was made in a few hours, I just saw the Matrix on that one. It’s fun to play out, this EP, because its so varied. I’m excited about it, equally if not more then Love is a Liability.”
I’m struggling to get my head around it a bit. It definitely seems less immediate than Love – how did you approach it?
“I had a freedom in mind. Maybe from being done with a record and just playing around again, experimenting. I never once approached any songs of Bravery with the idea of it being compiled onto a release. I think I’ll do that more from now on, keep the stress levels low, and just chill more. I think my girlfriend would appreciate that too!”
Is there a theme or concept to this record, and how does it relate to Love?
“It’s almost a response, this album, in that its more aggressive sounding to me. I think rather than love, it’s got to do more with facing a fear and beating the shit out of it.”
People will obviously compare it to Burial; the dusty lost 2step vibes of tracks like ‘Made Me Feel So Right’. Who do you see as your peers in music?
“Yeah, unavoidable unfortunately. I think most producers keep their head down and try to just get it done. But some people really need to compare something and label it. Shit, how and where would we know to look for a record review in a magazine if it wasn’t in the Critical Beats section or whatever? I don’t care, my mom would say it sound like the boy she saw running around the house age five banging on shit with drum sticks. I know where i come from and she does too, anything else really matter? [laughs]
“I love making music. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done. It’s out of this world, I hope to do it for the rest of my life. Maybe have a family and some dogs too, live somewhere beautiful and just make ridiculous amounts of beats.”
What’s the Ramp thing you’ve got coming after this?
A 12″, ‘Party’/’Alpafun’ in ’bout a month’s time. More 12″s and an EP and maybe LP at some point for Ramp. The music video is barely safe for work too, I like it, a bit repetitive, but it’s cool.”
Anything else we should know about FaltyDL?
“I’m sitting in my underwear writing this.”
Photography credit: Sabine Mirlesse
Tom Lea
