In the past five years he’s released only a handful of original tracks, but that hasn’t stopped Linkwood becoming one of the most name-dropped producers in the house underground.
Far from being lazy, the Edinburgh-based producer has holed up in his studio working on his debut album, System – a smoked-out, carefully honed blend of disco, dub, analogue boogie, deep house and raw, soulful techno. Due to be released this month on Trus’Me’s Prime Numbers label – home to releases by the likes of Actress and Reggie Dokes – there’s no doubt that System wlll bring the smouldering Linkwood sound to a whole new audience, so what bet time to collar the self-confessed “lab-rat” and talk about it? Oh, and before you read on, enjoy this free download of Linkwood’s ‘Falling’, or stream it using the FACT Player in the top-right corner of your page.
So how did the Linkwood project come into being?
“Well, I’d been making tunes for years, but it wasn’t until I ended up in Edinburgh and met Lindsay (House of Traps) that things started moving. He set up Firecracker because Gav (Fudge Fingas) and me both had tracks kicking about but no label to release them on…”
What first inspired you to start making music? What keeps you going?
“My brother was part of Sublove with Jody Wisternoff back in like ’91-’93 in Bristol, and I think the first time I saw jody’s studio that was it: I was hooked. I’m only 31 now so I was young then, but my bro had an amazing record collection….loads of Chicago acid, Detroit stuff and Shut Up and Dance etc…so before I’d even been out to any nights, I fell in love with the music, without even knowing what it was made for. What keeps me going is just this drive I’ve had for years….its like an addiction. I don’t really think about it too much, i just do it…I’m like a pig in shit in the studio.”
Where does the name Linkwood come from? It seems familiar somehow…
“Good whisky and a pissed-up night at my local.”
70s soul, boogie and funk is evidently an influence on your work; do you actively listen to a lot of stuff from that era, or is it more of a subconscious thing?
“I know it’s a cliche, but to me its all a big melting pot, my vinyl addiction isn’t limited to two or three genres, I just love good music. I think for the album I definitely started out with the idea of showing some different sides to what I do though, as previous releases had all been selected by the labels and so on. But it’s whatever the mood really.”
Your releases on Firecracker have sported amazing comic book artwork. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
“Yeah, they definitely stand out in the racks….I can’t say the comic thing was my first choice. It wasn’t really what I had in mind when i was making the music but my bro has a touch and he made them look amazing. I’m really happy with the artwork for my album as well, he nailed it….I can’t wait to see the finished article!”
[US dub-techno kingpin] Steve Hitchell remixed you for the Intrusion Dubs 12″. How did this come about – did you approach him or vice versa? What did you think of the results?
“I love what Steve did for the remix. He’s a man who’s motivated by passion and makes incredibly beautiful music. He’s on that dubbed-out analogue tip, which had a huge impact on me in the ’90s and ‘Miles Away’ was a nod to that anyway, so it made sense.”
Where are you based? What’s the music scene in the city like and how do you fit into it?
“Been in Edinburgh now for about seven years. It’s a good place to live, but musically it can be hard…Not many venues left, and clubs close early, etc. Glasgow has far more of a ‘scene’ I suppose, but Gareth Sommerville is still running Ultragroove here which Firecracker has a residency at and Jam the Box are throwing some great nights. I’ve just been a lab-rat for the past year, doing my album, so I’m no authority you know…”
Why did you decide to release your album on Prime Numbers?
“Well they had the faith for a start, but also [label boss, AKA Trus’me] Dave’s a good mate and I believe in what he’s doing with the label. There’s a Bristol connection there as well with Matt Triggs who runs Fat City Records, so it felt right.”
Can you explain the difference between Linkwood and Linkwood Family?
“Well, Linkwood Family was just another way of saying ‘featuring’ at the time….In hindsight that would have been better, because it caused some confusion, but you live and learn.”
Your album features guest turns from Reggie Watts and Fudge Fingas. Tell us a bit more about them and their contributions to the record.
“Yeah, Reggie is quality. We met him when we were DJing before his show at the Edinburgh festival last year…He came down to the studio, ate some curry and we all jammed that track live in one take – it was a good night. Gav Fingas is just a total genius and I love working with him, he’s been making tunes and DJing since the mid-’90s as well and it’s criminal that so few of his tracks are out there, although he’s working on an album at the moment, so look out for that.”
What current producers or artists are you excited about?
“Like I said, I’ve been locked away for a while now, so im a bit out of the loop, but Dollskabeat (Lucy Ross) who I’ve been engeneering for has some amazing material lined up, she also featured on my album, co-writing a track and providing some backing vocals. Vakula from the Ukraine is doing it at the moment, and I can’t wait to hear the new Aquarian Venom tracks finished and on vinyl, it’s Denaji’s new project who has also featured on Firecracker, and the rough cuts I heard blew me away last week!
What can newcomers to the Linkwood sound expect from System?
“10 tracks?”
Tony Essler
