LUCIANBLOMKAMP is one of Australia’s most underrated musicians. Entirely self produced/written/sung/played/everything else, he has just released his second album and we could not get enough of it even if we tried. His dark, brooding brand of electronica bubbles and pulses, jolting in sudden directions and plunging into depths that only the tormented would know. Titled Bad Faith, this album serves as a snapshot into someone’s life which has been plagued with doubt, fear, angst and much more. It also sounds incredible.
Now, on the eve of his double headline national tour with fellow electronic wizard Lower Spectrum, our excitement to see this record live is reaching a critical point. We had the pleasure of interviewing him last year, but this time around we thought we’d ask him about his influences. What makes him tick. A fellow hip-hop head like most of us here at Howl & Echoes, we couldn’t resist the chance to find out what hip-hop producers have inspired Lucian the most. You can check out his answers below, as well as the dates for this mega tour. They are not shows you will want to miss!
Hip-hop’s always played a big part in my music, with percussive grooves and rhythms in particular having made a large impact on the way I put together my songs. Here are a few hip-hop producers who have impacted the way I write my music.
40
The man, the myth, the legend. There’s not much left to say about Noah ’40’ Shebib that hasn’t already been said. I wouldn’t imagine there are many hip-hop influenced producers out there that haven’t either been directly or indirectly influenced by him. Even if you aren’t a fan, there’s no denying that his production style has paved the way for thousands of other producers and shaped the sound of modern hip-hop.
LTGL
I generally tend to really like tracks that’ll take a turn I wasn’t expecting. LTGL essentially wrote the book on unexpected twists and turns. It’s similarly very refreshing to hear a bass-heavy/beatsy producer that doesn’t seem to take themselves too seriously. You can’t go a few seconds without a new wacky, obscure and un-quantised sample. This is the beauty that is LTGL.
Mr Carmack
Similar to 40, Mr Carmack’s influence to modern hip-hop/beat music is undeniably enormous. A couple of years ago he was one of the first producers who really opened my eyes to the world of un-quantised beats. Despite his signature sounds, his use of rhythm has become iconic.
Mndsgn
My favourite aspect of Mndsgn is his ability to create simplistic lo-fi beats that still pack a powerful punch when necessary. Almost all of his tracks feature minimal layering and instrumentation, and it’s this minimalism that really bring out the subtle and important aspects in his songs.
Image: Pilerats