Please introduce yourself...
My name's Rohan, I'm from North London and I got into production about six years ago by simply messing about with Fruityloops and making backing tracks to noodle on guitar over.

How would you describe your sound?
I try to make a sound that is simultaneously organic and at the same time brutally synthesised and technological. Similar to the paintings of HR Giger in a way, but not quite as dark... you have to have a sense of humour sometimes!

Who or what inspires your music?
I try to keep an open mind and find parts of every type of music to enjoy. I'm not quite sure how I get inspired though, if I knew I would probably be a lot more prolific. There is nothing like the experience of being in a club with an amazing soundsystem or hearing something that you did not think was possible to create.

Tell us more about your recent Med School release, it's quite different for the label...
I often find myself straddling the line between genres in the music I make and, luckily for me, Med School / Hospital are open-minded enough to put it out. Scapegoat is 140bpm and it's my own twist on the new UK funky house sound that is getting ever more popular. Flipside Appetite is half-tempo drum & bass and is heavily influenced by the 'wonky' side of instrumental hip-hop.

 

 

What are you currently working on?
At the moment I am trying to step up my game by pushing myself to write more music and be more creative / original in what I am creating. I'm constantly thinking of the next musical boundary to bridge.

What do you have coming out next?
There's plenty of music in the pipeline and I am working towards my debut album. Obviously Scapegoat has only just come out, so you'll have to hold tight for what comes next!

 

Done any interesting remixes recently?
I am currently working on a remix for the rock band Placebo and earlier this month I was commissioned by the BBC Asian Network to remix a piece called My Heart My Life by the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

You have a unique sound and your tracks have crossover appeal and get support from the likes of Annie Mac, Toddla T, Danny Byrd, Pete Tong, Nerm, Reso, Fabio, Zane Lowe and High Contrast. Why do you think this is and was it a surprise initially?
It was surprising initially, just as it is for anyone who has slaved away in their bedroom for years not knowing if their music is any good or if it will go anywhere in the future. I think a lot of the appeal for my music comes from the current musical climate, people seems to be a lot more open-minded. In electronic music, traditionally there has been lot of segregation between scenes and even subgenres, but it has been turned on its head probably due in many parts to the internet. Purists and critics might complain of possible gentrification of the raw elements being mixed in the music, but at the end of the day the roots never die out and the underground is always there, however small.

Do you ever collaborate in the studio? Who would be your dream collaborator?
I have collaborated in the studio quite a few times with Ed from REDS, in fact my debut release Autonomy on Med School featured him. We have a unique chemistry when it comes to writing tracks as we both come at a track from such different angles musically. It's tough to say who my dream collaborator would be in terms of dance music, for me it's about finding people who you can bounce inspiration off to create an original idea that neither of you would have thought of had you been on your own.

What tracks, producers and labels are you feeling at the moment?
Tracks: Untold - I Can't Stop This Feeling (Pangaea Remix), Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts #5, Lil Silva - Different, Hint - Tape Packs, Pangaea - Why. Producers: Hint, Hudson Mohawke, Joe, Pangaea, Untold, Darkstar. Labels: Tru Thoughts, Hessle Audio, Hyperdub, Hemlock

Anything else you'd like to tell us about?
I'm hungry? Oh yeah, head over to www.myspace.com/randomerdnb to download a free 320 MP3 of a track called Rough Sex...

 

• Randomer
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• Med School

Related Links:

• Video: Randomer On His Musical Influences
• Hessle Audio Announce 116 & Rising LP
• Looking Back Looking Forward: Med School
• Podcast 03
• Pangaea Interview

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