Resident Focus: Weird Weather

Tell us a little about yourself, where you are in the world.

Duncan: I run a recording studio called MAP in Kentish Town, I’m a recent father and owner of a highly strung whippet named Arrow. We’ve kinda operated from opposite sides of London, I’m North, Laurie South. I’ve had a brief hiatus living on a boat for three years - mainly out in Hertfordshire on the Grand Union and then switched things up to be down in Camber Sands for stretch. Just moved back to the capital - It’s good to be back.

Laurie: I’ve been living in Lewisham, South London for a long time. I’ve moved so far out over the years I feel like I’m dropping off the map but there's still plenty to love here. Small venues like Spanners in Loughborough Junction and Black Tower Projects in Sydenham are throwing wicked DIY parties with live sets full of surprises. The studio has a load of cassettes we've collected during our travels: preachers, folk singers, meditation tapes. Sometimes we plunder those for voices by creating loops using an old Walkman. We did that a few times on the new record, like on The Drunken Monk

Tell us about your new record.

Duncan: Good things come to those who wait!

Laurie: Tell me about it, so happy it’s out of our heads and into the world!

Duncan: Our process usually starts by creating a really elaborate fucked up audio signal chain and just taking it from there. It usually means a good deal of editing, shoehorning and smoothening is required later down the line! We’re lucky enough to have access to a pretty nice studio with lots of gear, some quite posh - like an (Eventide) H3000 (legendary multi-effects processor) and something kinda trashy like a Dynacord Echo (tape echo) or a Boss HM2 ‘heavy metal’ distortion pedal. Our sound is basically combining those elements - taking absolute crud and polishing it until it starts to sing!

What artists do you think are criminally underrated?

Duncan: I was pondering again today how ahead of his time Bernard Parmegiani was and how he was basically the great grandfather of industrial. I remember being introduced to his work when I was at Uni, it still blows my mind he made all those rich visceral sounds just using tape. I’m still at a loss as to how he achieved it. It was so much more forward looking than the other music concrete composers of the time.

Laurie: Trevor Mathison, an artist / filmmaker / musician from the Black Audio Film Collective. ‘From Signal to Decay’ is an incredibly inspiring vision of dub-industrial at its best.

What song is playing at your funeral?

Duncan: I dunno probably For Whom The Bell Tolls (by Metallica) or something…

Laurie: Lars hitting that anvil as you’re lowered into the ground.

What is inspiring you outside of music right now?

Duncan: I’ve been on a bit of a wild ride of back to back house moves sandwiched with the arrival of baby. Not had a huge amount of space for cultural inspiration per se but actually the ride has been pretty inspiring in and of itself. Also the recent stretch living down in Camber (near Dungeness Nuclear Power station) has had some inspiring moments - the skies down there are incredible.

Favourite thing to hear in nature?

Laurie: Probably the sound of the sea at night.

Duncan: I’d second that, I’m also a big fan of creaking trees

What can we expect coming up from Weird Weather?

Laurie: Working on new music - the album took a while so we should get started on the follow-up now whilst we’re only half-grey (!). We’ve got a couple of unreleased remixes by Mother that are finally going to see the light of day. Look out for those. Putting together tracks for DJ sets and then there's the live set…

Duncan: The live set is definitely the next thing on the list. We’re not in such bad shape as we’ve done gigs with the album material last year. It’s always good to refresh things though - keeps us on our toes. Should have some gigs lined up for later in the year. Stay tuned!