In The Company Of: CORMAC

With Cormac being the co-promoter and weekly resident of Wetyourself, as well as an all round top chap, we can say in all earnest how truly proud we are of his latest success in achieving his debut release on Memo. As a sub-label of Ellen Allien's BPitch Control label, Memo was created specifically for new and emerging talents, and that suits Cormac down to a tee. With the release date set for some time in June, he sure is one talent to keep an eye on over the next few months.

We got in touch with the man himself ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday WYS special and asked a few probing questions to shed some light on his upcoming exciting release, the 'Merlin' EP.

How does it feel to get involved with a label that holds such strong associations with the big boys and girls of techno as Memo has?
Well it feels very positive, it’s very encouraging. The Bpitch/Memo label and family are something I’ve been following since their first releases… I had a rebirth of interest in electronica, techno and electro back in 2001 and Bpitch were central to that. They’ve been a very important label for me, I’ve felt a connection with Ellen and the label since I first started to listen. It feels very special that now that they have felt some connection to me and what I’m doing... It feels good and I feel very lucky also.

It also exciting because as a family they are not just focusing on one style of music… they’re not afraid to take chances on things they believe in, which is daring. Most labels don’t operate this way; Bpitch are quite fearless, free and punk but with a lot of love behind them…. they are hippy punks :)

How long have you been producing for?
I have been producing and working on music since 2003. I first began working in collaboration with Peter Pixzel on our project Cavalier but since then I have collaborated with a few different producers, remixing or making solo material…

How would you describe your 'sound'?
My sound is often darker, more melancholy than what I expect it to be, but that’s the beautiful thing about making music, you’re only ever translating it… At the moment I’m enjoying taking old school elements and combining arranging them in a new school way, stripping things back, keeping things simple... finding 3 or 4 simple strong elements and making them work.

Are there any tracks/producers that stand out as having inspired/influenced your own musical style?
I’m a very lucky guy as I get to work and play alongside so many great DJ/producer talents… I hear a lot of great stuff on a weekly basis so it’s hard to say who from those guys influences me directly. I am drawn to the cold emotionality of techno, but outside of the club I listen to a lot of non techno music. I grew up on The Eurthymics, Fleetwood Mac, Fad Gadget, Talking Heads, Prince and lots of pop music. I take influence from them whether I try to or not… I think in order for me to do something fresh it’s important that I take inspiration from various sources, not just music that’s related to what I’m trying to do..

When I’m writing and singing vocals I prefer to get my ideas from the books I’m reading or the things I’m seeing around.

The title track ‘Merlin’ is a collaboration with Deepgroove. How did you two come to work together?
Grayson and I have known each other some years; I think we met at the Isle of White Festival... it was a great experience to work with him in the studio. We have a lot of similar influences: he’s a techno lover at heart, but is just as much at home listening to Peter Gabriel, so it was very free and easy to bounce ideas around. Plus he’s a friend so the studio time was easily spent; we had a lot of fun.

Do you prefer producing alone or with somebody else?
At present I prefer working with someone, I like the exchange of ideas, and I’m used to it. With WYS! we work as a trio which was very new for me at the start but there’s a real magic in collaborating and trying things that you might not naturally be inclined to do. It widens your risk taking when you work with someone you connect to and trust, and when you allow that trust and freedom many good things can happen..

Do you have any production projects lined up for the future?
Yes, I’m currently working on new material for Memo and for Wetyourself recordings which is an exciting move for Peter, Jacob and myself… The label will showcase our new material and amazing new music from many of our favourite guests and artists: Alex Under, David Keno and Alex Kid to name a few…

How do you come to name your tracks? Is ‘Merlin’ a reference to anything in particular? Wizards etc…
Well, the names never come till the track is finished and then they find their way… There’s a theme on Memo 10 of time and space, mediation, and effort versus letting go. Merlin as a master magician had particular power of time and space, so it seemed fitting…

Anything else you’d like to add?
The Thomas Muller remix of ‘Merlin’ is the BOMB!!!

Catch Cormac at the WYS Easter Bank Holiday Special this Sunday night, a very special three-room WetYourself featuring the sounds of French dance music protégée Sebastian Leger, who will be joining the WYS family in Room One. In Room Two, two the hottest residents, from the infamous Berghain in Berlin, Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann will be taking the crown for techno royalty. Whilst Lucio Aquilina, Mihai Popoviciu and Madzmusic smooth out the debauched techno patterns into some vibrant tech-house rhythms that will make you thank Bank Holiday Monday: party guilt-free all night long. Bottom’s up.