Introducing... Blue Daisy

In terms of sound, Camden resident Blue Daisy has always stood apart from the crowd. His early works like ‘Space Ex’ and the ‘Strings Detached EP’ on the Black Acre label were jittery yet accomplished releases. Working from the same electronic template as a lot of artists Daisy was proving to be emotive, adequately conveying the connection to and sense of occasion of his music with such poise that underground figure head, and recently minted XFM host, Mary Anne Hobbs showed enthusiastic support on her BBC Radio One show before any of his music was even physically released. With hungry ears pressed in his direction then, he’s released two further singles, the collaborative ‘Raindrops EP’ with vocalist Anneka and the ‘3rd Degree’ EP, developing his style and musical narrative in the run up to his first album. Due in October, ‘The Sunday Gift,’ is a culmination of sorts for Blue Daisy. Whilst his early work earned him comparisons to Massive Attack, Burial and Flying Lotus his debut album stoically carves him out of the allegory quagmire, resting firmly in his own niche. Sprawling out like ambient cosmic missions, the tracks join together, segueing together passages of weightless noise and scruffy beats that sit content under the layers of drone and shadow. The songs bleed into each other, infecting the next piece with either pomp and drive or an unsettled air. The Sunday Gift is darker than I expected it to be. There’s a big emphasis on sound design and ambience that I think has only really been hinted at on your singles to date… Would you say that’s fair? Yes indeed, I fully agree that the sound identified on the album is darker than my previous EP's/singles to date but nevertheless it’s not diverting from the foundation. I see it as a growth or progress. You know like, if you decide that you want to build a house you draw out ideas and start from the ground up. That’s how I vision my progress with my music; from my first release to now, my debut LP, I just see it as a growth and maturity. What producers influenced that sprawling noise approach do you think? What music are you listening to? I wouldn't say my approach on the album was influenced by any producers to be honest, I'm the type of person who works in his own world, like I just block everything that is going on around me out when I get into mode. But in terms of who I was listening to mostly during the making of the album, I had Grouper on play, Julien Neto, Murcof , Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and a few others, but the ones mentioned where getting their play count points up consistently. It gives the album a definite sense of unity, like the ‘Interlude’ before ‘Only For You,’ it sets it up perfectly. Were you constantly thinking of the album as a whole, or were you joining bits together? From the get go my approach to making the album was based on it being a journey and I made sure that I kept that vision from the 1st track to the last. It was weird working that way cause I'd make one song and end with the beginning of the next idea I’d have in mind, leave it for days, even weeks, then return and continue the journey, it was a very different approach to how I’ve written music for previous releases, but saying that, in my unreleased/unheard archive I do have a few projects that I approached with the same ‘one journey’ feel. Like I'ma have an EP coming out on Hoya:Hoya sometime after the album called "An Emperor's Tale’ and this EP definitely has the same approach. How long did it take you? I mean, there’s been a definite lull in material Blue Daisy from you in the lead up to it… Yes, you could say that I just went underground, into the bat cave and just put my blood sweat and tears into this record for near enough a year. I mean I had written the album within 8/9months but it was the final mixes, which I did all myself, that led to me working on it for nearly 12 months. But during the making of the album I made at least six EP's in my spare time. I have a lot of time you see… But yeah I guess you can see it as the calm before the storm… You say Blue Daisy ‘represents being different, being an outcast’… do you feel like you’re working outside of the normal confines? I mean to be labeled as a ‘beats’ producer has always felt off the mark for you, there’s always been a textural richness to it? Yes, I’ve never been one to subject myself in one category, I'm a producer/musician/artist, and like I said before I live in my own world outside the real world so I’ve never really fitted in to one scene in my opinion. It's easy to just throw labels out and all, but there are a lot of labels that just don't need to be attached to certain persons. I mean I find it funny that I get labeled as a ‘beats’ producer when actually my first ever release featured a vocalist, LaNote, yes my 2nd release ‘Strings Detached’ was more beat based but in all fairness the songs on the EP where like a year and a bit old before their release. I think and hope the album will completely eradicate the ‘beats’ label attachment and bring a better, more open minded understanding of what I do. But all that aside, regardless of what box they put me in I’ma sit in it but break it, then one will have to create a new box which I’ll then break to. I’ll keep breaking boxes until they get fed up of trying to box me in.. Ha! You’re playing here for Hoya Hoya, a night and a crew I know you’ve played with before. What do you have in store with the live show and everything? Yeah, Hoya is like family. There's no other place that I feel more at home when with the Hoya crew. I've found good friends and exceptional talent in those guys. Jonny and Ryan have built something really special with Hoya Hoya; it’s not just another club night or label it’s more a group of friends who by chance all seem to share a great love for music and forward thinking art. What do I have planned for the live show? As it stands, Nothing!! Hahaha!! To be fair though, I never usually have set plans for my live shows, I just kinda go out there and do whatever it is I want to do.. But what I can say is that it’s gonna be a blissful night. SO BE THERE OR JUST JOG ON! Haha… Also, I'll be previewing the album exclusively on Mary Anne Hobbs XFM show on 3rd September… Catch Blue Daisy performing live on the 9th September in Room Three alongside Hoya Hoya residents Illum Sphere, Jonny Dub, Éclair Fifi, Jon K and Eliphino.