Track by Track: Daniel Avery's Need Electric EP

Daniel Avery is one of those guys whose name seems to pop up repeatedly round these parts. As a DJ he’s long been a faithful resident here with Kill Em All and since dropping the Stopmakingme moniker and hitting out in the production world under his real name he’s started to pick up releases on respected labels like Relish, Throne of Blood and Erol Alkan’s Phantasy. The launch of his Need Electric EP is being celebrated this tomorrow night when Phantasy take over Rooms One and Three, so we thought we’d catch up with Dan and present his new EP whilst letting him take you through the four tracks that make up his EP in his own words. Need Electric: The title track is a good summation of the music I'm making and playing right now. It's a pulsing club record but with some elements designed to wash over a main room like how Kevin Shields' guitars would. There's something about that dynamic which really gets me. The track was made (along with everything else on the EP) entirely on analogue equipment because I wanted the warmth you get from those old machines. Saying that, I never want any of my stuff to sound 'retro', I don't see the point in that theory. The title comes from something my engineer said in the studio about he'd gone out for a big night but ended up watching some quiet folk singers: "I couldn't handle it, I need electric." Taste: This track was made extremely quickly and seems to be the one people are talking about the most. I sent it to a friend as soon as it was done and his reaction was "it's pretty weird". I couldn't have asked for a better response. As soon as I heard the vocals played as different chords, I knew I was onto something. I've stood back and watched Erol play it a few times. The strangest thing is how crowds sing along with the voices, even though they've never heard the record before. One In The Wave: It was important for me to begin the B-side with a non-dancefloor track, this feels like the other side of the coin. It started life at twice the speed but slowing it down brought out the dubby drone within. I've been lost in that loop at the end for hours. The Eagle: I'm really into slow, heavy records. They make up a big part of what I play, especially at fabric where the sound system can really emphasise the throb in them. I'm also a sucker for club records with spoken, female vocals. I knew I wanted someone with an accent and a certain degree of attitude to their voice. Scarlett Etienne fit the bill perfectly and she nailed it in about ten minutes. In many ways, this is my favourite track on the EP. Dan plays Room One tomorrow night.