While Always Yours marks Tronchin’s fifth album as Chevel, it is the first ever LP on Different Circle, the seminal imprint of neo-grime dons Mumdance and Logos [see zweikommasieben #11]. Considering Chevel has made himself a name in the techno scene—with releases on Stroboscopic Artefacts, New York Haunted and his own Enklav.—this novelty was reason enough to ask some questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tY7Ge24Z3w&feature=youtu.be
Remo Bitzi Although you’ve released your music on more techno-oriented labels in the past, it sometimes had an (instrumental) grime-vibe (in particular Blurse on Stroboscopic Artefacts). Would you agree?
Dario Tronchin Yeah I agree, I see that as a natural progression to be honest. I am a bit sick of producing the same thing over and over again, so I wanted to widen the spectrum of techno to people, to bring in different influences and possibilities to club music. Grime might be one root if you hear it; even though I know very little about grime. I like to vibe however.
RB How and when did you get into (instrumental) grime?
DT I guess the first encounter was at Berghain back in 2008 or 2009, when I heard Mala DJing. It’s not really grime you know, more dubstep, but this UK influence all started from there. Digging the Hardwax UK-import crates was a great add as well. I then attended a few Different Circles nights in 2015 in London and a grime Boiler Room too; that was inspirational. Same goes for the work of Mumdance and Logos of course; funny enough I am releasing with them now.
RB Mumdance and Logos have coined the term “weightless.” How do you relate to that?
DT I think it exactly represents my quest in electronic music, to take a break from “one-genre-only” records or performances. I can relate to that in terms of taking risks and leave that crowd-pleasing comfort zone a lot of artists are sadly inhabiting.
RB While the first couple of releases on Different Circle featured exclusively British producers (and Rabit from the US), last year’s Weightless Volume 2 saw Shapednoise from Italy and FIS from New Zealand stepping up the game among others. Is (weightless) grime in your eyes expanding? How did it reach you?
DT I think it’s not that grime is expanding but weightless is. We millennials are experiencing a completely different club environment than, say, the early ravers back in 1988 and 1989 or later ones. The Internet changed everything and so music reaches me online in most cases. I see these people online sharing the same passion and aesthetic from completely diverse parts of the world and that of course reflects on the live and club experience. I see people interested in hearing experimental stuff in the club too, the same they might have listened to at home, on their computers.
It’s great and refreshing for the whole music makers and lovers I believe. Take an example of what Mark Leckey initiated, or Mark Fell and Lorenzo Senni a bit later on.
RB Expansion often means diffusion. How can genres further evolve if everybody starts blending in all kinds of things?
DT I find it hard to speak about genres. It’s something that always scared me the most—to be part of a scene, or be associated with a specific club or a specific city.
I’d rather find my own path, work on my own signature sound and be my own brand, let’s say. So I find it hard to reply, but I’m surely happy that club and experimental music are finally sharing the same paths.
RB I’ve discussed with Mumdance for the 11th issue of our print magazine how he experienced the scene for experimental music coming from a more pop-background. He said that he was “very lucky, actually, to have been accepted in the circles” he is moving in now. “If they don’t think you’re real, they don’t let you in,” he goes on. You’ve had a career in techno. How do you experience releasing on a weightless label now? Was it hard to get into that scene?
DT This question is hard to answer to be honest. I guess if Mumdance and Logos decided to put my album out, it means they think of me as being real. [Laughs] That said, I don’t really think in terms of scenes, even if I am well aware of them. I am scared to be part of one specific thing, as I see my music evolving continuously. But yeah, it feels refreshing and surreal to make another step ahead, considering my background, and to release the first artist album on Different Circles.
RB From what I know there hasn’t been a track with a (grime) MC that you’ve produced. Is that something you’d like to explore?
DT No, I never worked with an MC before. But I used quite a few acapellas, like these “Flying” and “And Again” acapellas by Wiley, which I blend in with my instrumentals during live shows.
It’s definitely something I want to do in the future though—let’s see what happens. It would be great to work with mainstream rappers, too.
RB …mainstream rappers like who for example?
DT To name a few mainstream rappers I really like I’d say Frank Ocean, Kanye West or Yung Lean.
RB Is working with samples (as the one taken from “You Da Baddest” by Future feat. Nicki Minaj) a soft start into working with MCs and rappers?
DT Ah, yes, ot might be the first approach to treat a voice; it turned into a pretty melancholic song.
RB Your top 3 grime tracks?
DT Novelist and Mumdance’s “1 Sec,” Wiley’s “Blue Bottle Kiwi” and “Step 2001” by Zomby and Wiley.
