Ukiyo - Interview
There’s not many with the same story as Australian cinematic indie-electronic producer, Ukiyo. At just 23, Ukiyo's music has gained lots of notoriety for it’s cinematic qualities, earning him early support in YouTube videos from Will Smith and Casey Neistat and inclusions in various video syncs with Netflix, HBO, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and countless brands, from American Eagle and Ripcurl to Microsoft and Volkswagen, who have used his work in various ad campaigns. Not to mention a casual 30 million collective streams.
We managed to catch up with him to shoot the breeze about his debut, self-titled LP, Ukiyo LP, which dropped today.
Here’s what he had to say…
1) First and foremost, congratulations on completing your debut album. If you could tell us a little about it's story and how it came to be? What was the driving force behind it?
Thank you! I feel like I’ve been building a Ukiyo universe over the last 4 years with an aesthetic and sound that all ties together, I wanted to make a definitive album that ties it all together and maybe even says goodbye to it in a way as well as I continue to evolve and try new things with the project. I’ve always had a huge love for the Australian music scene so being in the unique position I am as an artist/producer I wanted this album to showcase the amazing talent we have brewing here.
2) It's a very unique sound that you've developed and seems to incorporate loads of different styles and genres. Can you tell us a bit about your influences and where you draw your inspiration from?
I’m hugely influenced by John Williams and other classical music like Gustav Holst, Debussy & Erik Satie. As I’ve grown as a producer, I’ve continued to go back to teach myself more about the techniques classical composers use. Beyond that I’m hugely influenced by producers like Flume, Porter Robinson, Madeon, Jon Hopkins, Tame Impala and Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra).
3) Is there a creative process or ritual you follow to get in the zone before hitting the studio?
I’ve always had to isolate myself to create what I deem as a ‘Ukiyo’ song. Something about it is deeply personal to me & the process I go through to get to a finished product is one of a lot of trial and error that’d make anyone in ear shot go insane. Before hitting the studio I’ll usually head to the gym or go for a walk for some inspiration. Sometimes I’ll just get the best of both worlds and take my studio to the park or beach.
4) A very well produced project with a lot of different sounds in there. Can you give us a rundown of what instruments, synths and sequencers helped forge the finished product?
On a hardware side there’s not a lot that’s particularly interesting to report beyond my laptop & some headphones, though I do use a lot of hardware emulation software for a whole range of stuff from vinyl crackles to vintage synths. I was lucky enough to get to use some real ones and sprinkle some layers here and there on the album too. On a software side I use Ableton and am a huge fan of the stock Wavetable synth that comes included since Ableton 10, so that’s one that’s been used over and over. I’m a big fan of Synplant, Sylenth & Diva as well.
5) What struck me was the amount of vocalists that you've got on there. Was it always the vision to have so many featured artists and was it difficult to assemble so many?
The vision for the album definitely changed over time. At the beginning I had a nearly all instrumental concept album that was split into two parts - “Earth” and “Space”. I’ve started meeting a lot of new people that are in music over the last couple years though and that inspired me to push for a lot more vocal based stuff and to make the album a little more accessible. I still have a huge love for instrumental music though and I hope the tracks that didn’t make the cut get to see the light of day through future releases or something like a deluxe album!
6) What's the music scene like in Australia?
Absolutely thriving! Obviously I’m a little biased but I think we have one of the most diverse and consistently amazing music landscapes in the world, it inspires me to work hard to keep up with the amazing things everyone else is putting out.
7) What artists are you listening to just now? Who's been aiding your escapism during these strange times?
I’ve been listening to a lot of 70s music like Electric Light Orchestra & Fleetwood Mac. I’ve been thinking a lot about taking Ukiyo in a more real instrument-based direction because of it.
8) You've had some incredible support from the likes of Will Smith to Pharell Williams and even Netflix. How would you describe your journey so far? Would you say you've exceeded your expectations or have you still got a bit to go?
I’ve absolutely exceeded any realistic expectations I had and am grateful everyday that I don’t have to sell ice cream or fix computers anymore. What an insane way to make your living. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am but I also know that I’ve been very lucky to have found people that connect to what I make and I never take that for granted.
9) So what's next for Ukiyo? What's in the pipe-line for the rest of 2020 and beyond?
A lot more music, some cool videos, more content, livestreams, leaking demos, side projects & some writing/production for others too!
10) And lastly, any final shouts?
Shout out to Bengal Spice tea, 10/10
Be sure to add it to your Spotify playlists here… this one’s not to be missed
