Rising Melbourne-based virtuoso LUCIANBLOMKAMP‘s breakout 2014 single “Help Me Out” was our first introduction to the one-of-a-kind producer, who has both a classical background, and a penchant for thumping, multi-faceted electronic soundscapes. One year on, Lucian is back with “From Afar”, the epic debut single from his upcoming sophomore LP ‘Bad Faith’. In the lead-up to his national headline tour, we got the full rundown from the man himself on what’s exactly been going on in his world.
How did LUCIANBLOMKAMP begin? Can you run us through your classical musical background, up to releasing ‘Post-Nature’?
Lucian: LUCIANBLOMKAMP actually started very unintentionally. I had always mainly been a violinist until around early 2010. Back then, I only made acoustic music – mainly because I didn’t know how to achieve anything else while solely relying on myself as a source of sound. I actually only got into producing as a way of expanding the sounds I could create in my songs. Seeing as, back then, I was new to producing, LUCIANBLOMKAMP was originally just an outlet for my learning process as a producer. I was just uploading drafts of songs and remixes onto SoundCloud to begin with. It hit a point in early 2013 where I realised that I had so much original content, and felt like I’d grown so much as a musician, that I ought to start putting together actual releases and sharing them.
Did you find the Melbourne music scene stimulating for you as a younger artist?
L: Melbourne has such a great music scene. When I first started to play shows, I found myself being really influenced by the people around me. I feel like I’ve now grown out of this stage of being easily influenced, but I still think the scene is exceptionally motivating.
So did you feel you had a strong community or other musicians/artists to connect with as you were shaping your taste and sound?
L: Yes and no. Seeing as I used to go to a music school, pretty much everyone I know, including my girlfriend, is a musician. In saying that, I feel like everyone has gone on a somewhat different path creatively. We all like sharing our thoughts on music generally, but that’s pretty much as far as it goes.
How did you find yourself arriving at the LUCIANBLOMKAMP sound? There’s a real rich complexity in what you produce. Where do you draw that from?
L: I think it makes sense when you consider why I started producing. It was never an intentional decision to specifically make electronic music – it’s just what coincidentally came naturally. So from that perspective, I try my best to not consider what I do as a particular style. That way, nothing has to fall into a particular pigeonhole. I don’t have to watch my back as far as any kind of stylistic context. I think that’s what always keeps things fresh for me.
You won FBi Radio’s ‘Northern Lights’ competition shortly after releasing ‘Post-Nature’. Can you tell us about that experience? How was brushing shoulders with heavyweights like Caribou and The Flaming Lips?
L: I’m not sure if it was the volcanic fumes or my genuine sense of awe, but the whole experience still feels like a bit of a dream. Before and after the trip, it’s been hard to believe it even happened. All of the shows went so well, and I had such great company during the trip. More than anything though, it was an incredible feeling to travel to the other side of the planet and see people engaging with my music. It was a giant eye-opener.
Do you feel that “From Afar” is a continuation of the work you did on ‘Post-Nature’, or was there a moment where you put that approach in the past and started afresh?
L: While there are a lot of large differences between ‘Post-Nature’ and ‘Bad Faith’, there was never a point where I intentionally decided that I was going to take the sound in a different direction. I feel in some ways that ‘Bad Faith’ is actually just a far more concise version of Post-Nature. It’s nice to look back and see that I’ve progressively grown into my own sound.
I can hear some fresh experimentation in “From Afar” – particularly with the structure of the song, and how it leaps from texture to texture. Can we expect some more experimental moments with your upcoming new material? Are you exploring new genres or textures this time around?
L: I think it’s a bit of a ‘same-same but different’ situation. I think this new material is actually far more particular and doesn’t jump around as much stylistically from song to song. Some of the biggest changes include a much stronger emphasis on physical instrumentation and a generally more minimal approach to the song structures. I would say the project is always going to be experimental regardless.
The video for “From Afar” is, in my opinion, a perfect artistic fit for the song. Did you collaborate with Tess Hutson on the concept?
L: Yeah – the video is essentially a direct visual representation of the song’s subject matter. “From Afar” is about a sense of disconnection, and there were originally a few different ideas of how we could best portray this concept. It was Tess’ idea to make the protagonist’s feelings completely internal, rather than something visual. It leaves far more open to interpretation as to what’s going on inside the protagonist’s head. I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out.
How are you feeling about your ‘From Afar’ tour? Are there some nerves there about playing your new material?
L: There are some definite nerves. It’s been a really long time since I’ve played a headlining show, which always adds a lot of pressure to know people are there purely to see you. It’s also obviously very exciting to look forward to. I’m simultaneously panicking and feeling ecstatic.
Is there anything you learnt from touring ‘Post-Nature’ that has changed your approach to shows?
L: The biggest change in the live set that I can openly talk about is the visual aspect. I’ve been lucky enough to have Brendan Harwood from The Operatives create a full visual element to the show. I really think people will love what he’s come up with – I’ve been blown away by his work. There are also some big changes to the instrumental side of the show that I’ve been cooking up, but that might just have to stay a secret for now…
If you could describe a LUCIANBLOMKAMP live show in just three words, what would they be?
L: Dark, evolving, and loud.
To buy tickets for the “From Afar” tour, head here.
Don’t forget to catch the amazing new video for “From Afar”: