Touching Bass: Unkwon

Unkwon is the solo project of Danish producer and DJ Anders Dixen. After many years in the Danish music scene as a part of numerous collaborative projects including AvAvAv, Yo Felles and Dokkedal/Dixen, Anders is now focusing on breathing life into his own musical baby Unkwon. Inspired by a sense of melancholy produced by many British artists like Cloud Boat or Airhead, Unkwon evokes an ambient ecstasy that lingers in the mind like the distorted remnants of a fading dream. I recently chatted to Anders over some gin and tonics about the evolution of the music industry and how he manages to avoid getting sucked into the abyss of monotony that constantly threatens to consume it.

NOISEY: Tell me about the mixtape you’ve made for YNTHT.

Anders Dixen AKA Unkwon:It’s basically a combination of some new tracks that immediately caught my ear mixed with some stuff that I’ve always wanted to use on a mixtape. The tempo builds up gradually and then falls back down again at the end. In the higher tempo tracks there is a drum and bass, jungle vibe with really amazing chord progressions, with this “bedroom rave” style that I often lean toward in my own music.

What exactly does “bedroom rave” mean?

It’s like the music from last night’s rave that’s still stuck in your head; a distant, reverb-heavy kind of sound.

So it’s like a music-hangover?

Yeah, exactly.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now I’m focusing on finishing up my next EP. I don’t have a release date yet but it should be within the next five months.

How has Unkwon evolved since last year’s EP Fractures?

The sound has become more organic in a way. I’m trying to make good pop melodies that incorporate “real” sounds. For example, I’ve been experimenting with recording my own acoustics, making the kick drum by knocking on wood, or making the claps myself and looping them up. I have a piano at home that I’m using a lot. I’m also starting to experiment with mashing up my own vocals instead of using R’n’B samples.

What do you think about the current accessibility there is to music samples and programs?

I’m very much into the whole information society and I believe that everything should be available to everyone. But these days every song uses the same sound, just cut up differently. It’s completely fucked up. These Swedish guys did a mash-up of the top 100 songs on the Beatport dance chart, cutting snippets from a bunch of the top dance tracks to make one. And honestly, it could be one song. I mean, that tells you something about the quality of dance and electronic music nowadays; it is just getting deteriorated.

So how do we avoid this deterioration?

I think it also comes down to finding ways to innovate with what already exists. We can’t avoid the fact that everyone has access to the same sounds. I like the idea of taking existing sounds and making something new from them. It’s hard to find something that feels genuine nowadays and that’s what I think is interesting about the British scene. Take an artist like James Blake for example. Even though every element of his sound is overused, you’ve never heard anyone use that sound like he does – it’s genius.

I’m personally trying to limit myself to using only a few synthesisers and sounds, and being really minimal in my new material. I’ve always been working on computers where the possibilities are endless. But the layers tend to camouflage the elements that don’t sound too great. I want to remove all that camouflage, and instead work on making every element sound exactly right.

It’s really the modern day problem of having too many options isn’t it?

Yeah totally. In the old days you had four instruments and all you had to do was to play them! I’m trying to get back to that simplicity. I want to produce music based on fewer sounds that incorporates a bit of an analogue 60s feel to it, while still being electronic.

Why do you think there is this tendency to look at the past in order to move forward?

I think music back then sounded more authentic. A lot of newer rock is being produced on old, heavy, analogue machines and most recording studios nowadays are using old SSL mixers. I actually just did a record with a couple of guys and we mixed it in this big old analogue studio. First we made the whole album on a laptop, took it all out, ran it through a bunch of compressors and equalisers, and finally put it back in the laptop. It seems strange but it really makes the sound more alive, and adds some noise to it that is really pleasing to the human ear.

So you think innovation in technology is our fallback?

The problem is that now you need to be able to hear every element that’s in a mix on an iPhone, and that’s almost impossible! There’s a need to create this low-quality, over-compressed mp3 sound because so many people today are listening to music on their iPhones, and a lot of them aren’t even wearing headphones! It’s like – how the fuck can you listen to this?

What are you listening to on your headphones at the moment?

When I’m at home cooking I’m listening to UK guys like Jamie xx and Burial. Also, Mount Kimbie is always really high on my list, and don’t tell anyone but I think you’ll be able to hear them a lot on my next EP.

Great, well I look forward to hearing it.

TRACKLIST

01 - Vondelpark - Closer (Falty DL Remix)

02 - Samo Sound Boy - Open

03 - DAMH - Seebestattung

04 - Glasser - Shape (Hyetal Remix)

05 - Loops Haunt - Ellum Tonal

06 - Prayer - The Two Halves (Blockes & Escher Remix)

07 - Kloud - Ceremonies

08 - Nudist - Crossroad Wishes