MIX : OBSKÜR
The Irish duo OBSKÜR is one of those projects that feels instantly familiar. Their energetic tracks send back to the classic vibes of 90s rave parties, evoking the de-saturated VHS images of monster crowds going wild in a field, somewhere in the UK. But Lorcan McCarthy & Faustas Astrauska’s music isn’t just a throwback to the golden days of dance music. With a handful of edgy releases, the duo has explored and redefined electronic music with its characteristic modern flair. While their single Bayside is going viral, their performances have positioned them as one of the top acts to watch. We had a chat with Lorcan and Faustas to learn more about their process. The pair has also prepared a relentless mix for us while we wait to see them live again soon.
Hi guys! How have you been doing lately?
We have been doing great! We've got plenty of studio time in getting a lot of new music made along with some guest mixes and catching up on college work.
You recently released the single Bayside. What was your mindset when you produced it?
Bayside was actually one of the first tracks we made since coming together under the alias. We made the record at one of our first studio sessions. We had after an eventful day of getting our first press pics taken (they were awful lol). We sat down to make the track with the intention of coming out with a feel-good track that embraces the amazing sounds of the 90s and combining it with some more fresh sounds.
Bayside features a sample from A.D.O.R’s classic One For The Trouble. What do you look for in a sample?
We both have a soft spot for old hip hop vocals as they really seem to work well in house music nowadays. We actually found the vocal in a sample pack at first and after spending some time chopping it up a little and picking out bits that we thought suited the instrumental well, Bayside was born.
How do you approach DJ-ing? What makes a good DJ set, in your opinion?
We both took on DJ-ing when we were about 13, after all those years of messing about and learning the trade with plenty of ups and downs along the way we've managed to get a good hang of it. Being a solid selector definitely takes the number one spot in curating a good DJ set. The ability to tell a story through a set and progressing from slow tempo tracks to more fast-paced tunes along with having the skill to tell what sort of tracks and elements within the tracks people are digging at the time. Good blending and mixing also play a part in a good set from a technical point of view.
What are some of your production tools at the moment? What do you use them for and what do you like about them?
At the moment our favourite production tools would have to be our Arturia DrumBrute along with our Novation Impulse 61 midi keyboard. The DrumBrute really helps us with creating clean analog drum compositions which we think really sets our new productions apart from our older ones which consisted of digital drum samples. As for the keyboard, it just really opens up so many possibilities for melody creation, and with hard-hitting stabs at the heart of our productions, it's been a huge help. Rave Generator and Sylenth have also been such massive tools in terms of sound selection and creation.
Bayside has had a positive reception on Tik Tok. As musicians, what do you guys think of this platform?
Tik Tok has been a huge part of people's lives this year and has become one of the biggest if not the biggest social media platform so it's great to be able to feature on it. The most important thing to us is having our music heard and Tik Tok has been such a major tool in regards to that.
Are there any artists that have kept you inspired lately? What do you like about what they do?
In terms of musicians that have inspired us throughout the last few months, it would definitely have to be Ben Hemsley & Patrick Topping. Seeing what the lads have been getting up to during lockdown to stay busy has really inspired us, Ben’s King of Darkness EP really blew us away when it dropped a few weeks back. In terms of Patrick, he's been killing it with live streams, social distanced events and even managing his label at the same time. Seeing all of this has given us hope that we will get back to the dance floor soon.
What kind of mix have you prepared for us today?
Seeing as we can’t get out onto a dance floor, we decided to make this mix to remind ourselves and everyone that listen what it will feel like when we finally get back to the clubs whenever that will be.
With the hope of being able to play live again, we are buzzing to unleash all the new music we have made over lockdown and finally be able to play it out in a sweaty club somewhere in the world.
OBSKÜR’s Bayside is out now on FFRR.
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