Joshua Harvey, aka Hervé, is a man of many aliases. You may know him as The Count (with Sinden), Voodoo Chilli, Speaker Junk, Action Man, Dead Soul Brothers and Young Lovers.

Following on from his second studio album, Hallucinated Surf, released last summer, the long established UK producer has released ‘Last Lovers Left Alive’, featuring male vocalist Rothchild, the first single from Part 2 of his album Skint Hq.

Q: To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?

A: As Herve I think I would describe it as bass orientated club music. Taking references from bass, house, hip hop, jungle, grime, electro and on the flip side my downtempo stuff i would describe as gothic/hip hop/indie/electronica.

Q: What are the 5 albums that have influenced you the most?

A: Aphex Twin – ambient selection Volume 1

Burial – Untrue

Boards Of Canada – Music Has The Right to Children

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless

Kraftwerk – Man Machine

Read the full interview on The Playground.

Maud Geffray will be releasing her fantastic new debut album on May 12th.

A part of the Scratch Massive duo since 2003, the French producer has indulged her own musical tastes and influences with this solo project. Fusing electro, synth and pop styles into absorbing tracks that are filled with a nostalgic charm, the album also features a track by acclaimed producer Flavien Berger.

We caught up with Maud for a chat, ahead of her release….

Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
Well, I just moved yesterday to  a new area of Paris. More quiet with a beautiful view from my flat. I feel good.

To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?
Pop, electronic, emotional, a dark mood with a bright touch.

What are the 5 albums that have influenced you the most?
Aphex Twin / Ambient Work
Autechre / Amber
Depeche Mode / 101
Grimes / Visions
Burial / Untrue

Which other artists are you into at the moment and why?
Grimes, Fatima Al Kadiri , Amnesia Scanner, Voiron. I like the sound they have – the emotion, the feeling.

Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound?
I use synthesizers. I love the Korg Wavestation and the Korg Minilogue. I use a lot of plug-ins too.

What would you say some of the challenges artists face today in the music industry?
There’s less money in music industry, so you have to be involved in all parts of your musical project, I think. You can’t wait for somebody else to take care of everything. You have to be aware and maybe oversee more than just your music.

Where do you gather songwriting inspiration?
In my life and in my personal experiences

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting your music together?
I always begin with a melody. I need to be totally in a musical mood. It’s about sensations first, then I put voices inside this mood. It can be pieces of voices only, sometimes not completely understandable but I  can write some understandable words too. But it’s never the text before the music.

What’s the best gig you have ever done and why?
The Moma PS1 in NYC, it’s a fantastic venue in a museum in The Bronx! In summer!

And the worst?
When you don’t get to the party due to airports and plane problems. The worst parts of our job.

If you weren’t a musician what would you be?
No idea. Maybe I would be some kind of artistic director, listening to the music of other musicians, giving my opinion, some directions, helping  and being involved in their process.

If you could perform alongside any other band or artist, living or dead, who would it be?
I would choose to play with Philip Glass, even if I was totally unable to actually do this.

Do you have any particular gigs or festivals that you dream about playing?
No, sometimes you play in a little venue and it’s just a crazy moment, and sometimes a famous one you were waiting for  turns out to be very impersonal.

Don’t miss the  Maud Geffray Polaar Release Party – at Gaité Lyrique on June 9th.
Special guests: Chloé, Philipp Gorbachev, VOIRON, Casual Gabberz & Krampf

Up and coming electronic artist and  producer, Loraine James, is about to release her debut full length album Detail, via Fu Inle Records. The launch event will take place on Friday May 6, hosted by Young/Dead.

Immensely prolific, she’s self released 13 EPs on her bandcamp, and has been building up a following around the North/East London electronic and post-rock scenes, playing frequently at the Cocoa Butter Club, The Good Ship, and Young/Dead.

Her seemingly effortless blending of electronica, jazz, ambience, minimalism, trip-hop, math-rock and spoken word/sampling is delicate, beguiling and thoughtful. Rich tonal colours, massive variety within a cohesive whole and sensitive collaborations make this a record that we’re unspeakably proud to be involved with and very keen to expose to as many listeners as possible.
We caught up with her ahead of the show and she had this to say….

Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?

Hi, I’m a little stressed out but otherwise feeling groovy. I am rehearsing for my headline show on May 6th.

To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?

I would describe my sound as ambient, sometimes glitchy, sometimes dancy and sometimes music-y. I’m influenced by genres from IDM to math rock. Even to genres I don’t like.

What are the 5 albums that have influenced you the most?

Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Lusine – Serial Hodgepodge
Toe – For Long Tomorrow
The Mercury Program – A Data Learn The Language
Proem – Socially Inept

Which other artists are you into at the moment and why?

I’ve been massively into Aoki Takamasa, and has influenced my upcoming album. ‘Parobolica’ is his album that has been on repeat for me and have found myself paying attention to where sounds are being panned, as well as reusing sounds from other projects.

Ametsub is another Japanese electronic musician who I came across on a Japanese IDM playlist on YouTube. His music is more on the melodic side which I’m very into as well as his use of sound design.

Where do you gather songwriting inspiration?

This might sound as cheesy as a cheese sandwich, but my main source of inspiration is the sky. The sky can create many different moods that tend to influence my music.

What’s the best gig you have ever done and why?

The best gig I’ve ever done would be Excuses Not To Dance at The Good Ship in March 2017. It was my first time using vocals in over a year, as I’m not very confident in that area. The energy was great and I didn’t mess up! (Which is always fun).

And the worst?

The worst would be at The Cocoa Butter Club at Her Upstairs in January 2017. This gig was only the worst in terms of my performance, because I had accidentally switched my midi keyboard off and felt as if I was a bit sloppy. But the crowd there was the best I’ve ever played to, and I enjoyed every moment of it!

If you weren’t a musician what would you be?

Hmm ehh erm, I wanted to be a footballer at one point, then a wrestler so I have no idea.

If you could perform alongside any other band or artist, living or dead, who would it be?

I would love to perform alongside Telefon Tel Aviv. One of my favourite acts of all time, and recently saw their show at the Jazz Cafe.

Don’t miss Loraine James’ launch for debut full length album Detail, due out on May 6 via Fu Inle Records. For more info on the event click here.

Listen to Loraine James’ Songs for 2017: