Now Out // Current Value - Quantum Physics LP, Filthcast & Interview

Out and available to buy on Beatport now!

Following a long, evolving and successful career in electronic music production, Current Value continues to clamber the heights of notoriety. Some of the highlights of 2012 brought him the prestige of collaborating with Bjork on her acclaimed Biophilia album, as well as releasing the 1st and 4th parts of her remix series; with forward thinking DnB reinterpretations of Crystalline and Thunderbolt. The year also saw the re-release of his Noisia remix ‘Soul Purge’ on the famed Mau5trap label, another example of his continuing collaboration with some of the world’s top artists.

Tim Eliot’s sound has continued to push the boundaries of Drum and Bass production; with his perfectionism in creating frenetic beats lushly underscored by driving deep bass and complex undulating harmonies. The Quantum Physics L.P. is a crux point in Current Value’s production path, taking the raw, kinetically charged drum maelstroms of his past, but putting them in a new context with higher production values that match his ever-increasing abilities. This, in combination with tracks that showcase his deep appreciation of highly polished and lean Neurofunk and Rave music; showcases both the evolution of Current Value’s older sound against the establishment of the new – whilst maintaining the bridge and connection between both. 

Listen to the Filthcast that he's put together for Barcode Recordings below, and read on for the interview to find out what he has to say! 

For bookings: jef@methlab-agency.com

- Your sound has undeniably evolved over the past decade, seemingly becoming more focussed and stepping up the tightness of production even further. Do you consider the latest album to be a manifesto of where you stand musically right now?

I was aiming to take the ‘old’ Current Value sound and give it a new production level, such as in ‘Uncertainty Principle, which I think shows this evolution. But, this is as well as showing a different side of the Current Value sound, that feels at home in the realms of Neurofunk and Rave; finding a clearer formula in the tracks ‘Rollin Hi’ or ‘Crusader’. I've been introducing and building up to that with tracks like ‘Grin’, ‘Harm’ or the CV & Cooh collaboration ‘Reket’ already.

The tunes do speak a similar language though, which is a major statement of this album. My intention was to show that my heart beats for both directions and to make visible the transition between the two. I feel that the track ‘Face Its Measure’ serves this purpose here.

- Tell us a little bit about what was going through you head and your life when you were working on this album…

I was in a producing rush in January and February. I had many ideas and feelings that had to be transformed into music early this year to ‘top off’ what I was working on before.

- You mentioned ‘Grin’, ‘Harm’ and ‘Reket’ as some tracks that served as preparation from some of the more Neurofunk flavoured tracks on the album. In terms of continuity – are there other tracks that you feel led to this?

It's to a vast extent been the Bjork remixes that were really experimenting but remaining on quite a dancefloor-oriented side.

Also, the track ‘Burn In’, which will be released on The Sect’s new label TSM (The Sect Music).

- Just when cutting amen breaks seems to be an area of production that’s been exhausted, you continue to innovate. Do you have fixed ideas in mind about your drum break experiments prior to working on the tune?

Often my work is based on ‘blueprints’ that are most of the time whole tune parts that go through my head. So yes, I would say I have fixed ideas prior to working on a tune.

- Your intense bombardment and barrage of drum breaks are perfectly contrasted against some ambient breakdowns of a truly epic nature, such as in the tune ‘Requiem’. Have you ever considered making something totally ambient? Or at least unconstrained by the pressures of the dance floor?

I have never really felt I wanted to miss out on the ‘fun’ part of electronic music production, which for me is and has always been the bass and drum elements. Furthermore I'd like to say that the pressures of the dance floor are a really nice limitation and challenge to the production values. It is as if you had a further musical dimension to work or deal with through this constraint.

- You seem to have had a good relationship with Barcode since your relationship began in 2007, with multiple release on the label. Are you happy with the label being the home for your latest L.P.?

Barcode has had many quality releases, and in that regard a good reputation over the many years it has existed. Donny and I were talking about releasing new tunes on Barcode again and Cyall and him were prepped to rebuild the label properly earlier this year. So I sent a couple of tunes to them, with the initial idea being to have another Current Value 12’ - maybe an EP released soon. Shortly thereafter Donny came up with the idea to have a whole album released. As it happened to be many more tunes that I had at a certain point produced, than was required for the album, I was able to come up with a very fresh selection of tracks; while at the same time giving the opportunity to release some ‘most wanted’ candidates such as ‘Hybrid’ which, despite it being an almost old tune, people are really really thankful for!