Let’s Go Somewhere Quiet: Larry Jefferson

Another artist from Let’s Go Somewhere Quiet. Larry Jefferson produces a delicate house music that is quite introspective. He’s a bit difficult to unearth, with very little about him on the internet. I assume that his name is a combination of Larry Heard and Marshall Jefferson. So I had to ask the mysterious Northerner a few questions.

1. How the devil are you and where are you from? You talk about the influence of the sea on your work. Is it by the coast perhaps?

I currently live in rural Yorkshire (UK) but the sea is a constant in my life and I spend as much time as I can there. On a deeper level this is the only place where I can achieve some level of peace. I choose not to live by the coast as I fear that this ability may wear off if it was a constant companion. I hope that this does not sound a little depressing but it is actually joyful thing.

Larry Jefferson – Second Surf

2. Your work has a strong strain of acid. But it’s mainly from an ambient direction, rather than nosebleed techno. It’s more home listening, than hedonistic dancing How come?

I have loved Roland 303s from the first time I heard them on the original Trax releases. I am trying to achieve the sense of liquidity which I believe that I am now starting to get on my new material. Most of my tracks have lyrics and would have a vocal but my spoken and singing voice is not up to the job. I occasionally will sing through a vocoder but ideally I am looking for a singer to work with.

Larry Jefferson – Domestic Acid

4. You released your album – Journey – on cassette. Why was that? Is it consciously harking back to the dj cassette tapes of the 80s/90s?

The reason Journey was released on cassette was to have a totally analogue production path and because they just sound so lush, but admittedly you need a good tape player. People forget how good they sound (most people will have a memory of hiss and wow and flutter but this is not necessarily the case). Secondly there is a physical element to using them and owning something that is real, and as you point out we all have cherished dj cassettes or bootleg tapes.
5. You say that “As an electronic artist I explore issues of philosophy and loss.” Is that why you decided to contribute to Let’s Go Somewhere Quiet?

Music has always been the art form that has had the biggest influence on me. It has helped me to develop who I am and what I feel. Music for me is not about fame, fortune or celebrity. It is a way to express emotion that hopefully will resonate with others and create a shared sense of joy or empathy. The running out of time is one of my biggest concerns and haunts me daily and this influences what music I make. However in the context of loss at an early age I realise that this is selfish and insignificant. The reason for my contribution was that I had a deep empathy and admiration for your writing and how you have managed your loss. On a basic level if a minor contribution from me can lessen this pain for someone else then this is more than I could ever want for my music.

And the track from Let’s Go Somewhere Quiet

Larry Jefferson – Welcome To Paradise Trax

http://www.facebook.com/SomewhereQuiet

~ by acidted on June 13, 2012.