Roy Mills Mix
Up next for Tapes #70 is London based producer Roy Mills, who is currently working on a string of projects from his recently built Camberwell studio.
Roy produces thematic, UK influenced electronic music; tying together ideas of Bristolian Futurism with genre-spanning sound design. After a successful release of his debut EP ‘Hydrotech’ on Room II Records, which found wide and promising support, Roy recently enjoyed his first European summer of events.
Heading up Local Knowledge Records, Roy emphasises the importance of supporting emerging talent. The 10” vinyl series kicked off in 2020 with a bang, featuring Eora’s Hed Ardennes, and quickly sold out at retailers.
Tracklist
SELF - Drop Top (OldGold Remix)
Ronan - Geodesis
Ido Plumes - Afloat
Pariah - Caterpillar
Bambounou - At The Mirror
ESPOSITO - Framing Void
Sputnik One - Connected by a Wall
Huna + Joe Polar - Tengo
Ayesha - Magic Eye
unknown artist - a1
Ido Plumes - Waiting 4 Us
Ultraviolet - Reign
Koloah - Retrocognition
soso tharpa - Sky Piercing Knee
RVSHES - #25
Cocktail Party Effect - Racka
Ploy - Ninety One
Nod - The Wait
Hey Roy - thanks so much for contributing to the Tapes series! Can you start by introducing yourself?
Thanks for having me! I’m Roy Mills, I've been based in South-East London for the past 2.5 years after moving from Naarm [Melbourne], Australia. My practice is fairly introspective and narrative-based and [attempts] to bridge the gap between visual, sonic, and other sensory experiences.
I also run Local Knowledge, which is a record label, mix series, dance + radio show ^ↀᴥↀ^
Tell us more about the mix - when and where was it recorded?
The mix runs through a bunch of club sounds that I’m really enjoying this summer. There is an emphasis on energy and tension, tying together ideas of nostalgia but also future sounds that I find quite exciting.
Tracks from Pariah, Bambounou, Ayesha and Sputnik One are great examples of this. They all harness incredible sound design techniques while still remaining straightforward enough for the club.
There are also some nice references to styles from different times. Two nice examples of this is are in Ayesha’s ‘Magic Eye’ and Tristan Arp x Kellen303’s ‘Suspension of Disbelief’ - Both very obviously produced recently with forward-thinking sound design, but both have an amazing NYC feel to them - especially nodding to the Afro-Latino street soul that heavily influenced the city. I dig it!!
I recorded this at the Rhythm Section studio, we have a great setup at the office - with a booth that I built as the centerpiece.
What is the ideal setting to listen to it?
For me, this mix is fun to walk to or be on a journey with. It puts a pep in my step, so I’d suggest strapping on your Merrells and walking deep into the forest to forage for bugs and herbs.
Tell us about your label ‘Local Knowledge’ - you started off in Melbourne as a radio/event series, how did it grow from there?
Yeah, that’s right. It kicked off way back in 2015 when I was running small parties and held a weekly radio show, which turned into a dance, which then turned into a label! A really cute & organic journey. Now the label has grown and has the space to be a community project. This essentially means that the choices and directions are put to the artists involved; whether that is through music, design, visual art, fashion, or otherwise.
How would you compare the party scene in London to Melbourne?
Ehhhhh it’s tough to compare this. There are so many contrasts - Club sizes and the remote nature of our cities [compared to Europe] are obvious, but overarchingly it’s the culture that is dramatically different for me. There is an incredible thirst in London for new music and nights out. Everyone is bathed in a rich history of electronic music that creates a sense of pride for the city (and the nation) - be that through Bleep, Hardcore, Acid, Jungle, DnB, Dubstep, Grime, etc. (not to mention Reggae, Caribbean and Sound System history) there are sounds endemic to London, to Manchester, to Bristol!
Whilst this is also true of Naarm, it’s way less prominent. The city is very prone to be trapped in fads of genre - which is no dig - it’s a great learning experience for a lot of young people. My point is that without the rich history and large mass of people creating and enjoying certain sounds; we [the underground electronic music scene] struggle to hold any significant leverage on culture. There are incredible clubs, bars, and venues doing the most fucked up, twisted and forward-thinking events. It’s truly inspiring. Their importance and significance to a small community cannot be overstated.
How did you get into producing/sound design? Talk us through your process when starting a track.
I was into DJing and collecting records around the time I left high school, while also being fairly fanatical about downloading music from a really young age. So I was around music and understood artists and their discographies at about the age of 10 or so.
When I started to go to clubs and swapped the beers for biscuits I broke some mental ground and started to get involved in the scene - or at least fantasise about it. Around the age of 21, I had a really rough patch of mental health, which was largely self-induced. Nonetheless, I was emotionally paralised and couldn’t leave the house for a good year. Music became my escape really. It was the one thing I could manage to find enjoyment in. It was an incredibly tough 12 months, but one that I’m thankful for. I learned so much about music, sound design, and myself and the experience was foundational to me becoming the artist I am today.
Starting a track. Hmmmmmmm… I’m very much the wrong person to ask this to! There is no consistent approach, I’m excited when something hilarious or weird happens around me - which I’ll either record or imitate, chuck into Ableton, and go from there… It’s always an experimental approach - be it patching a granular system and feeding it a stupid moment from the day, or working through an idea I’ve had - which is usually a dumb play on words I’ve thought of. Right now, I’m trying to work out what ‘Psy-rates’ would sound like. Psy-trance pirates is nightmare fuel ✌(◕‿-)✌
What’s next in the pipeline - any exciting plans?
I’m working on new music right now, hopefully enough for two EP’s. I’m quite excited about these new tracks, I feel there’s a big level up in my production and theory.
Local Knowledge has some incredible music on the way. I can’t say too much right now, but I’ve had a wonderful time working with artists from around the world. Watch this space!
I’ll also say that I’m working on a live set so that it’s on the [proverbial] record. Hopefully this pushes me to find more time for this project. It’s been slowly coming together for the past 12 months and should be ready late next year.
Thanks for being a part of the Tapes series!
Interview by: Isha Kewlani
Follow Roy Mills —
soundcloud.com/private_planet
www.instagram.com/roymills_hacked