Radiant, lush, textural and infectious–few artists bring such a jumble of sonic descriptions to mind like London-based duo Dusky. Individually known as Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman, the two emerged into focus after the release of their stunning LP Stick By This on Anjunadeep in 2011. Following the crisp, meticulously crafted aesthetic of their full-length, the duo have shown crossover appeal with a few bass-heavy EPs such as Calling Me and Flo Jam.
We reached out to Dusky before they make their U Hall debut on September 6. Read some of their thoughts on their tour, rave nostalgia, and production style below:
We’re very excited about the two of you coming to D.C. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this is your second North American tour. Is there anything that you’ve found peculiar or interesting about American Dance culture based on the cities you’ve visited? What are you looking forward to this time around in North America?
Nick: Nothing peculiar per se though the polarity between the EDM scene and the underground seems quite extreme in comparison to other countries we’ve visited. I’m really looking forward to meeting more people, seeing more of the clubs, and getting more of a feel for the underground scene that’s going on stateside.
Your work as Dusky took form following your work under the alias Solarity. I read that originally Stick By This would have been an album for Solarity release had it been consistent with Solarity’s sound. Did either of you imagine that the Dusky alias would become as prolific, if not more, than your Solarity alias?
Alfie: When we wrote the album it was just about producing a body of music that we felt proud of and believed in, not an attempt to launch ourselves as “prolific†artists. We never had a vision of what it would become or any idea of how it would grow. It’s been a pleasant surprise!
It seems like the two of you are constantly touring, yet you are very consistently releasing music simultaneously. What’s your strategy for keeping a steady stream of releases while staying active as DJs?
Nick: Firstly it helps that we’re a duo, so if one of us is having a creative dip then the other can usually pull up the slack. Also being able to write on the road is really important, and just taking any opportunity to get ideas down when you have some time. We’re lucky as it’s our hobby as well as our job so whereas some people come home and watch TV after work, we write music or dig for samples and other inspiration.
You were into the rave scene growing up. Looking back, do you find yourself nostalgic for anything from that time? What are some of your favorite memories, musical or otherwise, from your raving days?
Nick: It would be strange not to have some nostalgia when looking back on your early raving days! The first time you experience the music you’ve been hearing on radio on a proper sound system just blows your mind. That’s a significant memory, the realization that this is how this music should be heard, all encompassing and immersive, it’s something you never forget.
Alfie, you have a background in scoring for TV and film. If you had the option to score a film by any director, who would you choose and why?
Alfie: I’m liking the work of Peter Strickland at the moment so I’d probably choose him- there’s a lot of space and atmosphere in his films that I could see myself really enjoying composing for.
As for recommendations, what current artists outside of the Dance realm are you listening to right now? Within the Dance genre, who are some up-and-comers we should know about?
Nick: I’m listening to a lot of One Direction and Miley Cyrus at the moment. But apart from that, new artists within the dance genre we’re really into are Paleman who also releases with us on School Records. South London Ordnance has been making some great stuff and NYTA has got some great new music too.
Finally, what does the rest of 2013 look like for you guys?
Alfie: We’ve got our next 4 track EP coming out on AUS Music at the end of September. Lots of touring, we’ll be back in the States for a couple of dates in October then off to Australia over December and the New Year.