Presented by our guest interviewer, Ellis May. Peckham’s finest, Medlar, has been flying the flag for the underground for a decade. Putting out solid sounds on quality labels like Wolf Music, Delusions of Grandeur, Wah Wah 45s, Peckham cuts and more, his music is consistently a cut above the rest. He returns to Delusions this month with a full-length excursion entitled, Islands. Could this be his most accomplished work yet? Quite possibly.
Thanks for taking the time to talk. Where are you today and how
will you be spending it once you’ve written this interview?
Thanks for having me! I’m writing this in my home studio in South East London. I’ll do some mixing work for a client immediately after this.
Where are you from and where are you based now? What do you
love the most about where you live?
I was born in South West England, and have been in London for around 15 years. I think it could be the best city on earth…amazing culture, great energy, interesting people from all over the world.
I’d love to hear about the initial idea for your new album Islands.
When did you first approach this concept and what was your original intention with this release?
Ibiza ft Andy Blake was written at a studio on Ridley Road in Dalston in 2019 and it’s been a slow process since then. After a while I decided I wanted a theme to be improvisation, several featured guests recorded takes of flute, violin, trumpet etc. over a demo, and then I finished the track, building it around the improvised take.
I have to thank Tom and Jamie at Delusions for their patience with this project… the brief I set to myself was to make a fun record, with better production than anything I’d done previously, and tracks which could work as well in isolation as they do in the context of the album.
What are you most proud of with Islands?
Testing myself as a producer by incorporating live instrumentation. I love researching and discovering mic and engineering techniques for different instruments. I’m a fan of recording technology and techniques as much as anything else, so it’s satisfying to try something new and feel like it worked.
What was the most challenging part of bringing this release
together?
Some tracks honestly lost their way after just being around for too long… so they didn’t make the final cut. Probably the hardest part was avoiding putting too many other ideas in there. I always find I have a little psychological slump at the end of the release process and just want to start another one!
You are releasing on Delusions of Grandeur. What can you tell us
about your relationship with the DOG crew. Why did you feel this
was the right place for your music?
It started as an EP I think and kept growing! I’ve released a few records with them now, and together with Wolf Music, are the label I’ve released the most with. Part of the appeal of releasing with them was getting technical feedback from Jamie/Jimpster. I’m a big admirer of his work and career, and he’s a great engineer as well as a musician, I recall Session Victim recalling how helpful his feedback was for some of their work.
What drives you to create music?
More and more, it’s the process itself. I find the process enjoyable, and it adds a lot to my life, regardless of doing anything with the music. That, and a curiosity about sound that I’ve had for most of my life.
How much of a part does nostalgia play in the music you create?
A big one for sure. Music is about confounding and subverting expectations, so our memory plays a huge part in it. I’m in my late 30s so have a LOT of memories of dance music, so naturally it’s going to play more of a part. Islands, takes a lot of influence from 1980s music, which was a bit before my time… I feel a lot of generations seem to find appeal in the era just before their own time (50s culture revival in the 80s, 90s/2000s culture these days)
Who are the artists and icons that inspire the music you make?
Too many, as at points I’ve dipped into experimenting with different styles. For my work as Medlar right now, the 2 biggest influences are Ron Trent and Larry Heard.
What are your thoughts on the current levels of innovation in
music?
I think there is so much incredible music these days. The challenge can be finding it! I strongly believe the advent of AI-generated music has us all craving less generic art and music.
What is the perfect setting for you to create some new music?
In my home studio, with a clear schedule and no distractions!
Where do you find the most inspiration when it comes to
discovering new sounds?
Playing with technology, trying to recreate a certain sound from a track, listening to the radio.
Who do you think is making great music right now?
I’m fortunate to work with a lot of young artists at my day job as a lecturer at Point Blank, and, as well as the student’s music, I’m constantly being recommended amazing new artists, it’s a healthy creative scene right now. I really love the new album from Good Block, and the records that Wallace is releasing. Outside of electronic music I think the UK jazz scene is better than ever right now.
How do you see music evolving in the future?
I think things are already responding to the overstimulation of our modern culture, and AI. Deeper, more meditative music.. on the other end of things, in London there is a DIY rave culture, despite the relative difficulties in throwing events compared to how it was for my generation (free/cheap club hire, busy venues). I’d love to see this continue to grow.
It seems unlikely, but I have hope. If it does happen I believe it’ll take someone using technology in a way it wasn’t intended.
What is next for Medlar?
Islands is released on the 18th of April, there’ll be some more EPs at the tail end of 2025, a kind-of-secret edit record, and another album under a different alias. You can catch me performing live at XOYO on the 20th of April, alongside Afrobeat legend Dele Sosimi. I’ll be DJing at Sneaky Pete’s and Pikes Ibiza in the coming months too, plus some more TBA very soon!
Release: April 18
Download/Stream Islands by Medlar on Bandcamp
Medlar on Facebook
Delusions of Grandeur
You must be logged in to post a comment.