We recently caught up with Manchester based producer Armec, following his debut EP on 20/20 Vision ‘Caged’.
Robbie - You’re based in Manchester, has living in the city been an important part of your musical identity?
Definitely! I think going to places like Warehouse Project in my early years of university cemented my love for electronic music. I had always liked electronic music, but not in the capacity as you and I know it as now, going to those clubs when I was younger exposed me to a wealth of amazing genres.
Are there any clubs or venues in the city you particularly enjoy going to and are there any you feel that have a bearing on your music?
When I was just getting into techno and the heavier side of electronic music me and my two close friends Dom and Ethan would hit up Stealth in Nottingham almost every weekend, they had some incredible acts on there whilst we were at uni. Brickworks in Nottingham is also a top top venue, Lukas Wigflex really knows how to put on a night. Nowadays i would say that White Hotel in Salford is my favourite place to go, it's very intimate and gets fantastic bookings.
What inspired you to make music and who are your biggest influences?
Initially it started during a phase where I was all about electro, I went on a huge search for about 2/3 years on all electro, old and new. But my taste has changed drastically since then, my absolute favourite artists are those who are dynamic and are pushing the sound, creating new genres, challenging and inspiring. These are artists like DJrum, Skee Mask, Stenny, Objekt, I just find it impossible to not put these guys on a pedestal. I get a bit obsessive sometimes trying to recreate sounds and understand how things were made that I like the sound of.
And, who is currently on your radar?
Hmm this is a hard one as, to be completely honest, i haven't been listening to that music and haven't felt as inspired by new music as i have been in the past. Nonetheless, Client_03 and Aloka have been my two to watch recently, both just have hit the mark time and time again for me.
Prior to your debut outing on 20/20 Vision you’ve released a string of superb records on labels including; Furthur Electronix, Nebulae, AC and Echocentric How did you first connect with record labels and what advice can you suggest to artists looking to get their music released?
I sent out a bunch of emails to begin with, many of which didn't get a reply. It takes so many things to get your first label signing, the label has to see the email, listen to your tracks, like them, be able to fit it into the release schedule, etc. There's definitely a bit of luck involved, but if you are driven enough, it will happen. I would say to starting off producers to just not give up and cast the net wide!
Talk us through your studio set up and work flow. What are you favourite machines and programs and how do you manipulate them to create your sound?
I feel that the ideal setup involves a healthy mix of analogue and digital sound sources. I have a number of synths including my Access Virus C, Walfdorf Pulse 2, Waldorf Blofield, all which I control from a single central midi keyboard. Ableton is just by far the best tool in my arsenal though, I have way too many VSTs on there that are just incredible, I couldn't live without it.
It’s very hard to pin down your sound, which is indeed a good thing. You dip into; electro, breaks, ambient, IDM and many others. Is it a conscious decision to make music in different genres or do you just enjoy making the music you’re feeling at the time?
The artists that I mentioned above as my favourites are masters of so many genres, you can't pin them down to a single genre or sound. That's exactly what I want to do with my music, i love so many genres of music including ambient, electro, breaks, jungle, IDM, so I want all of those influences to be reflected in my music. Making different sounds and genres just keeps me interested and challenges me, which I like!
The 'Caged EP' features an acid electro remix courtesy of Hardfloor who are all time greats in the world of electronic music. It might surprise some people see them appear on a record by a relatively new producer. How did that come about?
Yer, haha, Oliver from Hardfloor actually has been a huge supporter of my music and reached out asking for us to do a remix swap and that's how it all ended up happening! Big up Oliver <3
How did it feel seeing other legendary DJs and producers support the record including; Dave Clarke, The Advent, The Hacker and Alienata?
It's amazing, it wasn't that long ago that I was spending all of my student loan paying for tickets to see these guys live, so it's really exciting for me to see them appreciating and enjoying my music.
Which artists would you like to remix yourself?
Hmm, that's a tough one haha. I would probably want someone with lots of crazy sound design so I had as much source material to work with.
Are you feeling optimistic about the future as we hopefully emerge from the pandemic and restart live music?
Definitely, I've absolutely loved getting back into the club's since they re-opened. I am actually typing these answers up on my way to wigflex festival in Nottingham this weekend!
What are your own artistic future plans as we look into 2022?
I'm working on putting an album together which I'm really pushing to try and make another level above my previous releases, I'm going to make it as genre-fluid as possible so that I can play around with different sound signatures and beats.