There are a few things coming out of Europe at the moment… Mainly the UK. But despite the political upheaval, we’re still seeing great music coming out of Britain.
A good example of that is Dom Zilla’s latest track Tonight. Carving a name for himself since dropping his solo project last year, the London based producer is now onto his sophomore EP release called ii.
If his debut record Chasing Days saw Dom Zilla bringing together his soulful melodies and vocals with dance and jungle influences, ii promises a even wider scope.
Having dropped the brilliant collaborative M.S.I pt II last month featuring Dave Okumu and SkinnyMan, Tonight has Dom delving deeper into electronica and darker beats. We caught up with him to chat going solo and whether it’s possible to pick up a tan in the UK.
HAPPY: You’re now onto the second EP of solo work, are you getting lonely yet or settling in?
DOM ZILLA: Haha! I’m settling I think… it’s always fun to push yourself and see where you can go without having to keep within certain constraints or boundaries. I have started to do bits and pieces on other projects too, which also helps me to lend other methodologies to my own work process.
HAPPY: What prompted your move from a collaborative producer to putting out your own tracks?
DOM ZILLA: I wanted to see what I could do for myself and if I could actually write on my own. It was also a case of wanting to have fun making something creative rather than having to treat music as a job.
HAPPY: Is there a different view of the industry from where you are now, as a named artist rather than behind the scenes genius?
DOM ZILLA: I feel less pressure to be honest. It’s always nice to be appreciated for working on stuff and it’s nice being asked to produce, but there’s definitely that buzz when people connect to something that you’ve put your heart and soul into. If they don’t connect to mine, it’s all good. It’s definitely no big deal compared to the pressure when trying to deliver someone else’s vision.
HAPPY: Tonight is the latest track from you, can you tell us a bit about how your sound is evolving on this one?
DOM ZILLA: On Tonight it gets a bit more expansive and a bit more glitchy. I also wanted to use some newer elements, such as my TC Helicon to make it a bit different, like I did on What you Want, from my last EP. It also has that breakbeat element too but this time mixes it with a downtempo melancholic track to bring something different to the mix.
HAPPY: You have a fairly eclectic record collection – what’s on your turntable right now? And which record never strays far from the decks?
DOM ZILLA: Haha thanks. I’ve been playing that new James Blake album. It’s incredible – he gets better with every record that he releases. That new De La Soul featuring Snoop Dogg too, Pain is unbelievably good! I’m always playing some Bob Dylan, Talking Heads or Graceland by Paul Simon. So they never stray too far… MP3-wise I’d have to say Jay Electronica. I listen to him daily.
HAPPY: Are you planning any live shows to play out your stuff this year?
DOM ZILLA: I’m busy writing so do really have the time. I’m only doing one, which is at the end of Summer in North-East England. It’s a festival called Lindisfarne Festival and is situated pretty close to the border of England and Scotland. I’m from close to there so I thought I’d play that and be able to catch up with my family at the same time, since I rarely get time to head home.
HAPPY: Obviously the UK has had a rough couple of weeks, are you thinking abut ‘Brexiting’ as well? Or is UK music about to get interesting?
DOM ZILLA: Haha no I’m not ‘Brexiting’. I think it’ll get interesting to be honest. Good music always comes from repressive eras. You only have to look at 60s America, and the UK during the 70s and 80s for proof of that. It’s just a bit sad that it had to come to this to be honest.
HAPPY: Are there any myths about english summers that you’d like to dispel for Aussies while we’re here – like it is possible to get sunburn in the UK!
DOM ZILLA: Hahaha! I’d say it would be possible but you’d probably need a hot clear day and a strong magnifying glass*.
* we do not recommend trying this, even in England.
