Drum+Basics

We found out that one of our previous interviewees, producer and DJ Indidjinous has been very busy since we last had a chat with him in 2019, so of course we needed to know more! His latest LP ‘Animal Style’ will be released on his new label Primitivizm via bandcamp where you can download it for free (pay what you want, even if that’s zero) for a limited time. Get it here!

Hey Indidjinous and thank you for answering our questions. We last had a chat with you in January 2019 – what have you been up to since then?

We were still doing Tech Itch Recordings label nights back in 2019, so we hosted a few shows in London and Bristol that year. Releases since then include my second collab LP with Centaspike, a remix, a single track and a solo EP on Biotic, an EP on AGN7 Audio, and an uncharacteristically jungly couple of tracks on Detrimental Audio with Fushara.

How did you cope with the lockdowns and everything surrounding that period?

I was doubly lucky because I was able to work at home and I am married so I wasn’t totally isolated. So I didn’t have the economic or social stress that many had. Musically it was challenging because our event plans were ruined but it didn’t take too long to realise it was a golden opportunity to focus on production. So it was a time of adaptation and ultimately led to where I am today with the studio, sound meditation practice and Primitivizm.

How did Primitivizm come about?

In 2021 several milestones converged to inspire Primitivizm. First, I had my 100th track released, so it felt like time for a new direction. Second, I finished my first solo dn’b LP. Third, my sound meditation project kicked into high gear. I felt a need for a central outlet that tied everything Indidjinous together in one place. That’s Primitivizm.

Where did the name come from?

Primitivizm captures the primal essence that is the foundation of my sound, particularly when I use the didjeridu, the world’s oldest wind instrument. It’s also a nod to the art movement known as “primitivism” which takes inspiration from ancient art. Primitivizm translates that visual tradition into auditory form.

What kind of music will be released on Primitivizm?

Primitivizm will feature all my solo work. That includes drum & bass tracks, soundscapes for sound meditation, didjeridu recordings, other live jams, and mixes via Primitivizim Radio. I will continue releasing on other labels like Biotic and Tech Itch Recordings, but those will be mostly collabs with artists on those labels. For now Primitivizm will be based at a Bandcamp store, but will eventually expand to a standalone website that will offer didjeridu lessons, DJ and meditation events, merch, and possibly hand crafted didjeridus.

Will you be releasing other artists too?

Only if it’s an Indidjinous collab.

First release is your LP ‘Animal Style’; what can you tell us about it?

Animal Style is experimental techstep drum & bass. Some tracks stretch the genre’s definition like the dark-jazz halftimer ‘The Den’ with its offset kick drum and ‘Tarantism’, an industrial/tribal war dance built around an unusual break. Clear tributes to my formative influences are sprinkled throughout with ‘Vespertine’ reminiscent of Tech Itch, ‘Twilight Predation’ exuding Dom & Roland vibes, and ‘Scavenger’ inspired by early Teebee. My didjeridu is heard across the LP, bringing a guttural, animalistic contrast to the mechanised programming. Massive thanks out to the mighty Macc from Subvert Central Mastering for making these tracks shine!

Your album was made in the new North London studio which is a collaboration between Tech Itch Recordings & Biotic Recordings, what can you tell us about that?

After our elaborate plans for a Tech Itch/Biotic soundclash event called BIO-TECH in 2020 were ruined by the pandemic, Biotic label owner Facs and I decided to build a new studio where we could keep our vision alive during lockdown. The studio has been a real refuge throughout covid that has spawned all sorts of music experiments, including a live jam project featuring myself, Facs, Scythe and City Pains, and two monthly radio shows on WeekendRushFM. Second Thursdays are Primitivizm Radio from 8-10pm, third Thursdays are BIO-TECH Radio from 8-11pm. 

I know you also have completed a yoga certification programme to be a sound meditation facilitator, how did that come about? For people who are not familiar with this, can you explain what a sound meditation facilitator is?

Sound meditation events, or sound baths as they are known, are guided meditation sessions centred on spiritual instruments like gongs, shamanic drums and singing bowls. Think of the mysterious, percussion-less voids before drops on a typical drum & bass track, and extend that vibe to an hour or two and you have a sound bath! The didjeridu has its origins not as a musical instrument but more of a ceremonial device, so it adapts well to the Naad Yoga tradition from which sound baths originate. I am hosting my first public sound bath on 21 May in Notting Hill alongside three other graduates from our training. Join us for something different!

This sound meditation event is 90 minutes long and will feature myself and three other practitioners on a variety of traditional ceremonial instruments including the didjeridu, gongs, bells, chimes and various forms of percussion and vocalisation. Tickets are available here

What is next for Primitivizm and Indidjinous?

After the Animal Style LP, Primitivizm will shift into low gear with a sci-fi meditation soundscape LP later this year. Expect an expedition across rich layers of sonic vibrations featuring equal parts digital and analogue instrumentation.

Thank you!