INTRODUCIN’ - #109- EMERSON LONG
Melbourne based artist and producer Emerson Long has a penchant for beat soaked melodies that thrill the heart and the soul equally. Here is he on his sound and his city and a recent trip to Europe!
01. Hey. What's up and how are you?
I'm well, thanks for asking! Recently I've just been working on numerous tracks and different projects, and of course running around crazily buying presents for Christmas.
02. What city are you based out of? What are some of your favourite things about your city?
I'm based in my awesome hometown of Melbourne. There's so many neighbourhoods that have their own sub-cultures which keeps everything exciting. Plus there's all kinds of amazing food here too.
03. What artists made you want to get into making music?
The reason I started making music is kind of a funny story (for another time maybe!), though I feel that singer-songwriters had the earliest impact on me, namely Benjamin Francis Leftwich & Bon Iver. However it was definitely listening to Flume's debut album which sparked my interest in electronic music.
04. What was the name of the first composition you wrote? Do you remember what was it about and did you ever get a chance to preform it live?
I don't want to say the name of the first track I made because it's actually online, and it's not great! I put it on YouTube under a different name, and as a little fun fact, I actually still use parts of the track to close out my sets.
05. You recently visited Europe! How was the trip and will be hearing any upcoming music that was perhaps influenced by your trip?
To me, the most amazing thing about the ten countries I visited in Europe was that each and every one of them were nothing like what I had expected. I've got quite a bit of music lined up, including an EP coming out early this new year. Some of it is influenced by my trip but most were written beforehand. I spent some time trying to see how music existed in different contexts around Europe, ranging from folk at the Brazen Head to techno at Tresor, and I have no doubt that those experiences will all influence my future music.
06. What was the inspiration behind your track Heatwave?
Without going into too much detail I actually shaped Heatwave around the idea of "expectations" in society but this isn't supposed to be evident in the end result, as I wanted to keep the track lighthearted.
07. What are some things you cannot live without musically?
Mainly my laptop, because it can basically do everything. Maybe my guitar too, because even though I'm very average at playing, it takes me to a simpler place.
08. Are there any artists that you would love to do a collaboration with?
I actually thought about this yesterday and there's this Icelandic band called Amiina which makes like ambient indie folk I guess, and I'm intrigued by what would be possible.
09. Any local artists that you are into and would love to share?
There's a producer called HFNR in Melbourne who actually doesn't produce much for himself but more for rappers & vocalists, but I think he's got a good ear and can see him working with bigger names in the future.
10. Any sleeping tips for us?
Not really, because I wish that I didn't have to sleep!