The Spaceape – Xorcism EP

I first came across this EP in the reviews section of The Quietus. I remember reading the article and just thinking, “Wow, I have to listen to this.” There’s a refined simplicity and directness in Xoricism in addition to a jaw-dropping use of sampling. I was working on Unflesh at the time, and for me, Xoricism was another penny-drop moment. There’s this intense physicality in the tracks which is conveyed without being too literal – it’s in there effortlessly. Actually, just after the EP came out, Stephen and I began exchanging emails. One afternoon, we met up at South Bank in London. At that point, he was really suffering from the severe physical side effects of the cancer treatment. I could see the agony that he was in. We spoke about our personal experiences, about being parents and uncovering trauma, and also a mutual appreciation for the Purple One. In that brief window, he was a true mentor and helped to shape Unflesh into what it became. We very loosely discussed the idea of collaborating, which I wish we could have realised, as I imagine it would have been a fascinating and inspiring experience. But sadly it was not meant to be.