Manchester-based experimentalist Howes will release his debut album 3.5 Degrees via Melodic Records this Friday, which you can hear exclusively above ahead of release.
The album was recorded in a series of all-weekend sessions, with all but two of the tracks produced without any overdubbing or editing. “I like the fact there’s nothing to hide behind,” the 22-year-old says. “You can hear mistakes, you can hear me tweaking notes till I find the few that emotionally resonate with me, it’s like trying to put people in the room with you.”
The album follows his house-oriented 12” of two years ago and sees a shift in approach that Howes says “comes from the forced and narrow nature of a lot of electronic music. Most modern electronic music to me is too safe in terms of ambition, sound design and intention.
“I don’t really think in terms of genre, most of the tracks are from self generating patches which sometimes come out with elements of house/techno but are mainly stripped back to the point where they can’t resemble any established music form, maybe ambient but that’s a cop out” he continues. “I’m more into getting lost in something and not knowing what it is I’m making, getting stuck in a trance all weekend and then recording the last 5 minutes.” 3.5 Degrees is out on Friday.
