Get To Know...2012

GET TO KNOW: Fall
WORDS: Colin Brownbill

Sometimes music can have an instant effect. Sometimes you need only listen to the opening notes of a song and without even knowing it you have surrendered yourself to the unfolding drama. This is how we felt the first time we heard Fall. Discovering the quite frankly stunning ‘Wings’ last summer we knew without question that Steven had unquestionable talent, and here it was laid out before us through four minutes of astounding beauty. Beginning with the subtle crackling of a worn record before introducing a chord structure which could reduce a grown man to tears, ‘Wings’ quickly became one of our favorite songs of the year.

Channeling all the grandeur of Massive Attack while generating the pensive atmosphere of Burial, Fall’s sound may be obvious in influence, but what makes him unique is his ability to layer and syncopate entirely new sounds which are exclusive to him. Making field recordings from on-site locations and weaving them into a new and exciting pattern makes each one of his songs completely organic. Using these processes and asserting that extra level of commitment have certainly paid off – although there are only two tracks on his Soundcloud, both have racked up thousands of plays and his recent collaboration with up and coming singer-songwriter, Bronagh Monahan was picked up by Radio 1.

Obviously there is a long way to go for Steven, but working out of pure passion and taking his time to perfect each and every song he puts out, there is no doubt in our mind that Fall is a name you are going to be hearing a lot more of.

Check out and download some of Fall's music below as well a recent interview with the man himself:





Synth: Ok, so let's start with how you originally got into production and what influenced your direction. Are there any particular artists who inspired you or did you arrive at your sound naturally?

Fall: I played guitar in a couple of bands which didn't really work out, so after that production seemed like the next logical step so that I could continue to write music. My tastes have changed quite dramatically since then but right now I'm getting inspired by acts like The Weeknd, Bon Iver, Burial, Nils Frahm, Fever Ray and Massive Attack.

Synth: Obviously your music has a great musicality to it which appears to use quite a lot of live instrumentation. What is your typical set up in the studio and how does it all come together?

Fall: My setup is a Macbook Pro running Ableton, Adam A7 monitors, some microphones and any instrument/pseudo-instrument I can find/make. I usually start by finding a sample I like, then record layers on top of it which could be anything from playing guitar, to some home-made percussion or a field recording of some obscure place. I'd say the majority of my tracks are made from recordings I've done but sometimes they will be processed to sound entirely different. It's amazing how many sounds you can get out of just one instrument by processing it in unusual ways. I started working like this because I couldn't get the sounds I wanted out of synthesizers or sample packs. I’m not saying it can't be done; it’s just not for me.

Synth: Your recent collaboration 'Through The Night' with Bronagh Monahan was picked up by Radio 1. Do you see yourself working with vocalists more extensively in the future?

Fall: Yes. Ideally I'd like all my tracks to have some sort of vocal. Not because it makes them “radio-friendly” as such, but vocals just sound great. So if any vocalists want to get in touch, then feel free. There are some collaborations in early stages at the moment but I won't say what they are in case they don't get finished.

Synth: Your tracks seem to bring together elements of Dubstep, Trip Hop and Soul effortlessly. What is it about that combination which works so well for you and out of interest what would be your preferred sound in the club?

Fall: I'm not really sure; I try to make songs that I'd want to listen to, but I suppose the combination of different genres is more a subconscious thing than anything else, It's inevitable that you will sound a bit like your influences. When it comes to club music, you can't go wrong with techno, and in Glasgow, you’re spoiled for choice.

Synth: Looking to the future, what aspirations do you have for Fall? Is making music a passion you'd like to make a career out of or something you see as taking its own course?

Fall: It would be great to make a career from this but I don't think that’s a realistic goal at the moment. However, I'll keep working and (hopefully) improving, and who knows what might happen in the meantime.

Fall on Soundcloud
Fall on Facebook