Known only by his moniker, 23-year-old Londoner Catching Flies caught our attention over a year ago with The Long Journey Home EP. The elusive DJ and producer makes cinematic dreamscapes that sit quite nicely alongside those of 2014 tour buddy Bonobo, and, with a debut album in the works and a third EP about to surface, our appetites have been whet by the sweet nostalgia of Quiet Night. A fan of i-D’s Slumber Session series, Catching Flies has put together one of his own and it’s one of our all-time favourites. “I’ve always been inspired by soundtracks and interested in the impact music has on picture and vice versa, so the idea was to create a soundtrack to the story of someone’s life.” CF explains. “It was nice to completely disregard the dancefloor and make something purely for home listening. The tunes are a mix of new and old and the idea is that you’re taken on a journey.”We catch up with the musician as he messes around with an omnichord and a Boss RE-20 Space Echo effects box in his London studio. Hit play and get to know the man behind the mix.
Firstly, what situation do you recommend people listen to your mix in?
Listen wherever you want, maybe watching the final sequence of Francois Truffaut’s 400 Blows on repeat. It’s one of my favourite sequences in film. It probably makes less sense without having watched the film but you’ll get the idea.
Do you remember your first gig?
My first ever DJ gig was many moons ago under a different alias. I played at a venue in London and turned up to find the mixer was broken which made for an interesting experience. I’ve managed to erase that night from my memory now. My first live show was the beginning of the support tour I did with Bonobo last year. It was in Birmingham at The Institute. I’ll never forget that moment (and the nerves) of walking out from the wings to see 3,000 faces over three tiers. The nerves quickly disappeared though and it went well – they were a great crowd.
If you could go back to back with any DJ who would it be?
It’s got to be Sam Shepard aka Floating Points. His sets always lead to the discovery of a heap of obscure but killer tunes I’ve never heard before. He’ll go from 70s Brazilian records to house, to jazz, and everything in between. I saw him go back to back with Motor City Drum Ensemble for 6 hours at Dimensions in Croatia last summer – it was incredible. Bileo’s You Can Win has subsequently become one of my favourite tunes.
Which three tracks are the most played in your sets at the moment?
Drum Talk’s Time; the Skinnerbox Rework of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme (the original is an all time favourite of mine and I’d probably have said messing with a Coltrane tune is sacrilegious but Skinnerbox pulls it off); and Vestalus’ edit of D’Angelo’s Spanish Joint. I’ve always been into the idea of tunes that aren’t made for the dancefloor being made dancefloor friendly in some shape or form.
What track do you reckon you’ve played the most over the last year?
Ifan Dafydd’s Eclipse or Samurai by Jazztronik. Also, Lone’s Airglow Fires. I’m sure I’m not the first person to say that!
Which producers are you predicting big things from this year?
Romare, Royce Wood Junior, Nick Hakim, Airhead. Looking forward to the new Portico album and Tourist’s album. Also, a friend of mine who doesn’t even have an alias yet is making some very nice stuff with K Pop acapellas… watch this space!
What’s next for you?
I’ve got my third EP coming in the next few months. Until then, avoiding the British winter by hibernating in the studio and getting stuck into my debut album!
Tracklist:
Halogen – Length and Brecht
Chance The Rapper – Brain Cells
Catching Flies – Sunrays
Nasty P – Caffeine Holiday
Max Graef & Delfonic – The Way
The Elder Statesman – Montreux Sunrise
Catching Flies – Quiet Nights
Nick Hakim – The Light
Denai Moore – The Lake
GoGo Penguin – Murmuration
Robert Del Naja – Bullet Boy
Floating Points – Myrtle Avenue
Koreless – Sun (Jonathan KB’s Tuned Percussion Arrangement)
Sampha – Happens