Silicone Soul
Beatmag interviews…
Glasgow is a city renowned for many things – fighting, deep fried pizza, and string vests being among the best known – but scratch beneath the stereotypes and you’ll find arguably one of the most thriving music scenes in the UK. Foremost among these (for lovers of all things electronic, at any rate), is the mighty Soma label, long time purveyors of high-quality house, techno and electronica, and home to one the many jewels in their crown, Silicone Soul. Best known for 1999’s Top 20 hit ‘Right On, Right On’, Craig Morrison and Graeme Reedie have been melding underground grooves with unashamedly melodic, accessible tuneage for the best part of last ten years, and although they now tend to operate in the netherworld of almost-big dance acts who maintain a loyal following, even a cursory listen to their new ‘Save Our Souls’ LP reveals the pair to be as polished, passionate and invigorating as they ever were.
“We’ve always felt like outsiders looking in,” says Craig, who’s just been rudely awakened from a mid-afternoon nap by Beatmag. “We’ve always tried to avoid any musical trends or whatever – we’re really not bothered about our music being the flavour of the month anymore.”
On a certain level, this is certainly true – Silicone Soul’s hi-res, emotive productions don’t succinctly fall into the current vagaries of lumpen minimal, trashy electro or floppy fringed indie rock. And yet, much like last year’s ‘Staring Into Space’, the new album sounds thoroughly modern, a feat that’s been more difficult to achieve for other major house acts of the late 90s.
“We found that music – and life in general – has become more and more homogenised,” says Craig. “That’s why we used the title ‘Save Our Souls.’ With mainly instrumental music like ours, it’s difficult to get any bigger message across, but we try and think about what’s going on and weave it in somehow. It’s like on the track ‘Fearmakers’ [a shiftily modulating, quasi-ambient piece featuring a speech from someone who promises to ‘save us from the fear of the fearmakers’]. We’re all living in this culture of fear, generated mainly by some politicians and large companies. We think that’s the same with most music at the moment, too. We wanted to suggest that you can create your own vibe, your own culture, if you’re free from that fear.”
Conceptualising aside, the pair are keen not to take themselves too seriously, confessing that they’re “very passionate about partying”, and that they don’t feel themselves and their music to be “better or worse than anyone else, really”. Like a number of Scottish musicians, they’re incredibly laid-back in conversation, but intensely so – Craig’s rapid, frequently impenetrable speech is punctuated by an inordinate amount of giggles and “you know”s, suggesting that beneath the affable exterior lies a committed ball of nervous excitement, possibly reflecting the duo’s languid but simultaneously energetic musical style. Do they ever hanker after the chart success they briefly tasted before?
“Well, we’re just very happy to be making music,” Craig says, convincingly. “We’re a bit non-committal when it comes to business. We don’t have a formula. Really, our music is pointed at the underground – maybe some tracks are more accessible than others, but we’re pretty much happy whatever.”
Given the pair’s amiable disposition, how do they fare in Glasgow, one of Europe’s most violent cities? Are there ever any Lil’ Kim style fisticuffs between, say, them and the other local music crews?
“No, no, not at all,” he laughs. So who would win if there was a big rumble between all the Soma posse? “I wouldn’t like to say…[at this point, Craig’s answer is drowned out by peals of laughter from the background]. There’s definitely not a champion of fighting, there isn’t one person we’d send into battle first. I suppose Dave [Clarke, head of Soma, and not be confused with the techno megastar DJ of the same name], he’s pretty tidy, and he’s the boss. So maybe I better say him!”
Punch-ups and parties aside, it’s clear that Silicone Soul are, more than anything, grateful to be able to carry on making the music they love in a climate that has seen other, more ego-driven acts fade into irrelevance. But the vital question remains – what do they prefer, silicone chips or silicone tits?
“Well, I’m pretty into both,” Craig ponders. “To be fair, theses days, I’m surrounded by more silicone chips everywhere. So maybe some silicone tits would be nice, for a change.”
Silicone Soul – one electronic duo that’s clearly worth keeping a-breast of.
Silicone Soul’s new album ‘Save Our Souls’ is out now on Soma
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