GETTING TO KNOW SOUL ALT DELETE

Ctrl Alt Delete: a soft reboot. A way of disrupting functions and changing directions…

Soul Alt Delete: a hard reboot. A rising artist disrupting the status quo and forever exploring new directions…

Aged 27, the UK artist has racked up impressive Discog points with releases on labels such as ICONYC, Senso, Minds Of Sin, and City Wall, picking up the attention of key DJs along the way. Support has ranged from Maxim Lany to Faithless, by way of the inimitable Sasha, who spent last summer closing his set with Soul Alt Delete’s track “Encounter”.

Soul Alt Delete is a palette that ranges from top-gear techno to melodic progressive, and one that keeps on expanding with every release. Refusing to sit still, Soul Alt Delete’s disruptions and explorations continue with creative fervor, passion for the music, and obsession that’s partly driven by his autism. We called him up to find out his journey so far…

Let’s go back. Right back. How did you get into all of this?

Soul Alt Delete: When I was a lot younger, I played guitar. I played from age 7. Very early. I was good. I loved heavy metal and shredding, and I reached an age where I got out of it. Then, one song changed everything… "Strobe”, Deadmau5. I racked up 4000 plays on my iTunes, I loved it so much. I thought, “Wow that’s the sound I want to make.” Gradually, my guitar stayed in the cupboard, and I started exploring DJing. That must have been when I was about 13. But of course, I figured that to get ahead as a DJ, you can’t just be a DJ, you need to make records, too, right?

Getting your music out there!

Soul Alt Delete: Exactly. So I started making music and, to begin with, it was awful. But I stuck with it, and I’ve learned so much along the way. I have to say that I’ve simplified my process and I actually use Splice for all my samples. It’s probably a bit of a PR nightmare to admit that, but I’m happy to tell you.

All chefs can use the same ingredients but can come up with very different dishes!

Soul Alt Delete: That’s right. And I never build a track from a single genre of sounds. Although I usually start off with tech house drums. I remember something Ben Remember taught me at the Toolroom Academy: he said there’s one thing that people always remember in a track, it’s percussion and drums. So I’ll start off finding good samples, and then I get creative.

Do you always start with the drums?

Soul Alt Delete: Always. For me, you can’t get into the groove or get creative until you’ve got that swing. But I’m always thinking of my sound, too. What I’ve found difficult is in this industry you have to have a brand for yourself and a sound that people can identify. I want to enjoy making what I want to make, but I don’t want to confuse fans.

That’s such a fine line, isn’t it?

Soul Alt Delete: It is but I’m inspired by artists like Alan Fitzpatrick. Last year, he did this amazing Anjunadeep release. A whole album. He’s techno to the core, so if he’s got the balls to diversify to that extent, then that’s the benchmark for me. So, for example, my Senso release was very dark techno, but then, right after that, I released my ICONYC release, which is more of a progressive sound. That’s the way to do it. The really good artists are the ones who do all of the styles but have that one identifiable brand.

I guess it depends on mindset, in terms of which style you explore when you’re creating…

Soul Alt Delete: Yes. And there are quite a few brands I want to play as a DJ, and I use them as inspiration. RESISTANCE, Ultra’s more underground brand, would be a dream to play, for example. Anjunadeep’s Explorations event in Albania would be an incredible place to DJ, too. So I think about those types of events and what I would love to play at those events and then create from there. To have a vision before you start making the track is really important for me. It’s helpful to know what boundaries I want the track to exist in before I start, and then I use that as inspiration.

Who inspires you?

Soul Alt Delete: Many people, but I have to say that, without my dad, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am. Having a father figure has been essential to me. Even when it’s down to things like teaching me that the world isn’t a nice place. I can count on one hand how many times he’s told me “Well done,” and that’s taught me I don’t have to work just to get a “well done.” He’s taught me resilience and perseverance.

Yeah, not seeking instant gratification I guess? You’re seeking things for your own benefit and not for “likes,” which are the social media equivalent of “well done,” aren’t they?

Soul Alt Delete: Definitely. For me, I’ve noticed there are three stages to success. The first stage is when you start and people support you because you’re trying something new. Then you get to the next stage where you’re doing well, but people step back because you’re doing alright for yourself. Now, if your dad hasn’t prepared you for that moment when people you expect to support you no longer support everything, then you’re not ready for the final stage of success, which is when you’ve made it and everyone wants to know you again. I feel I’m at that second stage, and I need to reach that next stage. So my dad’s job was not to be my best mate but to teach me to be resilient.

Success can breed contempt in some situations…

Soul Alt Delete: Perhaps. Things change, don’t they? I’d hang out with people and it would be about partying and not being serious, but when you want to do something different or more ambitious, then some people want to keep you at their level. It’s the “crabs in a bucket” mentality. Of course, I do have friends, and I thank them for being very loyal, but certainly, recent successes have led to change in my social circle. But it’s okay. Something the guy who invented Dell Computers said once stuck with me – “Celebrate your successes for a microsecond.” Even though Oliver Huntemann has signed me, ICONYC has signed me, and Sasha’s playing my tunes, I can’t celebrate this. I don’t want to be complacent at all or it’ll pass. I think that’s something my autism has taught me, too.

Can you tell us more about your autism?

Soul Alt Delete: For me, I have the perfect balance – I have the chaos of the autistic mind but enough mental stability to be social and operate in the world.

Autism can be like a superpower or a super skill in a sense, can’t it?

Soul Alt Delete: Yes, but this changes a lot from day to day. You wake up some days and think, “Wow, I’ve got this amazing talent.” But on the same hand, you do feel like your outcast because you can’t relate to people and show emotional empathy or understand what they’re feeling. I was explaining to a girl I’m seeing that I do have trouble understanding when I’ve upset someone.

Does it affect how people have treated you in the industry?

Soul Alt Delete: Sometimes. I go to a lot of conferences, and I’ve met some amazing people, and they understand me and how I behave. But other people treat you like you’re a complete idiot. The same people who often promote peace and love on their platforms. It’s not fair to treat someone badly because they’re not like you, or you have something in your head that makes you think differently.

I find conferences difficult. Lots of disingenuous conversations.

Soul Alt Delete: I’ve slowly learned the art of doing conferences right. The cool people always end up meeting. You have to sift through shysters to meet the real people. At the end of the day, it is business. I’ve paid a lot of money to be there, so why talk to someone who can’t help my career? That might seem cold, but it’s business. There’s a fine line between being rude and being professional. “Great to meet you, have a nice time, enjoy yourself.” Manners go a long way. Be polite, be persistent and you’ll be recognized. My dad taught me that too.

It's true. So on to your music… ‘City Walls’ is where you found your groove and made yourself known to the world, wasn’t it?

Soul Alt Delete: Yeah, Ross Haper has been amazing. We met at Phonox, I wanted to give Len Faki a USB and Ross was there early too. We got talking in the smoking area talking about philosophy, art, religion, and even touched on music. Later on, he gave me his card and told me he ran a label so I gave him some tunes. He came back saying, “These are amazing, I’ll sign these.”

At the time, I wasn’t getting signed, and I thought I sucked, and the releases started to flow from there. The first one was a dark techno Berlin-style warehouse record which wasn’t an immediate success, but my second release, "Encounter,” did really well. Maxim Lany played it on his stream in front of a plane at a massive airport, and it took off. My next release on the label Borneo Function did well too. It got picked up by Faithless, Anthony Pappa, and Maxim again, too, which has been an amazing way to get my music out there. I owe a lot to Ross.

When did Sasha start playing your music?

That was my short album, Arrival. Ross messaged me saying Sasha had played it on one of his Last Night On Earth podcasts, and then he played it as his last track at an event in Liverpool. Getting his approval was insane. You start off in the bedroom and your parents think you’re a loser wasting your time, and then one of the biggest DJs in the world says your music is ready. It’s given me a lot of confidence. To have that type of break has been a blessing.

What a great summer for it because everyone was appreciating the rave so much post lockdown…

Soul Alt Delete: Yeah, that’s right! It’s great to hear a track played in a stream is amazing, but at a live show, it’s a whole other animal. It was a live show with real people and the last track as well, so a bit of a moment. To know he thought it was good enough to finish my set with is a great feeling.

Absolutely. So how about the ‘Network’ release on Oliver Huntemann’s Senso? How did that come about?

Soul Alt Delete: It took them seven months to get back to me, I was thinking, “This is going nowhere.” My parents were suggesting I get a job. Then they got in touch and said “He likes the tracks, he’s going to download them and play them over the weekend. If he likes them he’ll sign them.” There was a tense couple of days, then on Monday, they called me and said he liked them, and I did a backflip. I’ve listened to Senso releases since 2013, I’d say it’s one of my primary inspirations. Hatzler, Andre Winter, Dubfire, Joseph Capriati… They’ve all been on the label. It’s ridiculous. The whole team is super cool and it made the whole experience so easy. It’s a beautiful feeling.

How about your ICONYC release?

They found me through my music, with “City Wall” being on their playlist. I sent music across and they liked the sound. I’d gone for an ARTBAT / Eric Prydz progressive house sound on this one, and it came just in time for the fifth-anniversary album. I followed that with “Words Not Spoken,” it’s a very heartfelt release, I dug deep and really got in touch with my emotions on it.

We’ve come full circle… You’re exploring and developing your sound.

Soul Alt Delete: Yeah, definitely, and I will always be seeing how I can push it and develop it. Right now, I’m really inspired by the ARTBAT sound. Their Circle set really blew me away, it’s a new, fresh sound that I’m enjoying exploring. It’s more musical and that’s inspiring. I think we’re going to enjoy a lot of musical, progressive music now.

Do you think that’s an effect post-lockdown?

I think the whole time in our lives gave producers time to shine. DJing got reduced to a live stream setting, which wasn’t as fun, so it gave listeners more time to listen and producers more time to shine. Guys like Ben Bohmer, who’ve really broken through during that time, pretty much play their own music when they DJ. He’s created his own sound to such a degree that he doesn’t have to play anyone else’s music. Yotto as well on Anjunadeep. Artists like these guys have created their own entity, their own thing. That’s inspiring and that’s where I want to be…