Q&A: Andy Ash speaks to CT in advance of forthcoming Delusions Of Grandeur EP

The Liverpool-based creative dynamo gets deep into it, filling us in on his musical background and the inspiration behind his striking art, as well as opening our minds to the subjectivity of maths.

The sleeve art Andy created for his Bottleneck EP on Delusions Of Grandeur

Interview by Rocco Universal.

He’s a bright spark, is Andy. I’ve known him for somewhere in the region of 20 years. The first time I met him was when Cambridge based DJ and promoter Paul Darking booked him to play alongside James ‘Jitterbug’ Barrie and myself at what was a legendary local club night called Good Times. As I recall, the fresh-faced youngster — probably around 15 years old at the time — played a set gliding between soulful US house, deep techno and jacking Chicago acid tracks. While his fresh face somehow remains, he’s come a long, long way since then.

With releases on Dessous, Whiskey Disco, Quintessentials, and innumerable other respected labels already under his belt, he’s back on wax after a short hiatus — this time on the mighty Delusions Of Grandeur. Here we preview our favourites from the EP, showcase some of his excellent artwork, and get the low-down on what drives his creative engine.

Thanks for talking to Cosmic Tiger, Andy. What are you up to today?

I’m actually sitting on a train listening to some new music right now – I often travel around quite a bit for work so I have some time to listen to lots of music.

Is it correct that you're studying a PhD in Philosophy of Maths?

Ha! Yeah, in the philosophy of maths and how that relates to education – I’m a teacher so I’m interested in how these bigger philosophical ideas actually impact education and our culture…

Can you briefly describe something exciting or interesting about this subject (or why you love it)?

Well, without wanting to get too geeky, people (including me several years ago) tend to think that maths is different from things like music or art etc. because it is not subjective – it’s often thought to be a truly objective subject. But, as I’ve discovered, this really isn’t the case; people dispute things in mathematics in just the same way we like to dispute music or art. It’s totally subjective because it is something that humans created – maths isn’t perfect because people aren’t.

To me, this is important because we currently live in a time where things like maths and science are often used as “truths” about the world in order to further political ideology and this often ends up with people making uninformed decisions… I’ll stop ranting now!

No need to stop ranting, this is all very interesting. Now, what can you tell us about your entry into music, your early record buying experiences and your route into the studio?

Well, I grew up at a time when access to music was much more limited than it is now (it wasn’t even that long ago!)… So, to find the music I wanted to hear there weren’t very many options – you either listened to the radio, went to record shops or met people who were like-minded and heard their music collections. These three things pretty much shaped my whole musical upbringing I think.

I remember I first wanted to be a DJ at about the age of 12 – I always loved music and I was fascinated by the idea of this underground music world that existed, especially the idea of mixing records. I remember I used to pretend to do my own radio shows by mixing between a tape deck and my parents' old turntable. I had about 5 or six records that I had bought and some Ministry of Sound tapes. I was hugely influenced by Radio 1 here in England – I used to religiously listen to their weekend shows and often record them on tapes – people like Danny Rampling and Pete Tong and especially the essential mix. I would often stay up till 2am to set the essential mix recording.

Once I was 15 I started to DJ in a club in Cambridge – this was also a huge influence for me. Being given the opportunity to play in front of a big crowd at such a young age was amazing. Both the resident DJs there were incredible with their music knowledge and record collections so this realty influenced me. I really miss clubs with a monthly party where there are residents that have truly built the night up – there don’t seem to be many like that any more which is a shame.

From here I just kept going – I bought my first computer when I was 17 and started making music and haven’t looked back!

Would you mind revealing what the first record you bought was?

Oh dear… well, I went through a big trance phase when I was about 12/13 and this coincided with when I started buying records. The first record I bought was by ATB and it was called ‘9PM till I Come’

Ha! Yes, that’s a fairly terrible record, but no worse than many of my early purchases. So, back to the studio, do you have any favourite kit or gizmos you want to tell us about?

I’m not hugely precious about any studio kit in particular… The way I see it, if it sounds good then it doesn’t really matter how it was made. That said, I tend to prefer the sound you get from hardware and samples so most of my music is made this way – I hardly use anything else really. I guess my favourite bit of kit is probably my Juno 106 – it is such a versatile synth. I go through periods where I put it away so I don’t over-use it but I always end up going back to it! Other than that – I use a really old, cheap microphone for a lot of stuff – it’s amazing the sort of effects and sounds you can get with really cheap equipment and a bit of creativity. I always try and think out of the box about process when making tracks.

And how about your process, do you tend to work fast or labour over projects?

It really depends – I have young kids at home and a pretty full-on job so I get limited time in the studio, so this often dictates my working process. I do quite a lot of stuff at night actually so two of the three tracks on my new EP for Delusions of Grandeur were made in a night but then I always go back and tweak things. So, usually, the bare bones of a track come together in one session but then I sit on things and go back to arrangements to make changes. I have definitely made mistakes in the past by rushing things, I now know to be careful and really listen to things over and over on different sound systems to see what needs to improve.

I also find that inspiration is a big thing as well. For example, I have a good friend, Pooky, who runs an amazing night called Bonsai Hi-Fi just outside of Liverpool here in England. He has built an incredible high-end sound system and runs parties, sort of in the spirit of The Loft. Every time I go to one of his parties I always end up in the studio afterwards, often working until 3am or 4am because I am really feeling inspired. Once he played Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’ and the bass sounded so so good on that system, all I wanted to do was go back and make something with some bass like that.

I love your paintings and was really keen to show some here. Can you tell us about your influences or inspiration behind your style, and when did you start?

The inspiration behind this is sort of the same as my music – it’s a way of expressing ideas and concepts in other ways other than through words. I think people often rely too much on words themselves which are actually not great at communicating ideas.

I actually started doing this kind of painting quite a long time ago – I used to make characters and go and paste them up in places around where I lived. I then stopped for quite a few years but, recently, just felt the urge again to start doing some more stuff. I’m really interested in how colours and patterns can come together to create images that communicate something. Most of my stuff is based around the idea that everybody is completely different but, somehow, we all have to live together. I think it is important to celebrate that difference, even if it leads to disagreement – there is too much talk of freedom of expression when, in reality, I think peoples freedom of speech is getting more and more limited.

There are also loads of other artists that inspire me. I was always really into graffiti as a kid so that style is always in my mind… But also artists like Jon Burgerman, Oliver Jeffers, Buff Monster, Jeroen Erosie – there are too many to mention really. But artists who show you that you don’t need any classical training or anything like that – just something to paint with and an imagination.

Is there anywhere can we see more of your art?

In my studio? Ha! I post some of it on my Instagram and occasionally sell pieces. I’ve also designed the label artwork for the Delusions of Grandeur release… At some point, I would really like to put on some sort of exhibition but I guess that requires people to want to see it!

How much does your study of maths shape how you approach music and painting (I’m thinking Pythagoras’ Musical Universalis)?

It’s not something I have thought loads about but, I guess maths is really just one way of communicating ideas about the world, just like music and art. Maths is really all about patterns and I think that pattern is a particularly important part of making the music that I do – a lot of my tracks actually begin with me having a rhythm pattern in my head that I want to explore. Even in my art as well – pattern is definitely a recurring theme. Fundamentally, it is all about communicating with people in different ways – that’s why we make music or art, it’s why we use maths!

This makes perfect sense. I definitely see and hear patterns in your work. So, onto your base in Liverpool. What can you tell us about the scene there?

Liverpool is a really cool city with loads going on. The music scene here has got stronger and stronger ever since I moved up here in 2005. When I am in the mood, there is almost always something worth checking out. I mentioned my friend’s Bonsai Hi-Fi party earlier – to have something like this on my doorstep is pretty lucky. There is also a great local radio station – Melodic Distraction. These guys have done a lot for the music scene and are always helping move things forward. Living here has definitely played a big role in shaping my sound…

Since we’re based in Asia, have you ever played in this part of the world?

Unfortunately, I haven’t really! I was out in Shanghai a few years ago and did a very small gig there but it would be great to get to more places around Asia. I know there are some great parties that go on so it would be cool to check some of these out.

Do you have any more releases on the horizon?

There are a few bits in the pipeline for this year, yes… But I’m trying to be really careful with my output and make sure that everything is of the highest quality I can produce. I don’t want to just release music for the sake of it… I’m sure every producer battles with things like this!

Any gigs coming up?

Not at the moment – I am in a fairly intense part of my PhD so I have to be careful with how I spend my time!!

Anything else you want to tell us about anything at all?

I don’t think so!

That’s great, Andy, you’ve given us lots to think about already! Thanks again for talking to us, and best of luck with the new record!

Andy Ash ‘Bottleneck EP’ is out on Delusions Of Grandeur on 24th January. You can listen and buy here.

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