Early last year, Manchester producer Andy Stott was still working at his day job refinishing cars for Mercedes. For almost a decade, Stott has put out dub and techno-hued releases under his own name (and as Andrea) including three full-length albums for the British label, Modern Love. After the success of the 2011 EPs We Stay Together and Passed Me By, which took off thanks in part to his rule-bending take on the pace of club music, Stott found himself facing a larger audience than ever.
So he quit his job to prep for the release and touring of his third full-length, last November's exquisitely-titled Luxury Problems. And the record, which made it out just in time to topple some unsuspecting artist off many a year-end list, didn't disappoint. This time, Stott teamed up with his childhood piano teacher, Alison Skidmore, to incorporate a strong vocal element to the immersive, winding, somnambulent techno sounds.
You left your job almost a year ago to pursue music full-time. When Luxury Problems was released you seemed to still be adjusting to the new lifestyle. How about now?
This is very true. It was such a big change of lifestyle for me, going from a nine to five to having all this time on my hands. Plus, two days after I quit my job I went straight on tour with Demdike Stare in the U.S., so when I got back to the U.K. that's when I had to start adjusting to this new lifestyle. It was a huge decision for me to make but with touring becoming busier and my time off from work remaining at its same allowance something had to give. Also, my partner Sarah was pregnant at the time so the decision was thought about long and hard - looking back, it was a pretty busy period!
So I made the decision to leave work kind of based on the fact that the schedule was looking healthy and Luxury Problems was soon to be released. It was a huge gamble but I'm glad to say, so far so good. I've learnt to be completely disciplined with what I make from music but it still kind of frightens me to think that it's my income these days. I'm just taking it month by month and keeping an eye on the future.
How has the free time impacted your work and creativity?
Well, the closer I got to the end of my day job career things just started to come together. I found some studio space right in Manchester city centre (downtown): a friend of mine is a photographer so he lets me share his amazing studio space. I had got some new equipment too that was all ready to go into this space. So I had a purpose space to go to with more equipment than I have ever had. I try to treat it as a job with regards to time: I try and get and leave around a certain time, but it never works ou that way. I'm creative as I was, I think.
Luxury Problems had a reach beyond the techno community; it debuted as an NPR "First Listen." Is it important to you to have that mainstream consideration?
I'm not concerned about pushing it into the mainstream. I mean electronic music has always been in the mainstream, but in various guises. I'm glad that it has reached a new audience that might hopefully become attracted to other things that are considered to be more underground.
Does the listener fit into your music-making process?
This will sound really selfish but I don't really think about other people listening to what I'm making, while I'm making it. I just sit down to make something that gives me a reaction. It's just really fortunate that people are like-minded it seems and get the same feeling from listening as I do when I'm writing.
Over the years your music has evolved to something more cinematic and conceptual from straight-ahead dancefloor tracks. What's that the result of?
Different things like influences, equipment, environment. From Passed Me By to Luxury Problems there were new things going on: I moved house, found new ways of working in the studio, discovered new ways of making new sounds and those releases are just a result of me with a new palette almost.
In other interviews you've mentioned that this is a good time for techno music. Why is that?
I have no recollection of saying that, heh! To me techno has taken on more guises and forms and at the moment there are so many different styles. I think you can find material that's so specific these days, but it still has a core to it that remains techno.
The album art for Luxury Problems is really beautiful and compelling. Can you tell me a bit about it?
I love the sleeve for the album. It's a stunning shot and represents the music very well: there had to be a certain amount of control and balance to get it absolutely spot on. If (something) was tipped either way it would just be a mess.
If you're around Toronto, catch Andy Stott this Saturday night at FOUNDRY - a month-long electronic music showcase featuring top international and local talent. Opening for Stott are Box of Kitten's Mike Gibb and Fabio Palermo.
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