I spoke to Michelle of Madly in Dub about how the duo formed their sound their latest release and the festivals they are playing stateside this summer.
1) Firstly thank you for taking the time out from your busy schedule to complete this interview. Could you tell us a little about yourselves and how you started your musical career?Todd and I have been performing live music for more than 2 decades. We met in another band in 2007 and then formed Madly in Dub. I studied Indian classical tabla in Los Angeles and Kolkata, India. Todd has been performing in punk and psychedelic rock bands since high school touring extensively throughout the U.S and Asia.
2) How would you describe your sound and what are the main influences behind it?
I would describe our sound as immersive. Pretty at times, gritty at others. Dancey but still dubby with half and double time rhythmic layers and reverb crashes. Strongly influenced by world music instruments. I have played Indian tabla for 19 years. While flute, santoor, sitar, doumbek and Latin flavours find new a new home in four to the floor Dub house. Todd's funky bass playing grabs the groove. We both have a love for instrumental music, vintage funk from around the world, Bill Laswell, Tabla Beat Science, Up bustle and out, Augustus Pablo and other classic Dub.
3) You incorporate both electronic and organic instruments and percussion. In which order did each of you learn the organic and electronic?
I started with several instruments as a young person. Guitar and clarinet. Then I began hand drumming at 16 and moved on to dholki (a double sided Indian drum) then at 23 I dedicated myself to the tabla. I’ve always had a passion for electronic music, being a bit of an "early bloomer" in the Seattle rave scene, growing up in underground clubs and parties from age 13.
I first heard a tabla in downtempo ambient music in the 90's. Then began learning DAWs in 2008 starting with Ableton, Pro Tools, Reason and Audacity. Being heard live on tabla in a dance club setting proved challenging. An all analogue set up for years with effects units and loopers eventually gave way to Abelton and Midi, the Keith McMillen Bop pad and the Roland Handsonic. I still bring the tablas to smaller live performances but more and more I’m leaning on the Handsonic tabla.Todd has played bass, keys and flute for decades. Ableton and synths came on board a few years after and the Roli Seaboard has been a game changer. It compliments his playing style so much, bending out notes and sliding around in the sounds on the squishy Seaboard is a dream for making his musical ideas come to life.
4) You've recently released a 5 track E.P. 'Nag Kanya' could tell the readers a little about the release and how it compares to your previous productions?Nag Kanya is a special release for us. Inspired by our recent travels to India and Nepal. We are using a lot of spicy trap elements which I feel compliments the dreamy sweet melodies. I always worry we will sound like spa music. Lol. I also feel like we had a lot of emotion coming through in this release. We recently parted ways with a band mate we had had for a few years, this is our re-branded, "rebound" album. Proving to ourselves and others that the 2 of us is all we need. We completed this album in 3 months without the compromises and slow downs that inevitably come with every musician involved in a project. We finally feel like we're capturing the sound we have been working towards for 12 years.
Our other recent releases on Uniting Souls are more on the house side (as they are a house music label) this album moves a bit away from the house elements with more breaks and trap elements.
5) Are you active in the U.S. festival scene? If so, where can people hear you play?
Yes, we play local festivals. We will be playing a large party 4th of July at a larger underground club in Seattle, popular in the festival scene called Monkey Loft and we will be playing a smaller festival on Orcas Island July 6th called Blooming Heart. We will also be supporting Drumspyder at an Imagine festival (Orcad island) hype party on Sept 6th.
6) If you could work with any artist/s who would it be?
To name a few Bill Laswell, Dub FX, Gaudi, Drumspyder, Dessert Dwellers, David Starfire, Dance Spirit, Dave Pezzner, Sly and Robbie. The Orb and Thomas Fellman.
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