1) Who are you, who is in the band, who does what in the studio and on stage?
I am Fridge Master, I am Fridge Master, I am Fridge Master.
2) How long have you been writing and performing in this way?
I have been writing this way for about 3 years now but I’ve not been performing much. I’ve been learning and figuring stuff out, as far as the sounds I want to make and how I want to make them.
3) How exactly do you work / write / record?
I’ve several approaches and loads more in my notebook that I haven’t tried yet. If it’s a song I’ll tend to have some words and some kind of structure and I’ll lay elements of the song down myself and sample other elements that give a sense of what I’m after. I like getting other people involved, especially whilst they are not familiar with the song and I’m still very much open to ideas. I tend to give them a stripped back version of what I’ve recorded to play along to. This leaves more room for their initial reaction to the music and that’s what i’m looking for. This process works in reverse too.
4) How do you feel your studio/recording style informs the way you perform your music live? Does it make it easier or harder, better etc…?
Adopting the tunes to a live environment has probably been the trickiest part for me. With my first couple of gigs I had different beats that I launched whilst playing keys and this felt fine, I felt like I was doing enough, but it also felt like I was compromising the productions a lot. So the next couple of gigs I tried adding more of the productions but didn’t have the gear or the knowledge to make it feel live enough for me. It felt a bit like Fridge Master karaoke with unnecessary keys on top. I didn’t do any more gigs for about a year. Instead I started poking my nose into dj booths when I had the chance, checking out what was going on in there and asking lots of questions. Now I’d say my set is like Fridge Master presenting a tripped out Blue Peter. I’m doing it and it’s live and I’m like ‘here’s something i made earlier’ and working through my productions and visuals in a free flowing way.
5) What’s next, coming up after this gig, for you and what are you generally looking forward to right now…?
I’m looking to put an EP out early next year. It will be called “What’s in the Fridge?”. I’ve got lots of tracks recorded and I’ve a good idea of what will be on there. Fridge Master is about variety and not being too cool, just cool enough to keep stuff fresh. It’s a well stocked fridge.
