Lil Silva doesn’t need sleep, studios or stimulants, he creates bare hench funky dub on the hoof, in the club or at the café.
This is the story of one man and his Mac.
“Scrap the sleeping. ‘Sleep’s a myth’ I always say that. I am in the middle of doing the Night Slugs EP now so I am living in an insomnia world, I’ve been up since yesterday. My dad always says ‘go to your bed it’s half 6’ and I am like ‘yeah maybe I should call it a night’. After I catch a little sleep, I am back up. Maybe I’ll go down to the gym for a bit. Then I am back at the studio. I’ve got two, one up in Bedford and one down in Fulham. The travelling is mad. I’ll be working here then head up there, always working till like 3 in the morning. But my Mac is where it all goes down, so I can work everywhere now man. I bring it to the pub too. The work rate is epic, I can do a few tracks in a day. Last Deviation I made a track to be played out just before we left. If I sit in the zone for two hours I can make three tracks. That’s just me though, I am not saying everyone’s got to be fast.
On a typical day I might have a couple of meetings. Then I’ll plan to go home and chill out because I’ve got a flight but it never goes to plan. I was off to Denmark last week and I went to YOYO the night before my flight and ended up not leaving till half 4. Next thing you know I gotta drive back to Bedford and catch a flight in the am. And ain’t no sleeping when the daylight’s happening even though I’ve got a flight at 12.30 at Heathrow. I set off and get there just in time.
Every time I’m abroad I get a Chinese, head to the club and zone out back stage. In Denmark they were loving it. With the newer stuff they freeze until they hear the ‘Lil Silva’. Then I see hands coming out of nowhere pulling back the track. They don’t hear enough of it so their reaction is really nutty compared to somewhere like London, they just flip out.
After I play, like I said ‘sleep’s a myth’. It’s two after parties looking for gyal dem. A blonde girl with dreads and I am like ‘yo that’s me’. On to a drum & bass thing, then to a bar until 6.30am. We’re back to the hotel by 7.30am and it’s daylight again so I am up playing Temple Run on my phone. Or I might make some beats. I’ve got an app I use, which is good for when you’re flying. I catch 2 hours sleep, wake up to 6 missed calls. When I get to the airport I am the last person on the flight again but it’s all good.”
Lil Silva headlines The Nest, Dalston on Friday 1st June. For tickets and more information, click here.
Text: Milly McMahon
