When Michael Anthony Wright was younger someone told him to feast on more Brassica. Today, the Clapton based, Folkestone raised producer makes intelligently layered music that mixes a variety of electronic techniques. Eat your greens.
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Disturbing Michael late yesterday evening, whilst he lay in bed peering out of his window at the tower blocks and flickering night sky, i-D found the man that is Brassica tucked up wearing a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and a light blue t-shirt with a camel on the front. Napping in between working on his next release, a full length album due out next year, Michael is also busy producing a new track for the next Civil Music compilation CD. Creating atmospheric music, hoping to move his audience to feel both hopeful and slightly anxious, simultaneously, Michael cites White Noise and Ozric Tentacles as a massive influence on his self-honed sound. Playing at the last i-D mix event, wearing a psychedelic coloured, kitten emblazoned short sleeved tee, bearded lad Brassica was a highlight of the proceedings and is garnering some serious attention to his heavily played soundcloud. i-D caught up with the bedroom based artist to chat about what sounds he likes to chirpse, run and relax with.
What does it look like inside your studio? Not as exciting as you might think… here’s a picture.
What equipment do you work with? A few outboard synths, a sampling drum machine, a laptop, a microphone, a cheap mixing desk, some speakers, rudimentary percussion, a borrowed guitar + anything else I can lay my hands on.
Do you remember the first mixtape you were ever made? Who made it and what was the best track off the compilation? My first mixtapes were almost like audio collages. As a kid I was into basic electronics and I ripped the erase function out of my cassette recorder which meant you could layer the sounds. It had all sorts of weird shit that I associated more with how film and TV sound was assembled than mixtapes. The best part was probably a sort of remix from the B-Side of the Ice Ice Baby single I recorded off my cousin’s CD copy. I wasn’t responsible for the wizardry happening, but some of my friends were none the wiser.
If you could be any popstar from any point in history who would you be and why? Maybe Dave Grohl for his entire career. Because I would’ve had Nirvana for the anecdotes and Foo Fighters for the retirement fund.
Which vocalists would you like to collaborate within the future? Phew.. where do I begin? Arthur Brown, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Adrian Belew, Carly Simon, Cindy Lauper, Bill Withers, Susanne Freytag (from Propaganda), Azealia Banks, Morrissey, David Byrne, Diamanda Gallas, John Lydon, Prince, D’Angelo… I could go on forever.
What do you listen to:
Fall asleep? In reality I listen to Radio 4 shows like Just a Minute when I sleep because music makes me think too much, but Tod Dockstader – Aerial is a good sleep album or Kaffe Matthews – CD Eb & Flo.
Wake up? Dexter Wansell – Life on Mars
Feel mellow with? Brian Eno – Music for Airports 1/1
Run far? Slayer - Angel of Death (obviously)
Romance a laydee? Steely Dan – Peg
What do you want for Christmas? A bit of free time to develop some new music.
Where are you off to now? Bed… Goodnight!
soundcloud.com/brassica
Text: Milly McMahon
