German Shepherd Records Presents: Es. Interview by Bob Osborne.

German Shepherd Records Presents:

Es.

The Gold Coast Sound

Interview by Bob Osborne.

Former Dream Circle member and one half of lower case letter devoted duo sycloner Daniel Cunnington recently introduced us to a new solo project called Es.. With a deliberate step towards a simpler, more reflective sound, the new endeavour has resulted in four singles and one EP since launching in December 2021.

The style is Lo-fi, the sound is laid back and the mood is mellow. Coupled with evocative video interpretations, the music is instrumental with the occasional “found sound” inserted to add ambience and context to the pieces. Coupling the hip sounds of Nu-Jazz with soulful vibes, Daniel’s prolific output reflects a man in love with composing and making music.

The DIY ethos of the Lo-fi movement is consistent with the intent of the German Shepherd Records approach to music production and delivery. The Es. project, therefore, fits well with the labels intent to release a range of different genres. Another aspect of the run of singles and EPs is that stunning cover art for the releases, which feature vivid colours and stark and unique representations of iconic architecture.

I took time out to interview him in early February as work was underway to release the first EP in the series. Es. is a pretty unique name for the project, what inspired it?

Well, nothing cool or profound here. From an art viewpoint the letter ‘S’ is beautiful with its shape and curves. I also like that Es. spells ‘S’, simple!

Why did you begin the Es. Project, you are already pretty busy with sycloner?

I love creating music and art, it is all about expression and communication. When writing some new music, I imagine the parts first in my head, then work them out on the instruments before recording. Last October, I walked past my old art college and reminisced about how it felt to have come from the country, straight to the city for study. Some loneliness at first, but it got better with time. We have all felt the same I am sure. Expressing those emotions musically felt right. The aesthetics which came to mind were Jazz-tinged, nostalgic with a touch of melancholy in one style and groovy, bass-driven and brassy, the other. This has informed the current Es. style, it felt great and true.

What are the main musical inspirations for the project, specific artists?

I listen to and play a lot of music, all the way from the Renaissance to yesterday. This all sits nicely at the back of the musical imagination and

forms a type of sound palette. I think that early Hip-hop has a beautiful looseness to it and a vibe of fresh excitement. I like the simplicity of the beats and chord progressions, often just a repeated melodic figure. The Lo-fi Chillwave movement has these elements too and both styles are very related. I love to write some tracks with just one chord, with the musical interest being created with the textures and melodies on the instruments. The Indonesian artist Jordy Chandra has written some lovely music in this style.

How would you describe the music in terms of genre? Lo-fi, Nu-Jazz, Trip-hop?

Gold Coast Sound! When I started writing these tracks, I wasn’t aware of a particular style base they would belong to. So, I did some research and realised that Es.’s music is Lo-fi, Jazz-hop and some recent tracks leaning towards Dream-hop. Here in Australia, we have intense sunlight levels. All colours are super-defined, so I reckon that has had a big influence on my sound relating to the clarity of parts.

What is your writing process?

I run a lot, at least seventy miles a week. That is when I write music. The mind clears after a few miles and that is when I turn on the creative switch. I would have worked out a rough idea first, a piano run or a bass line, but will work out the other parts which sound right, dash home and figure them out on the instruments. Sometimes, it is like ‘How the heck am I going to play this, it is so difficult!’.

How do you go about recording the material in terms of gear, software, process?

The actual recording process is pretty simple. Probably giving away secrets here! Most importantly I very rarely use any EQ, so the primary sound has to be just right, whether it be the flute, electric piano, bass or otherwise. I record each part separately, upload to the DAW, then the next part and so on. If I hear a line for an instrument I don’t

have, I will use a midi keyboard. The DAW I use is just a standard one and I use a Zoom mike. I do all of the mastering, mixing and so on myself, just by feel.

With four singles (2021’s ’Drive’ and 2022’s ‘Club’, ‘Dream’ and ‘Speed’) and one EP (this February’s ‘Café’) so far, what have you got planned next?

After the ‘Café’ EP, I have another one nearly completed. No title as yet, but the intention is to release it in July. There are three tracks on this new one. The first is Gypsy-flavoured, textured with piano and guitar, the second is all guitar and Dream-hop in style and the third is bass and beat driven and firmly Jazz-hop.

On the subject of Videos, can you describe how you put them together and get inspiration for content?

The videos are really important to me and I try to express the emotions of the track in them. The footage I either shoot myself or use snippets of public domain video and combine them. There are some excellent resource sites online. It is all a palette to create something emotive and meaningful in the creative arts realm.

Check out the Es. project at:

esdc.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/ Es-107901435019959

www.youtube.com/channel/ UCZsGMLRWHmN9UGv_TjtHDVA