Busy and exciting times for Ed Davenport, whom some of you will also know under his alias Inland.
As Ed Davenport, he released a new EP with a trio of gleaming, house orientated tracks on our very own Muallem‘s Childhood imprint titled > PLACE OF CONNECT PT.1 < and he recorded a new mix for our Blitzcast series, brimming with the estival vibes he’s been spreading at the gigs he played this summer. And now Ed is back for our upcoming Cruise event on Saturday, the 14th of October, for a special back to back with Muallem – a world premiere, too!
We had a couple of questions for the multitalented Brit who’s relocated to Berlin. Dig into his brand new mixcast or his new EP and make sure to catch him this Saturday at Blitz!
More infos on our upcoming Cruise right here: https://www.blitz.club/program/cruise-41/
Order the LP right here:
https://childhood.bandcamp.com/album/ch007-ed-davenport-place-of-connect-pt-1
And dig into BLITZCAST 017 on Soundcloud:
- Tell us more about how you and David met. How did the release come along?
David booked me to play at Bob Beaman around 2013. The gig went well and after a few hours of sleep I made it to the airport. I sat in a restaurant feeling sleepy but content, but then suddenly broke out in a cold sweat – I’d left my entire DJ fee, in cash, in the hotel safe! I texted David and he took care of it straight away without hesitation – crisis over! I sent him a handful of records from the newly founded Counterchange label to say thanks, if I remember correctly!
Fast forward a few years and we finally met in person at Blitz for a Sweat Lodge agency night. We’d always shared music and since I made this batch of fresh house music over the last 2 years, I had to think of David and his lovely new Childhood label. The inaugural releases were killer so it was my first choice for these tracks. I’m delighted with the communication and label experience!
• You’ve been focussing more on the Inland moniker and its brand of introspective Techno. What’s the reason you’re working on more music under the name Ed Davenport right now? And how have your releases and the success with Inland changed the way you approach music under the Ed Davenport name?
After a long time as a disciple of the harder, darker formations of techno commonly found in Berlin I’ve found myself coming full circle. I used to play and produce a lot of house in the early days and I missed that euphoric positive energy. With the Inland project I was lucky to notch up a lot of hours in DJ booths around the world and I got more confident presenting a wider range of music, especially during long closing sets. That, combined with a more grounded outlook on life as I approach the big four-zero, allowed me to feel more comfortable in my own skin, and in front of crowds. I just love basslines, pumping house grooves and vocals and I wanna share that vibe with loving dancefloors again!
• Tell us a bit about the production process. Did you try out any new concepts of writing and producing music, did you work with a new set of gear, etc.? Also tell us about the names of the track – what do they symbolize?
Early last year I played at Heideglühen again for the first time since the pandemic. I played 90% vinyl – percussive house, acid and proper deep Detroit vibes – it was amazing. Suddenly everything clicked and I really connected with that sound and way of DJing again (less urgent, letting the records speak) and made a mental note to make some more house records asap. In the summer I went into the studio every day for a couple of weeks straight, turned on the machines and made a new track every day.
I grabbed a load of old CDs and records of all genres, and spent the first hour of each day cutting up some one-shots and abstract loops sent through FX, and then went to work. My studio chain changed regularly over those sessions but all the drums and synths went through my trusty old, slightly buggy, Allen & Heath mix-wizard. I love the sound of that mixer and I kept it pretty simple, a few machines, a few samples… a classic tracky approach without any big gimmicks I guess.
The EP title ‘Place of Connect’ symbolises a new and deeper connection to myself and my family. I’ve been working on shedding some old habits; baggage from my past that wasn’t serving me any more, and putting mental and physical health more in the forefront. To be honest I’ve never felt better so it feels right that this new chapter of new music comes out now.
• You’ve been working on a new Blitzcast mix. Tell us more about the music selection, the process of putting together the mix – what were the driving ideas behind the mix?
This is the vibe I’ve been playing out this summer at house events. It’s a symbiotic mix of old records, new releases, my new tracks, and some edits I’ve done. I love long layering and mixing in key, but it’s also fun to flip the switch and create dramatic pauses or breaks in the flow. I’m still (re)discovering a lot of old 90s and early 00s tribal and progressive house music, from the US, the UK and Belgium in particular, which I find super relevant and inspiring. I got back into ordering old records on Discogs, often recording them and making edits or mastering boosts. I hope you enjoy the mix!
• What can we expect from your back to back with Muallem at our upcoming Cruise? Have you ever performed together? And if yes, when was it and how did it go?
Well, we’ve never played together but I know we have similar tastes in music and it will be a lovely way to celebrate the new record. I guess we’ll both bring a bag of records, some digital rarities too, and just drop in. I can’t wait to be back in that gorgeous booth!
• Your last performance as Ed Davenport at Blitz was long ago – how was the experience?
It was a while back that’s true, I think it was 2017 or 18. I played B2B with Baikal on the Plus floor and we got pretty deep and dark with some chugging tribal-prog and minimalistic techno.
• Last question, aside from self promotion and own projects: what was the last piece of music that really fascinated you (regardless of the format, whether it’s an album, seven-inch, mix, live performance, etc.) and why?
It’s pretty much connected with my current US tribal-house obsession, but the music of Angel Moraes had escaped me in general until quite recently. I knew a few of his bigger tracks but now I’m kind of studying his productions. They are typically super driving, heavy, ‘big studio’ productions and full of details. Check out ‘Time To Get Down’ and you’ll see what I mean. (The Dub is also pure class!)
And this is what CH007 > PLACE OF CONNECT PT.1 < looks and sounds like. Enjoy!
