Wu-Lu is a pivotal figure in London’s complex network of underground music communities. The South London artist seems to cross from scene to scene, learning what he needs to in a series of free-flowing conversations. His slim catalogue to date is peppered with pan-genre innovation – the rippling physicality of club culture, the attack of grunge and punk, the endless improvisatory possibility of jazz – all while asserting his own unique voice. Out now, debut album ‘LOGGERHEAD’ is a fantastic collection of ideas, a superb meeting place for sound and technique.
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Hitting the road to promote the record through a series of in-stores, Wu-Lu pulls the van over on the hard shoulder for a quick chat with Clash. He’s evidently proud of what he has achieved, and thirsts for the ability to connect with fans, live and direct.
“I think all recorded music is just polished demos, anyway,” he says of the album’s raw appeal. “Then it becomes more and more and more defined. It’s a sensitive thing, but I suppose I was aiming for a lot more energy.”
A project that emphasises his curatorial nous, the album finds Wu-Lu aligned by a cosmos of musicians. Guests include Lex Amor, Asha Lorenz, and Lea Sen, a veritable who’s who of London’s sonic futurists. “I kind of feel like that’s natural,” he says. “It wasn’t a grand plan, it was just like: you’re sick! Even if no one knows who they are, if they’re sick, I want to work with them.”
“It just came together that way,” he continues. “I got given these opportunities, and starting putting different ingredients into the mixture. It’s like a sandwich – you want different stuff in there!”
An ebullient creator, Wu-Lu’s innate optimism ripples through our conversation. He lives for music – both his brother and father are also prominent musicians – and refuses to be hemmed in by genre lines.
“I just want to take from the best bits of the music that I like – whether that’s grime, jungle, hip-hop, or whatever. It should just reflect the headspace I made it in, which is that headspace of being at loggerheads with yourself. And I guess it’s like a diary entry, as well. I might think one way on a particular, then a different way the next. It all reflects my mood.”
“It’s about communication,” he adds. “It’s not all about me, and things that have happened to me. Some of it is inspired by things people have told me, things I can relate to. That’s what powers the decision-making process. Some people are like, you should tone it down. But I want to do it my way!”
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This joyously stubborn commitment to speaking his truth has marked Wu-Lu’s journey – indeed, there’s an argument that his staunch refusal to be pigeonholed has, in some ways, made his ascent a little more difficult. “There was some music I made way back, that I didn’t put out for those reasons. But I realised that I wasn’t feeling fulfilled by it, so I moved away from it. I quickly learnt that you’re always playing catch-up with yourself, in a way.”
Part of a new wave of musicians in London who cross genre lines, Wu-Lu’s success signals time-up for the gatekeepers. Emphasising a mosaic-like approach, he plucks gleefully from different sounds and generations, building something that is uniquely his. “It feels like, for me, that a lot of people have grown up in scenes, and developments of scenes. But in the age we’re in, we’re all being exposed to so much information that people can pick anything out, it’s just what they like. I feel like DJ Shadow is a big inspiration – he used that collage-impact way back.”
As Wu-Lu puts it, his debut album is a true coming-of-age moment. “I remember at school, people would say: who are you? Are you a junglist, are you a grunger? But I didn’t fit like that, and I felt like I couldn’t say who I really liked due to the tribes we all belonged to at school.”
“As I grew up a bit, though, I learned how to be myself. You grow, you meet new people. It’s like Miles Davis said: wrong and strong! There’s no wrong notes, provided you play ‘em wrong and strong!”
Closing, he muses on some future plans: touring, more music, remixes, and perhaps an exhibition of his artwork, in some form. He’s got bold plans, and the energy needed to execute them. “Well for a start: finish off Album Two! And tour. Tour the music, man. I’m really open to what comes next. Living day by day. It’s like: alright… let’s see what happens!”
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‘LOGGERHEAD’ is out now.
Words: Robin Murray
Photo Credit: Machine Operated
