In Conversation: cktrl

cktrl is an artist like no other at the moment in the UK. The Lewisham musician has always created his own space in music, and his newest project shows the talent of the artists through his use of instruments like the Saxophone and harp used throughout. 

‘Yield’, his latest EP is released this Friday (October 28th) and is packed with full raw emotion. The EP is stripped back, but within the simplicity, you can feel a number of layers. It’s a more instrumental project with fewer vocals, as the artist calls it – the whole EP is “much more meditative”. 

Clash spoke with cktrl about ‘Yield’ and much more. 

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I read this caption from your IG for when you released your first track from the EP which is also titled ‘Yield’, which said ‘had to find grounding in order to know what I needed to strip away as the layers are what make the feeling.’ I was wondering if you could expand on this more.

Yeah, it definitely shaped it – usually the way I go about projects is that it comes from one song. Then I have something to work with. This is the meat in the sandwich and everything else comes around. That’s how everything came together, there was more to explore from this track. 

When talking about stripping back, when I did the last project called ‘Zero’, there’s a track on there called Mazes. This started a new process for me, I guess I started to have an idea and usually you want to add more. But it was different with ‘Mazes’, because there was a lot more going into the track, like Pianos, harps, two saxophones, drum machines, and more. 

So for this track, it was kind of about the restraint in saying what you need to do. Not saying that less is more, but knowing when it’s done. Being intentional with what needs to be there. We had some harp in there which sounded beautiful, but I couldn’t use it all because it would’ve taken away from the song. The need to pull back, to really say what it is. I’ve been doing that more recently. ‘Yield’ is more about that, and knowing when things can be by themself.

From an artist’s point of view, is it hard when to know when to let go of a track?

Not really, I feel like I can only speak for myself, for me I know when it’s finished. If it isn’t, sometimes you leave it and two years later you can pick it back up when you realise what’s needed. I’ve never really struggled with it, the only thing which is more taxing, is the mixing progress. I guess in terms of finishing the track, it’s more the mixing progress, knowing there’s more to do with it. As intricate as the music is, that comes from the mixing progress. 

During that process, you must be fully immersed in it. 

Yeah, literally yesterday I was in a studio that had spacial audio. It basically puts your music into 3D, speakers are over your head and it’s panning 360. It’s adding so much more to the production process. That’s how I’ve been doing it recently, like how the music can be mixed like you are in. You could go to town, you can fit the music in each space. That’s how I would see it in the future, how it would be in the room. It’s like how you would want it all around you.

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‘Yield’ your first track felt like a journey in itself. During the COLORS performance, you’re visually showing emotion, what was going through your mind?

I realised last year when doing performances, that I struggle to perform in succession, and the music I’m putting out there can sometimes be heavy and personal. Rooted in experiences, and I guess putting vulnerability forward and for that to be okay. It can be emotionally taxing to convey the music as it was recorded. I guess, doing the colors and the nerves of something like that. I’ve seen the platform for a while, and obviously, the music is going to be in front of more people. So it was the nerves and anxiety of that, and the attachment to the song and what it represented to me. 

Yeah especially with COLORS, they normally ask you perform it quite a few times too right? 

Yeah that was the third take, I didn’t do more than three!

Did I notice the incense sticks on the floor, was that your touch to it?

Yeah even at my live shows I have the incense. I grew up with it in my house and just for my own personal space. It’s my own negative block, I would always burn incense to cleanse the space for performing.

Your second single ‘Love And War’ features Ophie. The vocals on this track are incredible. How was it working with Ophie for this?

Easy, we’ve been working together for years. I’ve taken a lot of my past discography but we’ve been working together for a long time. It’s effortless so working like with a little sister.

Love the visuals you use for the front of the EP –  the visuals feel like the music. Did you direct that for how it looks and feels? 

Yes and no, because basically I always work with friends on my visuals, so there’s a photographer that I trust and is a friend. So they hear the music and get the feel. But with Yield, it was less intentional, but I knew I wanted to use the artwork for something. 

In an era where putting out music constantly seems be a theme – it seems that you take your time to create EP’s which has more impact and meaning. Is that more fulfilling for you? 

I think what people don’t talk about more like I guess, is funding and budgeting. I guess it’s like that with many things in life, if you’ve got the funding and backing, you can put more out. Different people have different barometers for their quality control. I don’t put anything out that I don’t believe in, but I guess it’s hard to match visuals with that regularly. I would love to release music more often, but I haven’t got the resources to accommodate that music. If possible I would be releasing a lot more music than I am, because it’s sitting there. There are so many other admin things that are barriers to releasing. Like, Colors is amazing, but I would love to put that kind of stuff out in a music video. I haven’t even done another music video that I’m in for years. I would love to do that, but it’s not feasible to do that right now.

You can rely on management who can secure funding; or you can work with brands and that would include product placement, but that can also be distracting… especially if the brand doesn’t align with what you’re putting out there. You can release all the time if you’ve got the means to do it, but quality control is something I think about a lot. 

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‘Yield’ EP will be released on October 28th.

Words: Joe Hale // @joesquestions