Talking URL LUV and Shadowy Alter-Egos with Sable

After dropping his long-awaited 'URL LUV' EP, the Perth producer Sable has been blowing minds with his epically ambitious URL LUV tour.

His Pokedex style journey behind his five-track EP arrived at the conclusion of Facebook fuelled comic 'The New Adventures of Sable' seeing Sable victorious in retrieving the stolen USBs (tracks) from his darker alter-ego Shadow.

With POKé juice flowing through his veins. This young gun has been evolving ever since his Kanto EP releasing an abundance of impressive tunes that range from cheery synth-soaked feels to that gritty dungeon bass.

We recently had a chat with Sable in the midst of his ambitious URL LUV IRL TOUR and talked all things Pokemon, collaborations and to determine his split-identity dominance.

So let's start at the beginning – how long have you been producing? Did you grow up playing any instruments?
I have no idea how long I've been producing to be honest. I grew up playing a lot of different instruments, but my kazoo skills are unparalleled.

Where does your music inspiration stem from?
From the desire for expression.

Run us through your production process, what's it like when you are in the studio?
I literally sit at a computer and press buttons and move things until sound that I like comes out. It's incredibly unexciting.

What was the initial idea behind the alter-ego Shadow Sable?
It's music I always made but could never release due to label obligations. Mt Moon was the progenitor track. It was a way to justify releasing set tools.

**Which sound do you prefer to work with when it comes to production - *The cheery upbeat side* being Sable, or the dark-sith-trap vibe from Shadow (Sable)?**
The normal Sable music is anything but upbeat. I think brightness is misinterpreted for happiness, but the musical elements are melancholic to me. The Shadow tracks are more carefree and happy in my mind and the theming behind Sable songs is more emotional and heavy. In that sense I will always prefer writing songs (Sable) over set tools (Shadow).

IRL Saybot from Pilerats on Vimeo.

When it comes to comics what's your favourite series and where did the inspiration come for your comic themed tour?
I'm reading Ghost in the Shell at the moment so contextually I really like that. The comic was a way to create a world around the music for it to exist in.

On another note – who do you feel is the shadiest Pokemon?
Mr. Mime gets my vote of most likely to assault someone.

As far as consoles go what's your go to platform, Nintendo or Playstation – shooter or roleplay?
PC honestly. Nintendo if I had to pick only one. RPGs definitely have more scope for character investment and development. Shooters tend to be boring and repetitive for me.

Along with a lot of releases this year you've had some cool shows as well, has there been any mind-blown moments so far?
I met Tom Morello in LA. That was probably the highlight of this year.

EDM seems to be becoming more and more about brand awareness, do you feel you can just simply be a bedroom producer - or do you require a strong online footprint?
If you're a bedroom producer with a prodigious Instagram presence you will be infinitely better off in music. To be brutally honest, you're much better getting a marketing degree than studying music. Both sides need to be accounted for though.

Where do you see social media in the EDM world?
Social media is EDM.

What are your thoughts towards bootlegging tracks and the recent SoundCloud crackdown?
People will always bootleg tracks. There will always be a new platform. I think people will have to adapt to the changes in Soundcloud but the copyright issues are a necessary step in the progression of SoundCloud. Unfortunately streaming services have made it infinitely more difficult to make a living from the creation of music, but they have made it infinitely easier to gain awareness and create a career as a brand in music.

A triple j mix last week showed how dark Shadow can go - where do you see him going and will he overtake - kinda like RL Grime v Clockwork?
To be honest, Shadow is a fun outlet but I will quit before I commit more time to that than normal Sable or another project.

As far as innovation this is pretty next level – does the fact that there's a narrative to Sable help or hinder your creative process?
Since the music was written and completed with it in mind and a long time before the visual side was created, I would say they are independent. The theming is definitely always present in everything that I do. I think every project should have a direction and intention.

And lastly, what's next to the chronicles of Sable?
Honestly, I'm not even sure

Sable concludes the URL LUV IRL tour on Friday 23rd October at the TBC Club, Brisbane, and has just been announced on the second Origin NYE lineup alongside Nero and Mac Miller, taking place in Perth over New Year's. Full lineup and ticket details here.

Sable on SoundCloud // Facebook // Twitter

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