Lukid

I find myself almost believing Luke ‘Lukid’ Blair when he claims ‘I don’t work that hard to be honest, I’m quite lazy’. He probably believes it himself. But, come to think of it, how many people do you know who have released two critically acclaimed albums by the age of 25?

‘Onandon’, his debut release on London-based independent label Werk Discs, was a solid collection of sample collages and beats, but it was ‘Foma’, his second effort, which really heralded the arrival of a young producer with a keen knowledge of subtlety and structure. With its hypnotic subsonics and nods to afrobeat, music concrete and psychedelia, the sheer depth and woozy heaviness of ‘Foma’ could have only come from someone fully immersed in their craft.

We meet Lukid at his parental home in a leafy suburb of north London, the place where he has crafted his two albums. Sitting in his uncluttered and tidy studio across the landing from his bedroom, the occasional fidget and mumbled answer suggests he’s more at ease with making his dense soundscapes than talking about them, but he’s a helpful subject nonetheless. It turns out that he has only recently acquired this studio space following the departure of a sibling, and the presence of a live drum kit and guitars suggests his sound may be about to take new turns.

Photos by Danny Wood

You made ‘Foma’ in your bedroom. Is that why it’s such a headfuck of an album?

(Laughs) I guess so.

Are you working on the third Lukid album?

No, I've been working on the two-vinyl EP that’s coming out soon. It's going to be three tracks from ‘Foma’ and three new ones. I want it to be seen as an extension of the Foma project. Just got to get it mastered and get the artwork done now.

Where do you get your mastering done?

‘Transition’ (mastering house). It’s in south london, pretty much in a car park. No glamour, but they always do a great job. The guy who runs it is an old drum n bass DJ who just sits there with all this gear in front of him, bouncing his head up and down. He just, like, listens to a track for five minutes and just goes ‘done….next’. He’s a funny guy, I always have a laugh when i'm there. I usually go down with Darren [Cunningham, founder of Werk Discs] ‘cos he’s a bit more clued up about that sort of stuff.

Are you planning to put a third Lukid album together after this EP?

I guess so….I’m trying not to commit to anything. It’s quite daunting really, having an album to do, ‘cos you finish a track and then you’re like “oh shit, I’ve got another eight to do now”. So I just take each day as it comes. After the first one I signed a contract straight away saying I’d do another one. It’s almost like you want to get it done so you can just get it out there, rather than….so I think I’ll wait until I’ve got more material. Also I’m not sure if I just want to do another album in the same mould really. And also you see how much hype some people are getting without even having released a fucking EP (laughs), what’s the point? I might as well take it slowly!