Like it or not, the past few years of dance music have proved one thing pretty definitively- EDM is here to stay. The party-centric umbrella genre has been near-inescapable and absolutely saturating over the past few years, and, inevitably, its influence has become visible in other genres- first in mainstream pop, then in hip-hop and now in the alternative scene. While the enduring popularity of acts like Chvrches and Baths have proved an increasing interest in synth-based pop music, Seattle native Robert DeLong represents a truer crossover. Delong doesn’t just use the technology to augment his music; instead he directly imports the sounds of the driving genres like moombahton, brostep and bigroom house into tracks that recall the structure and approach of everyone from Death Cab for Cutie to Radiohead.
The approach might sound contrived on paper, but DeLong pulls it off with style and grace. He balances his wildly different influences into a thoughtful but thoroughly groovable product and adds introspective but refreshingly blunt lyrics, which makes for tracks as equally suited for home listening as for dancehalls. It’s the kind of material likely to bring in fans of both The Postal Service and Diplo.
Beyond his unlikely recordings, DeLong has come up with a unique live show. He plays solo- and without song breaks- surrounded by about 15 different instruments, including keyboards, drums, sample pads, and even a joystick and Wii remote hacked to function as MIDI controllers. DeLong’s combination of visible versatility, powerful sound and exciting stage presence make for a truly divergent and memorable live set.
In anticipation of his show this Wednesday at Great Scott, Allston Pudding had a chat with Delong about rave music, shitty living conditions and the benefits of playing solo.
Allston Pudding: So the first time I heard you, my thought was “when did Ben Gibbard get into moombahton?” (on the track “Global Concepts”) What inspired you to mix these melodic indie elements with the bigger, more party-centric sounds of EDM?
Robert Delong: I think really it was just an amalgamation of things I liked. I grew up in Seattle and the whole indie pop world was my sort of music. It was the music I was writing. Sometime after college I really got into electronic production which led me to a lot of different dance styles and I really liked moombahton. Those things collided and that was the track that came out.
AP: How are you usually exposed to some of the deeper electronic influence?
RD: I don’t so much now because of touring and stuff but I’ve spent a lot of time going out to events. I always tried to go out to, sort of, underground warehouse-type events in LA just to be hearing new sounds and get new inspiration for production ideas. I’ve never been a person who has gotten really into certain DJs and producers, because to me it’s more about trying to glean techniques and stuff like that. I’m not a huge fan of sitting at home and listening to house music on repeat. But to me, event-oriented music is about hearing it over that big sound system and getting that impact. So long answer, short question, yeah!
AP: What I love about your lyrical style is that you deal with real issues that are pressing, especially to people in their 20s, but you do it in a way that’s both poetic and direct. You don’t bog yourself down with being overly metaphorical or wordy. Where do you draw your lyrical inspiration from?
RD: My writing process varies a lot, but as far as my lyrical inspiration one of my biggest influences early in my songwriting was Dave Bazan from Pedro the Lion. He writes those certain kind of big existential questions about how to live your life and how to deal with things and oftentimes pretty dark things. But in doing it, not veiling the content too much. I drew from that hugely.
As far as my process, it can be totally different. Most of the time things start in the computer. I’m writing a beat or making some cool synth sounds I like. Then a track will just grow and once it grows to the point that I think I could write lyrics on it (and I’d say only about 30% of tracks ever get to that point anyway!) then I’ll start messing around with it. But yeah, some things start on guitar, some things start with a note on my phone when I’m driving. It’s all over the place.
AP: When you’re live you’re singing, drumming, playing keys and pads and of course using video game controllers. Is it difficult balancing all those different approaches to crafting a sound in the moment when you’re on stage?
RD: It certainly gets hectic at points, and obviously the more technical gear you have, the more chances there are for things to go wrong! I’ve definitely had times when juggling all those instruments leads to some problems. But honestly, I practice it so much, I’ve done the show so many times, that at this point it’s really just a fun thing for me. I get to indulge myself and run around and try new things with all of my toys! (laughs)
AP: Are the Wiimotes and joysticks actually the best way to make those sounds live, or are they just a fun and tactile way to go about it?
RD: I certainly wouldn’t say it’s the best way. Going into electronic performance I realized that since these sounds aren’t created in the real world, there’s no direct analog for showcasing them, so I just wanted to find ways that were visually compelling to relay what I’m doing. I had these tools that I was messing around with, like the Wii remote and joystick, and the cool thing about those, besides being cheaper than MIDI controllers, is that they’re objects that everyone knows. It’s a cool, direct connection with the audience to use them in a new context.
AP: How long does it take to get the whole rig set up?
RD: I have a stage guy that helps me set it up. We’ve done it in 15 minutes, but we prefer to have more time than that! On average it takes 30-45 minutes to get everything set. It’s really not that much when it comes down to it. We’re pretty fast. When I’m doing headlining shows we’ll bring in a bunch of extra gear. This next tour we’ll be bringing TVs and a projector and stuff.
AP: Have you ever thought about trying live sets with other band members, or do you think playing solo is an important part of your act?
RD: I think next year, seeing the new songs I’m writing, I will probably need a couple of people onstage here and there. But I’ve done things where I’ll have guest performers come out for a song or two during my set. The main set, though, is just me and that’s the result of a few things. It would be kind of unwieldy to tour with an extra person that I only use about 20% of the time. Also, I guess I’m a control freak, so it’s difficult to share the stage with somebody. What I do is really complicated in a lot of senses, and no one really understands that except for me. It would be a pain to try and integrate somebody else without a lot of prep.
AP: In “Global Concepts” you mentioned the ugly places that you’ve lived. What was the ugliest place you’ve lived at?
RD: (Laughs) Right after college I lived in my friend’s house, which turned into basically a glorified musician frat house where everyone was just partying all the time. It was great- there were musical instruments and gear everywhere, but there were also cockroaches and maggots everywhere, too. It was that period in my early 20s where none of that seemed to matter, so it’s fun to just be hanging out and living with your friends.
AP: What do you do on the road when you’re not getting ready for a gig?
RD: When I’m on the road it’s a lot of airports and a lot of sitting in vans. Anytime that I have downtime I try to get in headphones and write new tracks. There’s always something that has to be done, like a remix I’m working on or an edit of a tune for some radio program, so there’s always a lot of stuff to keep me busy. But as much as possible I try to get in headphones and bang out new tracks
AP: This isn’t your first time playing in Boston, right?
RD: Well, I played in Boston right after I played the Letterman show in early 2013. It was during this snowstorm and it was on a Monday so there was no way anyone was coming to that show. I guess effectively this will be my debut performance for most people here!
AP: What do you have on the horizon after this tour?
RD: I’m in the studio right now and I’m going to do this tour and come back for Christmas time and a New Years performance. Other than that I’m just finishing up these tracks for the next album. A lot of studio time, a lot of me being alone in my room working on tunes!
Robert DeLong will be at Great Scott this Wednesday, 12/15. You can cop tickets here. For a taste of his versatile live performance check out the session video above, courtesy of Jam In The Van.