Londy, Beats 002
These Bandcamp Fridays have been a spurring reminder – as well as an unprecedented opportunity – to keep expanding musical horizons and dive into underground artists of all genres. I’ve made it a regular practice over the years to check in under the Boston electronic tag on a regular basis to try to keep up with the goings on and fresh names that pop up in the wide range of subgenres in which locally based producers dabble. So, a few weeks ago, when I was on the lookout for new (to me) artists, I ended up stumbling across Londy via his release BEATS 002 – a five song EP that dips its toes into footwork, house, and instrumental hip-hop – it was love at first listen. He included a contact email in his Bandcamp profile, so I decided to reach out with some questions to try to get to know him a little better. With very little wait time, Londy had gotten back to me and was happy to break down his life and creative process a little more.
Originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Londy was living in Cleveland before moving to Boston for work in 2015. With ten releases on his Bandcamp page since 2015, he’s actually been making music since 2009, and remained pretty prolific in terms of quantity of releases. Since living in Boston, he’s now moved to South Korea and will soon return to his hometown of Montego Bay. But, as he says, Boston made an indelible impression on the music he produces. “I’m going to release tracks I’ve held onto for years in the next few months and continue to produce. Boston has inspired a lot of tracks I’ve made. I hope to play Boiler Room in Boston. That would be amazing.”
Despite that, Londy says that he didn’t have a lot of luck in forging musical connections during his time in Boston. “I tried to find people in the music community but had no luck. I’ve only been out once to see Random Movement at Elements Drum & Bass in 2015. I haven’t had the chance to get to know anyone in the Boston music community.” This is often a story that rings true in a city where electronic music and events often don’t have the spaces to fully thrive. That isn’t to say there isn’t an enthusiastic and dedicated community of fans based in the area.
As far as his musical influences, Londy cites a healthy dose of drum & bass, the genre in which he got his start as a producer. “Robert Haigh AKA Omni Trio. I love his classical contemporary music and I also love his Jungle/Drum & Bass. This is what started it all for me. I started making drum & bass before any other genre of music.” But as far as new music, Londy tends to steer clear. “I’m still listening to music from 2011 because it reminds me of the feeling of being a part of something.” In a way, that allows him to stay fresh and original in his own productions and remain untethered to the mainstream conventions of what the masses determine to be in style. “I think the most important thing is to be original and create what you love and want to hear and release quality music. Think about what you’re putting out and what stories these tracks are telling. Everything else will fall in place.”
In his creative process, he just takes things track by track, inevitably grouping songs together that he likes once he has enough material finished. “I always start off with a sample or drums. These tracks are often made months or years apart. For the BEATS series, I decided to put some of my favorite tracks I’ve made and release it as an EP. These tracks are usually different from my normal style.” He also added that he’s developed a method of keeping pressure off of himself to get things done, having decided to release one project on his birthday each year, but that’s more as a way to treat himself. “I usually release an EP on my birthday every year as a present and so that I’m constantly creating and I have a set deadline on when to release new music. I don’t like having finished tracks sit on my computer. You never know who it may inspire or touch.” Writing as someone who found Londy’s music through a series of geographic and genre specific tags, this philosophy rings true. In just a few short weeks of familiarizing myself with his sound and style, I’m going to be sure to keep an eye out for future Londy releases, and you should too.
Stream his latest release from October 2019, Londy in Chi-Town, via Bandcamp below.