"Hello, Lower!"
How time flies. Nine months ago, which feels like yesterday, we came across an artist, Lower. The tracks that we were listening to – Heartbroken and All The Way Down – felt locked in their own slipstream, of that summer but away from it, nodding at club music but operating in a sensitive space entirely of their own choosing.
We swiftly got in touch, and found out that not only could he produce weightless pop music, he was also a really nice guy. Now, as spring seems to be giving way to summer ’11, we’re seriously chuffed to be working with Lower, putting out his digital single, All The Way Down through our label.
Nine months is an ice age in internet time, but Lower’s songs have lost none of their energy or effect, still speaking of sensitivity and brains and firm, quiet self-belief. Though there’s obvious signals within his music and history to big trends of now (he was brought up musically in Bristol surrounded by leading lights of dubstep’s second city, and yep, there’s a Cassie sample on one of his tracks), what’s striking is how outside of any school he’s operating – a safe bloke working hard, making music of incredible poise and majesty, pleasingly ignorant of any rules or pressures.
Anyway, enough gushing – he’s our boy and that’s all there is to say. Get to know him with this quick interview below, and his music for download on our label page.
Lower ‘All The Way Down’ (single) by Dummymag
Name? Lewis Rowley.
Age? 23.
Current location? The English countryside.
Your sound? Soulful R&B with baggy jeans.
How do you record? With plenty of software, a lot of time spent in headphones and often on my way to work!
Previous experience? I started producing in 2008, so no real experience prior to that. I really wish I’d learnt piano, drums and guitar when I was growing up though.
Heroes? None yet.
Previous releases? The Astro:Dynamics compilation last year, I released a track called Heartbroken, which was originally a remix of T2’s remix called Heartbroken …later decided to put it out as an instrumental.
Next release? I’m releasing an unofficial Christina Aguilera remix.
Next playing? No dates anywhere just yet, but I’d love to play out abroad.
You’re linked to Rekordah and Joker – can you tell us a bit about these links and how your time in Bristol influenced your music? I essentially met them both through a few tracks I put up on Dubstep Forum. The tracks got downloaded and passed about a bit until I got a message from Luke (Rekordah) saying that one of them had been played out on Rinse.fm, from there on I have made some good links.
Charlie Jones interviewed Lower over email on the 20th April 2011
Dummy Records released Lower’s MP3s All The Way Down and Untitled today
