Get to know: Gerry Read

From Berghain to butchers... We caught up with Read ahead of his Egg LDN debut alongside Robag Wruhme and Gunjah...

He’s influenced by Harmony Korine films, roadkill, the bashing sounds of Metal and super fast cacophony of Jungle - Gerry Read is the latest (albeit meandering) producer and selector to come out of Suffolk. 

 As Read’s career began to take hold, two years of heavy touring and a Boiler Room followed suit before Read found himself working in an upmarket butcher in London. Despite the change in Read’s course of events, he managed to immerse himself in production more than ever and has bobbed back to the surface of the UK electronic scene. 

Fittingly enough, Read makes his Egg LDN debut with Robag Wruhme on April 7th, so we caught up with him ahead of the show to talk everything from Berghain to butchers, and to find out what else is in store for 2018… 

What was the electronic music scene like growing up in Suffolk and what kind of sound were you into? 

I don’t think there is an electronic music scene in Suffolk. I was always into metal and jungle/garage – I’d play slipknot really loud in my room with pants on my head pretending I was the lead singer. I accidentally got into jungle and UK garage by sneaking into my older brothers room initially trying to find condoms but found DJ EZ cassettes and Bad Company CDs. After that, I started scratching and spinning jungle vinyl when I was about 14. 

You coined the term ‘outsider house’ in 2010 - an idea which dodges the expectations of dance music. What do you think are the expectations within dance music in 2018? 

I think people have expectations in clubs definitely. I played in Australia last August and one guy came up to me and goes ‘what the fuck is this shit? play some Delsin’. I laughed which in turn made me dribble drink all down me and I keep laughing to myself. The guy and his girlfriend then stood at the front with their arms crossed staring at me making a point of not dancing. 

Why come to a club if you know what you want to hear? I thought you come to escape the real world for a bit and get a bit fucked and hear new music? No? Well then take your boring girlfriend home and put some Delsin on. 

It’s also funny having coined a term like that, especially reading someone like Ross From Friends is influenced by you. I can’t take all the blame for this crusty house though, looking at you Kevin Mcphee. 

Your album ‘Chubby Cheeks’ [Nosaj Thing’s Timetable] intros with a sample of a kid shouting from the film ‘Gummo’. What other oddball films (or generally odd things) influence your sound and approach to production?

Gummo made me write about 8 really weird tunes, one is Bounty Methods from my recent album New Junk City, I doubt you’ll ever hear the others. I suppose anything can influence my sound. I saw a dead dog on the pavement recently, a little white fluffy terrier with blood coming out of its mouth. The owner who was in his mid 40s was holding his phone in one hand and a plastic bag in the other, with the craziest expression on his face clearly trying to think of how he’s going to explain to his wife and kids that their dog has been hit by a car whilst he had it off the lead. His facial expression made me think of a really mental tune. 

After two years of heavy touring, you started a day job in a London butcher. How did you deal with the extreme change of routine and atmosphere? 

It’s a long way off from the blood free environs of a DJ booth… I hated it at first but grew to love it - I don’t know if DJ booths are completely blood-free though. 

What’s next on the horizon with gigs and releases this year? 

I don’t know if I’m allowed to say I have a single on Pampa coming, but yeah a single on Pampa quite soon. With a really really big remix. That I’ll keep secret. Gigs are slowly dripping in again (hurray). 

Tell us about the most bizarre experience you’ve had since your sonic career took off? 

Probably quite a known house producer ask to borrow my Berghain drinks card thing after I played in Panorama Bar to get himself a drink. He disappears with it and I find him hours later standing at the bar chatting up a girl with two bottles of champagne on ice whilst holding my card in his hand. I walked up to him and said ‘can I have my drinks card back now?’ The girl walked off and we finished the champagne. 

Photo credit: Nuala Swan / @nualaswan

To get a better understanding of what Read is all about, the selector shares five cuts with us ahead of the show…

 Jennifer Lara - I Am In Love 

“I can’t wait to sample (ruin) this” 

 

Wishmountain - Crisps 

“A Matthew Herbert pseudonym, makes me want to make a tune from the sound of flicking babies foreheads.” 

 

Vessel - Stilten 

“I imagine this is what it’s like to be hit by a tube train.” 

 

Isolee - Allowance 

“Deep, lovely, emotive, sexy, cute, sad, cheeky, lovely and amazing.” 

 

Anal Magic & Rev. Dwight Frizzell - Journey Of Turtles 

“I sampled this in my track “Fandango”