Scottish producer ARKLEY has been producing music for over a decade, growing up on a diet of late-90s timeless acts such as Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx and Justice come the turn of the millennium, ARKLEY now dazzles in his own element.

‘Music (Over & Over)’ is a testament to his style, hooky and punchy with one foot firmly on the dancefloor, the release is a shining example of big-beat-meets-disco-house, overspilling with a collection of funky layers and a patchwork masterclass in sampling, ‘Music (Over & Over)’ cements itself into the listener’s brain. 

Nodding to the sound of New York MC’s with deep-voiced vocal drops and intermissions of 80s soul divas, ARKLEY brings a unique take on genre-hopping, from flourishes of electro, over to a synth-heavy form.

As the weighty punches of beat hit like a hook to the jaw, thanks to boisterous interjections

that burst through with their presence, “Move with the bounce” commands the release and is sure to get hips shaking from the UK to the rest of the world. Dizzyingly danceable and an earworm of the highest order, ‘Music (Over & Over)’ is sure to be on repeat this Summer as ARKLEY is a name to know. 

Produced by ARKLEY in his home studio and mastered by Mike Marsh, known for working with the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Cassius, Calvin Harris and more, it is a welcome introduction to the producer’s glimmering methodology.

How did you come to find your voice as a now-solo artist, leading on from your previous projects and groups you’ve been a part of in music and production?

Thankfully it came really easily and naturally!  My previous project Deuce & Charger was a vocal drum & bass act which had some decent success and some really fun moments, but I had kind of fallen into doing that genre of music.  When we decided to take a break last year, I threw some initial ideas around for a new solo project but nothing felt quite right.  In January this year, I started again with a blank canvas and just went with the flow.  The music then came really quickly without any premeditation; it’s definitely the most “me” music I’ve ever made!

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about.

‘Music (Over & Over)’ was one of the first tracks I wrote for the project and, again, came together really easily.  I’ve always been a massive fan of the first Avalanches album (which you can hear me talk about in my new music podcast ‘2001: A Music Odyssey’) and I wanted to make a track with a similar juxtaposition of multi-genre samples.  But having made club music for the last 5 years, it felt right to layer those samples over a chunky rhythm section.  That’s where my big beat influence came in, as well as my love of Gary Numan-esque dirty synth lines!

What is the message behind your art, particularly now with your new single ‘Music (Over & Over)’? What is your vision for the future and what kind of music do you hope to create? 

I’m thinking of how to answer this without sounding cheesy…  I don’t have a specific message but I’m definitely trying to create music that feels good and, I guess, joyful.  From old classics like The Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ to newer stuff like Justice, I’ve always loved records that work on a mainstream level but also confound your expectations in a really playful and exciting way.  My aim is to do a similar thing by throwing disparate sounds together in unexpected but uplifting ways – with one eye firmly on the dance-floor too.

What are some sources of inspiration for your lyrics and storytelling?

The vast majority of the vocals on my tracks are chopped up samples.  I’m more interested in the sounds of voices and words than necessarily their meaning.  I usually settle on a lyrical hook and then find other samples that fit.  This can lead to some fairly mad juxtapositions where, like in ‘Music’, you have a 1950s movie actor in a call and response with a 70s disco diva!

Who inspires you today, artist-wise?

Wow where to start!  Many of my long-time favourites like The Chemical Brothers and Soulwax are still making fantastic records.  The new Jungle album is great and I’ve played the last Disclosure album a lot too.  I’ve also discovered Channel Tres and Myd fairly recently, and they’ve both had some awesome moments.

What is your all- time favourite record? 

Daft Punk ‘Around The World’ – no question!

You seem to be fusing several musical genres together with this project, from sampling, to funky electro. What inspires your sound?

My biggest inspirations are probably big beat and electro artists from the late 90s and early 2000s – people like The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim and Basement Jaxx.  I’m also a massive fan of Soulwax / 2manydjs – their “As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt 2” mix album is endlessly inspiring for loads of different reasons.  My other big inspiration is the production work of The Dust Brothers on Beck’s ‘Odelay’ and Beastie Boys’ ‘Paul’s Boutique’.  The completely irreverent mash-up of samples, sounds and genres on both records is incredible.

What excites you the most about what you do?

Whenever I start a track, I never quite know where it’s going to end up.  It could end up as a complete mess or it might just work!

Where do you see yourself in five  years?

The most important thing for me is to connect with an audience that enjoys what I do.  That connection is what this is all about.  So in 5 years, I’d like to see myself having made that connection and hopefully having released plenty of records that I had fun making and playing shows around the world in the process.

Your style is very original and elaborate. How do you take care of your overall presence and aesthetics as an artist?

Visually I’m really inspired by the graphic designs of Peter Saville (who did a lot of the Factory Records and Hacienda Club designs) and also club designs like those for Warehouse Project.  I love bold geometric shapes and strong colours, especially when there’s a playful element to the design too.  You can say so much with design, especially when you’re a new artist and want to give people a strong impression of what you’re all about.  I nerd-out on graphic design and fonts!  Designing my own record sleeves is a really enjoyable and important part of the process for me.

What has been the most daunting moment in your career so far?

Probably in 2017 when I was DJing at a massive drum & bass festival in the Czech Republic when I had only been DJing for about 3 months.  Memorable for sure!

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Be yourself.

Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene? What do you see the future holding, from streaming, to NFT’s and beyond?

Who knows?! As long as great music is being made by exciting artists, then the rest is just window dressing.