Following the release of his debut artist album ‘Tungsten’ on Dense & Pika’s Kneaded Pains imprint in 2021, Fossil Archive came into 2022 on a high.
The London-based artist has previously put his productions out on labels such as Rekids, and played to dancefloors at hotspots like Tresor, Berghain, and fabric.
Now returning to his own self-titled record label, where he has released tracks from Voiski and Robert Owens in the past, he drops his brand new Motionless EP.
We caught up with him to ask about the creation of his album, his thoughts on being a label owner, what he has in store for the near future, and more. Get the full discussion with Fossil Archive below.
You dropped your debut artist album ‘Tungsten’ on Kneaded Pains in 2021, how satisfied are you with the project now that the dust has settled?
The album was written over a short period and captured where I was at as an artist in that moment. That period was during the first lockdown which enabled me to dedicate a good chunk of time to it, so that I could focus fully on the project. I’m really happy with the flow and how it was received. I really wanted to challenge myself and I feel I like I did that. I can’t wait to write another one in the future.
And what did producing an album teach you most as an artist?
More than anything, having the format of the album gave me much more creative freedom than I ever had previously. For many years I was focused on writing singles and EPs. Often you are limited with those short form formats with what you can do. An album allows you to experiment more, which I found really liberating, I was able to push myself as an artist and get more creative with my gear in the studio.
Your next release arrives this year in the form of your ‘Motionless’ EP, tell us about the inspiration behind this one?
Like with the album, a lot of the tracks were conceived during lockdown. Although each track is different, I’d like to think you can hear my own characteristics in each. ‘Schwer’ and ‘Trench’ are tougher sounding compared to ‘Motionless’ and ‘601 Electro’, which are more focused on groove and melody. It’s hard to describe where the inspiration for each came from, but I guess each shows where I was at as an artist at the time.
For me, inspiration can come from anywhere, not even through sound. I like to run a lot and often find a lot of inspiration for making music when I’m doing that because its a great way of clearing your head and being free from distractions to think.
It comes on your own record label, where you have also released music from Voiski, Robert Owens, and DJ Rolando, what do you love most about managing your own imprint?
I always wanted to run my own label because I wanted to have a platform to release music which I’m really in to. My ethos is to only release music which is of the highest quality.
Ultimately because I run it, I am responsible for organising everything from mastering, to artwork, to promotion which can be time consuming and costly. But that is something I really enjoy and I felt that taking control of the release schedule helped me be more organised as an artist and I wouldn’t have to fully rely on others to deliver.
And who else might we expect to see on the label in the coming months?
The next release will be a collaboration between myself and Stephen Brown. I’m super excited about that one as it was always a dream of mine to work with Stephen. His early releases on Transmat and Djax-Up-Beats are really inspiring. His music is really special.
Following that will be another collaboration between my good friend Jamie Anderson and the mighty Robert Owens. I have put together some remixes to accompany that one.
You’re based in London, a city with an excellent club scene, what’s your favourite spot to play in your hometown?
There’s lots of amazing places in London, but I always come back to fabric. I first played there over 10 years ago and returned to play almost every year since. It’s where I learned a hell of a lot and I have magical memories playing there. The team that run the club are hugely passionate about this music and they really encourage you as an artist. It’s a wonderful place that is very special to me.
What do you have coming soon that we should look out for?
Other than the projects I have coming up on Fossil Archive, I’ve recently been working on new material with Stevie Cox who is a resident at Sub Club in Glasgow. We’ve been working on a number of tracks and can’t wait to release them.
I have also been working on tracks under my new alias R.M.K. The tracks are faster and tougher sounding than my usual Fossil Archive tracks. Last year I released three tracks on Nastia’s NECHTO label which were part of V/A albums. This year I will release a full EP on NECHTO which I’m excited to share.
Last year I played live at NECHTO in Kyiv alongside Nastia, Etapp Kyle, Daria Kolosova and Stef Mendesidis. My set was recorded and can be viewed on the NECHTO YouTube channel. I’m really looking forward to performing live as Fossil Archive and R.M.K as much as I can this year.
Lastly, which track should we listen to first on Motionless?
Motionless. It is quite a trip!
Fossil Archive – Tungsten LP is out now on Kneaded Pains.