Artist Feature: Bullion
Click here to listen to the Carhartt WIP Radio Show featuring Bullion.
This month’s show is brought to you by London producer, songwriter, and DJ Nathan Jenkins, better known as Bullion.
Bullion made his debut in 2007 with the release of Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee, a mashup project that remixed the music of J Dilla with The Beach Boys. Evolving this experimental, sample-led approach, Bullion released the project You Drive Me to Plastic in 2011 – a 20-minute journey through reworked samples taken from YouTube clips, old vinyls, and incidental recordings.
A string of releases followed across labels including Honest Jon’s, R&S, and Young, before Bullion launched his own imprint DEEK Recordings in 2012, with the release of his 80s-pop-tinged EP Love Me Oh Please Love Me.
Alongside his prolific solo projects, Bullion often works with other artists, with credits ranging from Nilüfer Yanya and Sampha to Avalon Emerson and Ben Howard. His latest album, Affection, is a radiant exploration of vulnerability and tender pathos, characterized by shimmering synths and warm vocals, and showcases further contributions from Carly Rae Jepsen, Panda Bear, and Charlotte Adigéry.
For this episode, Bullion has created a mix featuring a blend of his own “pop, not slop” solo work, as well as production for other musicians, and select remixes. Alongside the mix is an interview where Bullion discusses the influence of an early Pet Shop Boys album, the art of collaborating with other musicians, and his thoughts on technology’s effect on music.
Can you remember your first musical memory and how it has shaped you today?
Bullion: My Dad used to play Actually by Pet Shop Boys all the time when we were young. I was too young to understand what an LP was back then, but I remember the atmosphere of the album. That voice and sound across every track had some kind of effect on me.
Are there any other records from the past that have influenced your musical taste?
Bullion: There’s this cassette by someone called J.A.R. that I listened to in the blogspot era, around 2010. Sounds like mid to late eighties home recording songs with a lot of charm, with singing that sounds like it’s being done on the quiet in the middle of the night – so melodic and gentle.
In line with this, did you have any role models that inspired your production style?
Bullion: Much of the music I emulated was about the chords and melodies, so I wasn’t analyzing how they were recorded or how the drums were programmed in them, for instance. But I loved finding out recently how much George Michael self-produced. No compromise.
You’ve released music on a range of different labels, including on your own imprint DEEK Recordings, as well as on Young, Ghostly International, The Trilogy Tapes, R&S, and Jagjaguwar. How would you determine where to release a certain album or EP?
Bullion: I generally enjoyed moving around with labels, but starting DEEK gave me the opportunity to produce more for other people and develop a sound.
How would you describe your musical style in three words?
Bullion: A blind deer!
When it comes to songwriting, do the lyrics come first, the melody, or do they emerge together?
Bullion: I wish it were more interesting, but the truth is, the process doesn’t tell much of a story, and I don’t really romanticize it. It’s quite automatic when I work on my own and I’m not very present for it!
As a producer, what is your perspective on the relationship between music and technology? And what does your own setup look like – do you work a lot with software, hardware, or any other equipment?
Bullion: Technology absolutely does my brain in, but it has to be reckoned with, so I use whatever sounds and feels good. Lately, I’ve been re-purposing synth parts from the graveyard of my old hard drives. Moog Source has featured quite a bit lately too, it’s a smiley synth.
What would you say are your current compositional challenges?
Bullion: Bicep tendonitis.
You’ve produced songs for artists like Ben Howard, Nilüfer Yanya, and Avalon Emerson. How would you define your role as a producer for other musicians? And how much do you influence the overall creative process?
Bullion: Writing and producing tend to go hand in hand for me – I’m not really an engineer for hire. Making an album, it’s good to challenge both sides as much as is comfortable, and it’s my job to set the tone for that to happen.
How do you stay on top of all the new music being made right now?
Bullion: When I had my NTS show, I would obsess over finding new, interesting music to play. I still dip in and out, but right now, I’d rather be making than listening. Hearing music through people I’m working with, that’s a fun way to tune in.
What was your process behind selecting the tracks for this month’s show?
Bullion: It’s a snapshot of everything, really – solo work including tracks from my new album, production for people like Avalon Emerson, Carly Rae Jepsen, Nilüfer Yanya and Westerman, as well as a couple of remixes.
Beyond music, what other creative interests do you have?
Bullion: I like to think of myself as someone with broad interests, but the reality is that music dominates my thinking. I don’t listen to much outside the studio, almost as a rule – nevertheless, it’s always sloshing around my head and translates into a never ending list of “things to try” when I get back to work.
Can you send us a picture to post along this question, that mirrors your current state of mind?
Bullion:
