Featuring: Widowmaker

A producer that's been on our radar for some time now, Widowmaker has shown unending improvement over the last couple of years; not only in terms of creativity and drive but also in the constant development of his own production techniques and abilities: Widowmaker tunes hit hard. This is coupled with an almost frenetic approach to crossing genre boundaries and tempo ranges, meaning that whilst he's working to nail one style down there's always something else, and something different, bubbling away in the background; it's a strange sort of focus, simultaneously directed towards a whole array of sounds and styles but without any of the compromise that a Jack of All Trades must make. With a release on N-Type's Wheel & Deal already under his belt, and another big 12" out now as the first release on Kaium Records, 2013 looks set to be a good year for the young producer as he takes big-name DJ support - from the likes of Youngsta and the aforementioned N-Type - in his stride whilst continuing to push himself creatively and technically.


Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you come from and how would you describe your sound?

Widowmaker: I'm Sean AKA Widowmaker, I come from a town called Farnborough in Hampshire, UK with pretty much no undergound music scene.

It's hard to say really [how I'd desribe my sound]; typically 'dark' and 'moody' but with elements of sci-fi/techy sounds (if that makes any sense).

H: Would you describe yourself as being from a musical background, or is it something that you picked up on yourself? What was it that first got you into producing?

W: Yeah most definitelty, I've always been an avid music fan. Got into writing from playing guitar from around age 11-12, got in a few shitty bands with mates and just realized that I can't be bothered to rely on other people to do music. So eventually I heard dubstep from a mate around 2007-8 and thought, 'I could have a go at that'. Pretty much goes on from there.



H: You've got close ties with N-Type and his Wheel & Deal imprint: how did you first get involved with the label, and how did it feel to be picked up by someone with such legendary status in the world of dubstep?

W: Yeah it was big, I have to shout to Benton for the hook-up as he played that Skream bootleg I did ages ago to [N-Type] on Skype or something, and then Mark [N-Type] popped up on AIM one day asking for it. Then after that it was a case of just writing better tunes and sending them, 'til he rang me up one day asking to sign 'Tunneling Wurm'. I remember I'd just woken up or something when I got the call and my head was a wreck; it was funny at the time.

H: You've recently been receiving regular plays from Youngsta on his Rinse show, was this something you always had ambitions for or has it been more of a pleasant surprise? Do you feel that this sort of recognition adds further pressure to deliver the goods, as it were, when you sit down to write more music?

W: Yeah definitely, it was a case of just writing something really different and then thinking, 'I don't really know who would play this, it's weird'. So I sent the tune to Dan [Youngsta] and he liked it, which was obviously a good thing to hear. After that I've just been way more comfortable about writing odd things, you know? There ain't really any pressure, to be honest, because I just make what I like. A hell of a lot of projects are unfinished, however: I'll get 'em all done some day!



H: With a Wheel & Deal release at a relatively early stage in your production career, did that set a precedent for you as to how you want to put out your music in the future - such as with your recent release on new label Kaium? Do you feel it's important to still be releasing on vinyl, or do you see that as just a bonus?

W: Yes, 100% vinyl: it's the most important thing for me in terms of releasing. It shows people have taken the time to put the effort in to get your music out there on such a great medium, which is never easy. Anyone can whack a tune on the internet and make someone pay for an mp3 file, but to actually take the care in putting it out on a record proves they are serious about the music. Also, people tend to take you more seriously if you have a handful of vinyl releases, which is a plus.

H: Whilst most of your output has been straight-up 140 stuff, you've also been giving teasers of beats at different tempos; do you find yourself experimenting a lot with different styles and speeds? Are we likely to see more of this in the future?

W: I love it, it's the best thing about production; you can write whatever you feel like without any restrictions, and just enjoy making music. I've been making a lot of techno and house at the moment (which I don't know nearly as much about compared to dubstep) usually around 120-134BPM. It's a nice change to write in a slower BPM because there is more space for the sounds in the tune, and you can kinda fit more in it.

No doubt you will see more from me in the future from that aspect, but only a few bits will be under the 'Widowmaker' alias.



H: Take us through how you went about putting together the mix you've done for us.

W: Yeah basically just wanted to do something different again and just do a mix of tunes that I really enjoy; kind of wanted to get the point across in terms of the atmosphere of the music instead of the speed being the main factor. It starts out at about 130 then ramps up past 140 about half way though. I always mix 'classics' in on my radio show, and usually in other mixes, so I decided  to just put in stuff that's mostly new and showcase some of my own bits which people might not have heard.

H: Finally, are there any forthcomings or anything else in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?

W: Yeah, my latest vinyl is out now on Kaium Records which is 2 tunes 'Abscess' & 'Cerebral', and 'Bionic 2099' which is a digital bonus. Expect more tunes on Wheel and Deal in 2013 too. There's a collab is to come out as well, around February I think, on vinyl as well. But I can't give away too much yet. Couple other things in the pipeline as well but can't say much at the moment!

Thanks for taking the time to do this as well, mate: big up.


Download: Widowmaker - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:


Myk Derill - Cold [Piston Recordings]
Fontaine - Genetics [Dub]
Kamikaze Space Programme - Cassini [Decarhythm]
Karenn - Studio 3 [Bleep]
Survex - Srx-01 [Shapeless]
Paul Mac - Rolled Out And Back [Osiris Music]
Spinline - Monday Luv [Dispatch]
Widowmaker - Hidden Agenda [Dub]
Icicle - BNC [Shogun Audio]
Thelem - Tarnished [Osiris Music]
Youngsta - Poseidon [Tempa]
Widowmaker - Spore [Dub]
Widowmaker & TMSV - Persei [Dub]
Widowmaker - The Void [Dub]
Benton - Wormholes (Soap Dodgers Remix) [Dub]
Widowmaker - Serpent [Dub]
Youngsta - Destruction [Tempa]
John B - Love Again (feat. Jillian Ann) (LX One Remix) [Beta Recordings]

Widowmaker - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

Preacha.