Exclusive Interview: Maps
Here is another Home exclusive interview, this time with Dave Gahan remixer, musician, and all around great guy, James Chapman of Maps.
There are many different reasons people get into making music, what was it about music that made you want to make your own?
I guess music has been a part of my life for so long and it affects me in such huge way emotionally. I’ve always had a great drive for making music, more so than anything else in life! It was purely a love of creating and recording that got me started in the first place and I still have that love now. I get a huge buzz out of it.
Are you fine having your music categorized as electronic? How would you describe your music to someone who might only know you from a remix?
Yeah, sure. The basis of Maps has always been electronic- more so now than ever. It’s the kind of music I listen to most and get inspired from. But I do like to take inspiration from many kinds of music and somehow it ends up sounding like Maps. It’s tricky to describe it really. Melody is a very important aspect to me. I always try to create a melody that will affect people and stay with people- I take a lot of time over that. And I guess some of it is pretty psychedelic. But overall the core is definitely from the world of electronica.
Your taste in music is pretty broad and it shows; do you still find yourself looking for new bands and keeping up with what’s going on in music?
I try to yes. I always love finding something new and interesting. Something that makes you re assess a certain genre or makes you think ‘wow, what the hell’s that all about?’ There’s so much good stuff out there, I guess you just have to dig deep sometimes though.
When I listen to your music, so many bands come to mind. One minute I’m hearing My Bloody Valentine and the next I am hearing something like Four Tet, how do you find the balance between the bands you love and your sound?
Yeah it can be difficult sometimes, but I love the challenge! I suppose anyone who makes their own music has very strong influences of some kind, but it’s just a case of making something that’s definitely your own. There really is no point in re-creating someone else’s sound, I’d find no joy in that. I think you only really get a buzz when you can stand back from what you’re doing and be truly pleased with the fact you’ve made something original.
How did getting signed to Mute happen and were you pretty familiar with how legendary the label was?
Well I’d been sending out a few demos and Mute were the first to get really interested, which was amazing. To be honest, I was lucky because my stuff got listened to in the first place and because Mute had such a strong belief in what I was doing. You know, Daniel Miller came to my house in my village on the strength of a CD of demos- that wouldn’t happen with any other label I can think of! You can feel the passion and devotion these guys have towards the music they’re promoting and I never considered signing to anyone else. When you’re on Mute you feel a part of a real family.
How did the remix for Dave Gahan come about? Do you know if Dave wanted you to remix for him specifically?
It came about through the guys at Mute, they just asked me one day and I didn’t have to think about it for a second before saying yes. I’m not sure if Dave himself asked for it, but when I heard he’d approved it I was absolutely over the moon. It was a really honour.
When I found out you were remixing, I thought “Perfect!” Then I heard the remix and it was a lot different then what I was expecting from how I knew your sound. A way faster BPM (beat per minute), though it still had that lush Maps atmosphere. How did you decide on the direction for the remix?
I guess my remixes are heading in the same way as my music is at the moment if that makes sense? I was listening to a lot of techno, minimal stuff and I just thought I’d try to make something really upbeat but without losing the vibe of the original song. I wanted to keep the same kind of structure because I thought it worked really well in the original.
Did you find there was some added pressure remixing one of the most legendary voices/artists in alternative music history versus remixing someone newer like when you remixed Goldfrapp?
Yeah there’s always pressure! I try not to think about it too much though. Sometimes it can drive you a bit crazy and make you create something you’re not happy with, or create what you think people expect of you and your sound. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous when I started the remix- ha ha!
Your remix for “Use You” has finally been released on Dave’s Hourglass remix album, were you glad it was saved for this or would you have liked to have seen the remix as part of the singles package?
I’m really pleased it’s been used on the album yeah! As I said before, it was an honour just to be asked so I’m extremely happy it’s actually being used.
What are your thoughts when you are putting something like your remix out there for such a massive and extremely devoted fan base? Do you have concerns about that kind of instant exposure or do you see it as a benchmark in your continued success?
There are always gonna be people that aren’t into what you’ve done I suppose, that’s just the way it is in the world of music. I’ve grown a thicker skin since being signed though! I do hope that the fans think I did the song justice though, that would really mean a great deal to me.
How do you feel when one of your songs are remixed?
I’m always really interested to see what people do with Map’s music. It’s strange in a way because when you complete a song of your own you always think of it as the end of that song, that it can’t be changed, its perfect etc. But remixing changes that- I think it’s great to hear other people’s interpretations. I’m always excited.
You recently did a split remix 7” with M83, how did that come about? Did Anthony Gonzales (of M83) have any advice for your remix considering he had already remixed Depeche Mode?
Yeah, it was released on Sonic Cathedral’s label– they have a cool series of 7″s on the go at the moment, so I was approached by them to do it. I actually didn’t meet Anthony until recently, he’s a great guy. I loved what he did with my track and he said he liked mine too, which was a relief!
Considering you make all the music yourself, can you tell us a little about how you break it up to perform it live with your live band?
Well there’s 5 of us in the band at the moment. I play guitar and my sequencer and we have 2 keyboardists, bass and drums- with lots of extra percussion. It’s quite an intense experience live, definitely more of a ‘band’ sounding thing, but we use samples etc as well, on a backing, which we can’t reproduce live. It’s definitely still Maps but quite a different sound from the record.
You have also been playing quite a few DJ gigs recently, why kind of stuff are you playing in your sets?
Yeah I love DJing. I guess it changes, but at the moment I’m playing kind of electro, electronica and minimal techno. But I sometimes play quite chilled sets, it really depends what kind of night it is. It’s definitely something I’d like to do more of though.
You released “We Can Create” last year, how have things changed for you since that record was released and what can we look forward to on the record you are recording now?
Last year was pretty amazing for Maps, some incredible things happened and I was blown away by reviews and stuff. I never expected any of it when I first started out. The new record will be harder sounding, more electronic than before. My lyrics are becoming more personal and to the point as well, a bit less abstract than before. It’ll definitely be a progression.
On a related note, Dave Gahan producer Ken Thomas mixed that record, will you be making and mixing the new record yourself or will the same formula as the last record apply with a few other people coming in and working on it after you have done the bulk of it?
It’ll be the same formula as last time but this time around the initial recordings are further on than for the previous record. I’m still going to work with someone to realize it completely though. It’s a really exciting time. I’ve got about 12 tracks altogether and I’m still writing, so we’ll pick the best of all of them for the LP.
When can we expect to hear the new album and what else can we look forward to from Maps?
Well, all being well, there’ll be a single around September time and the album will follow in February next year. I’ll be DJing a lot more and working on getting the new tracks ready for live as well. Also doing a few remixes!!
For more information on Maps, please visit:
Interview by Glen. (C) HOME. Do not steal this article without giving full credit and a link! Photos appear courtesy of Maps. Maps live photo taken by Phil Bourne at The Scala.
