Backstage with Blawan

Ten years ago, Jamie Roberts was Britain’s answer to proper, jackhammer techno. Nowadays, that’s changed. After first making his name on moody, post-dubstep productions – 2011’s Getting Me Down was a breakthrough – he took his sound down a darker route, cementing his trajectory for a next decade of brutal doof-and-clank bangers, including the grimly entertaining 2012 anthem, Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage? Quickly, he was sucked into the life of a jobbing DJ, racking up obscene air miles and, with that, letting his health decline.

Just before the lockdown, he called time on techno and began stepping away from endless DJing. Today, he’s sober – having lost friends from his hometown of Doncaster on the way – and wholly committed to the studio, his happy place. In his more recent productions, you can still hear the original, uglier reference points of metal and grind-core spliced into scuttling breaks and modular loops. It’s as vicious as ever, but rather than silo-ing himself under the techno genre, he’s embracing more abstract production and, in chiming with this, live DJ-ing.

This year, in October, Roberts launched his new album, SickElixir, marking a departure from previous projects. The musical shift also chimed with a broader recalibration in himself. He is currently living in Lisbon, following years living in Berlin – where things got a little out of hand – and a few brief stints in Paris and Leeds. Given the circumstances, The North weighed heavy on his mind, but he stayed out of Donny. ​“Every place you live has an effect on everything in your life,” he told us ahead of his debut set at C2C festival in Turin. ​“I can’t say how these places affect my DJing, but my music and mindset, for sure, [they affect it] in complex ways.”

The performance took place on the Stone Island stage – also host to fellow experimentalists Djrum, Mechatok, Skee Mask and psychedelic Bolivian-American sibling outfit, Los Thuthanaka, among others – on Saturday 1^st November, offering up dank, flanged-out scintillations and plenty of nail-gun squeals, all distinguished by a slower, more cerebral pace. Throughout, Roberts appeared composed, clad in a translucent ​“Cover-TC” shell jacket – the END. 20^th anniversary exclusive, no less – with a detachable, reflective lining. Here’s what he said before the show.

Hi Jamie, people know you for your ferocious drums, grizzly dubbed-out elements and industrial sequencing. What’s the game plan for your set at C2C?

Well, I’m playing a live set, performing a lot of the album material in new ways that can change depending on how I feel, so we will see.

What kind of crowd are you expecting from C2C?

I’ve heard great things about the festival but have never been before. The line-up is great, so [I’m] expecting a very nice, open-minded crowd.

How tight is your set list?

I have set tracks I like to run through when playing live and a narrative I like to present, but I’m flexible to go where I want and jam if the crowd are feeling it.

Are you nervous for this gig?

No, I rarely get nervous.

Who’s on your must-see list while you’re here?

Los Thuthanaka are playing before me, so I’m super happy I can see them perform

You started releasing music in the 2010s and are now recognised as one of the UK’s leading industrial revivalists. How do you keep your sound fresh, and are there any preconceptions you’re keen to shed as you develop?

I think moving forward and shedding old skin is something every musician who wants a healthy relationship with their creativity should strive for. It’s the most important reason I do this – to grow as a person.

Cheers, Jamie!