Archival Interview: Flume (2012)
From 2008–2013, I interviewed approximately 1100 artists. While many of those interviews are lost to time, I’m documenting the few that remain. In honour of his new album, I thought I’d do start with my interview with Flume from 2012.
Twelve months ago, Flume was an unknown. Since then, his schedule has seen him perform at Parklife, Splendour and Vivid, and support beloved international acts like The xx. He’s currently preparing to release his debut album, Flume, on Future Classic. He’s already toured America and played alongside legendary names like The Gaslamp Killer (at equally legendary Los Angeles venue Low End Theory). It’s been a big year.
“Oh, it’s totally surprising. I am literally still making music in my bedroom,” the 20-year-old producer laughs. “I mean, to put things in perspective, 5 November 2011 — this time last year — was my first-ever proper Flume gig. It’s pretty nuts to see how it’s built and how quickly. I really think the internet is responsible for that. I think it was actually a smart move to put out Sleepless first.”
Sleepless, his debut single, was really where it all started for Flume. The song’s giddy haze of reshaped vocals and percolating rhythms immediately saw Flume’s name bandied about the international blogosphere. A series of remixes for acts such as Hermitude, The Aston Shuffle, Onra and New Navy only seemed to confirm the hype. As a result, Flume’s forthcoming album, despite being a mere debut, arrives with considerable expectation.
“I guess that kind of hype does put more pressure on the album to be good. You know, when we put out Sleepless on Future Classic last year, we didn’t expect much. It was an online release. For it to be at this level after that is kind of bizarre. If people are hyping it up, though, I think it’s a good thing. Really, I’m just hoping it lives up to everyone’s expectations.”
Still, for all the hype and expectation, Streten seems almost cavalier about the outcome. Thrust into such a multifaceted and treacherous world with such haste and enthusiasm, Flume’s defense mechanism seems to be to not make the same investment in the music industry as it appears to have made in him. As an example, Flume is followed by 18,799 people on Soundcloud. He follows 71.
“I don’t really get anxious about it. I’m totally all for it. I want this project to be as big as it can possibly be,” he says. “If it’s going to be a big thing, then that’s awesome. Pretty much my only goal with this is to make a comfortable living off my music. If I can do that, then I’m successful, in my eyes. I really don’t care how big or small my name is or whatever. I just want to keep doing what I want to do.”
Fittingly, it’s that cavalier attitude that actually seems to define Flume’s output. It’s why his album is so endearing. There’s a freedom to Flume’s work that is hard not to admire and even harder not to love. From the way he trepans stylistically from glitch hop through to electro to the organic, textural warmth that decorates his productions, Flume’s freewheeling artistry is a delight to listen to and observe.
“That sort of thing doesn’t ever really cross my mind. I don’t so much write for a certain mould. I more or less write whatever I’m into at the time. I think it’s funny that people always feel compelled to put a label on everything. It’s actually all just funny to me. Especially when you put a track on Soundcloud, they expect you to put a genre in and I’m never sure what I’m supposed to write.
“Once I put ‘Asian crunk’, another [example] was ‘hyper step’, ‘ghetto disco’,” he laughs. “Just putting in ridiculous stuff, really.”
