Tipper :: Surrounded (Myutopia)

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The name Tipper breeds fear into the cones of even the stoutest bassbins. In 1996, the Wimbledon native co-founded London’s Fuel Recordings; a label synonymous with delivering low end of the highest order and dropped its first 12-inch (Bassgunner) in 1996. His two full-length albums, The Critical Path (Higher Ground/Sony) and Holding Pattern (Fuel), are benchmark breakbeat releases that get respect from even the most discerning IDM producers. He can hold his own against any nimble-fingered turntablist, and he owns one of the loudest automobiles in the world: a modified 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T capable of pumping out over 150 decibels. For the last year, however, he’s had another kettle brewing. Take the same immaculate sound design, smoke out the timbre, throw in 700+ hours of 5.1 surround sound studio time, and you’ll have the disc you now hold in your hand. His third artist album, and his first for Myutopia Recordings Surrounded marks the 27-year-old¹s first full-length of purely downtempo material. Think of it as a Lay-Z-Boy with three-wheel motion.

Parented on an iBook with a trustworthy soundcard, the album took shape as Tipper and his fellow breaks DJs trekked their successful “Sound Off” RV tour across the great expanse of North America. A journey through the Nevada desert saw the emergence of “Over The Coals,” while the sleepy “Adrift For Days” was conceived in a North Carolina car park. “The Glass House,” Surrounded‘s melodic centerpiece, was a Christmas Day creation, and a vicious lightening storm in the Midwest¹s “tornado alley” almost destroyed “Screw Loose.” “I did the whole album in different places. There¹s no logic, no formula,” he laughs. “I guess I feel like I have to make some music for some reason or another, and that¹s what comes out.”

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Though all of the tunes codify a mellow vibe far removed from anything he’s created for the dance floor, they’re built around the same intricate, full bodied production style that’s won him remix work for such heavyweights as BT, Grooverider, Afrika Bambaataa and Leftfield, to name a few. Plug-ins and synth patches are twisted like bubblewrap around sonorous, undulating bass as each frequency is pushed to its full potential without clipping into the red. On another level, Surrounded also demonstrates a healthy amount of unplugged inspiration. A boozed up acoustic guitar line provides the backbone for “California Rolls,” while a track with Los Angeles composer Tom Morse entitled “Rotundus Maximus” features a six-person choir backed by a six-piece orchestra. Though Tipper is admittedly fussy about collaborating with other people, the result is a filmic masterpiece, exponentially enhanced by the wonders of 5.1 surround sound. “Stereo is just never the same again after you go 5.1,” he jokes. “I wanted to mix Critical Path in surround way back when, but because it was so new, it was such a matter of finance (it) couldn’t be done.”

A fortunate bit of “friend-of-a-friend” networking brought Tipper together with 5.1 Entertainment’s Richard Dashut, and a deal was soon inked with 5.1 subsidiary Myutopia Recordings, home to Josh One, Yellow Note, and former Fuel signee ILS. What was supposed be a two-week post-production session in 5.1’s elaborate West LA studios turned into almost two months of tweaking and balancing, but his shrewd attention to detail paid off in spades. “Even my Mum keeps going on that she likes it so much,” he confesses. “Which is quite weird.”

As expected, Tipper has more than a few items on the periphery: he still hopes to release more dance-oriented tunes via his old label, he¹s got plans to beef up his live show to incorporate both the upbeat and the downbeat material, and he¹s got a few instrumentals set aside for a hip-hop project he’s ready to shop around to MCs “when the time is right.” But for now, the focus remains on the new record, and his tireless quest to chase the bounds of his musical horizon. “Making an album isn¹t about trying to fit into some kind of theme,” he expresses. “It’s just about making good music. Music to keep you interested.”

For those Miami bound for WMC, Tipper will performing on Wednesday the 19th at the electro-fueled “What’s Your Perversion” party, featuring Anthony Rother, Phoenecia, and Radioactive Man. He’ll also be showcasing Surrounded material at the Grey Multimedia party on Saturday, March 22nd.

Surrounded is Myutopia’s first full-length release. The album cover art is designed by Arnold Steiner (Warp Records, Schematic).

Look for Surrounded in stores this Spring.

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Myutopia Records

Tipper