News Unknown: ‘It Wasn’t A Cynical Ploy To Create Hype’

When you call yourself Unknown and you embark on making a series of tracks free of identity - good songs to boot - you can expect a fair few accusations, negative reactions even. We know Unknown is a guy, but the info spreads no further than that. He’s been accused of being La Roux, ‘from a very reliable source’ which turned out to be not so reliable. Skrillex, too. ‘The fact that the music is the only thing people have to go on means I constantly want to improve and keep trying to make something interesting,’ he explains of the project.

The recordings are forceful, garage-embodied tracks, covered in the kind of underground aesthetic you’d tend to associate with Burial (again, not the most celeb-friendly of musicians). ‘I think some people looked at it as a cynical ploy to create hype, but it truly wasn’t,’ says Unknown of his beginnings. Read a rare interview below, alongside an exclusive trailer of Unknown’s new video for ‘I Cry’.

Listen to an exclusive mix from Unknown in the new edition of DIY Weekly, available from iTunes now.

Is the aim of this project for there to be as little sideshow as possible? The music is fundamental. No image of you exists. The logos are basic. The name is self-explanatory.
Yeah the music is definitely fundamental. I would say ‘as little sideshow as possible’ is fair. I wanted the music to be the only thing people had to go on, so it would be judged solely on that. I think some people looked at it as a cynical ploy to create hype, but it truly wasn’t.

Was the decision to take this project down an anonymous route a personal one? Do you respect artists who’ve done the same thing? Are you uncomfortable with the idea of putting identity at the forefront?
I’m not put off by the idea of putting my identity at the forefront exactly, I thought it would be interesting if the tracks were the only thing people could take away from the project. This started as somewhere I could post this type of music that I was making and start a new thing. I also wanted it to be a sort of pressure thing as well. The fact the music is the only thing people have to go on, I constantly want to improve and keep trying to make something interesting.

At the same time as being an unnamed producer, you’ve remixed well known names like Ryan Vail and Mmoths. Is the intention, with the Gemma Dunleavy single for example, to fit the original to your own aesthetic?
With remixes, I think it’s great hearing someone else’s spin on a track, and that’s what I always try to do. Use the original and remake it in my own way. I wouldn’t remix something if I didn’t think I could do something interesting with it, as there’s no point. The same goes for the few edits I’ve done. They’re always tracks I really like myself and usually something I’d been listening to a lot at the time of doing it. It’s nice putting your own spin on a track you really like. With the Gemma track, I met her through a mutual friend. Once I heard her singing I pretty much asked her would she be interested in doing something together, and she was up for it. I sent over a 2 minute or so instrumental and she came back with basically 2 full tracks worth of singing and I ended up using both. Then I’d keep sending over updates on it, and we’d talk about what sounded best and it came about like that. I think we’re going to be working on a couple more soon enough. She’s very talented.



How did you find 2012 and your emergence in turn? Did you ever receive any negative responses to the anonymous image?
Pretty unbelievable to be honest. I just expected it be somewhere I could stick up a few tracks, and maybe a few people would be interested and enjoy. To have the likes of Boiler room posting it, Radio 1 playing it and Pitchfork premiering tracks - I never could have imagined that. I must thank No Fear Of Pop as well, as I think they have supported nearly every single track since the very beginning. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that people you admire and respect enjoy your music. There was some negative responses, that much was to be expected. The RA review is the one that springs to mind. The ironic thing was that this project was so people could just focus on the music and judge it from that, and the entire review was about the whole ‘unknown’ thing and the image. Not everyone will enjoy it though and that’s just life, just have to keep going and if some people are into it then it’s worth doing.

Who’s the most ridiculous/ famous individual anyone’s ever accused you of being?
I think Skrillex was probably the most outlandish. I also saw someone post that they knew it was La Roux ‘from a very reliable source’. I have no idea where some of that shit comes from! Haha, reliable source indeed.

If you could be any established musician starting a project afresh and hiding behind a proverbial mask, who would you be?
Stevie Wonder would be cool. Everyone on the planet probably knows his music, so would be interesting seeing a proper leftfield release from someone like that. A serious curveball.

Stream an exclusive trailer of Unknown’s ‘I Cry’ video. The ‘I Cry’ EP is set for release on Champion Sound Music in late July.