Release Radar: 82J6 - The Shallow Man
Patrick Keuthen (aka 82J6) recently debuted on Cadenza with The Shallow Man. The Cologne based artist may have been producing since the mid 2000s, but after a long hiatus it is the recent years where he has been really honing in on his craft. Captivated by the sounds that inspire him, 82J6 keeps a strong focus on sample led production, spread across a breadth of sounds from house, minimal and techno. Following his release on the label, we sat down with Patrick to talk about what moulded him into the artist he is today and his recent journey into joining the Cadenza family.
Great to have you with us 82J6! Tell us, what do the numbers mean?
I would love to tell you a really exciting story about this, but to be honest, it's just my birth date. Some people ask me if it’s from Star Wars or something, but no - I'm just not that good with names! You choose an artist name based on emotion, but maybe two weeks later you don't have that same emotion anymore. I get bored really fast with names, so I thought an unemotional number seems like a good choice. More like a catalog number. Also you can pronounce it differently depending on language, so I like that it’s up to the listener how it sounds.
A unique approach! You’re based in Cologne, where you’ve been living since 2006. What were your first experiences with electronic music and what inspired you to start producing?
I have to say electronic music wasn't the initial motivation to start producing music. I actually grew up in a small village outside of Cologne and the first steps I took with music was making hip-hop beats. I was using cheap music software like Music Maker and the free Cubase version came up. We had this small group of people who really were into underground hip-hop and we tried to imitate artists like DJ Premier and Pete Rock. Hip-hop was all about sampling and this for us evolved into disco house, also based on samples but with faster beats. Then I started going out to clubs and that’s when I went deeper into electronic music. This was back in 2006 when the electro, house, minimal hype started.
You’ve been involved in numerous music projects up to now, including Pawn Shop People and Dualton. How did these collaborations help shape what would become your solo moniker 82J6?
We started Dualton in 2006 with my friend Robert - I was more the producer guy and he was more the DJ guy, so it worked quite nicely. We were playing a lot of clubs around Cologne and Dusseldorf and I also had Pawn Shop People going. I was the main producer and the others gave their input and ideas. During these projects I shaped what I would call my handwriting. It's hard to describe your own music, but if you listen to all my projects and the stuff I do solo now, you can maybe notice some kind of similarities in the sound, how the arrangements are and the general style to which elements are used.
What was it that made you then decide to focus more on your own productions?
We were kind of at a crossroads - it was a good thing and we did a lot of releases on labels including Defected. But we had to decide, do we want to make music for a living, or keep it as a side passion. I took a break from producing until 2018, concentrating on my career as an Art Director. I was still close to the scene, I was working at the agency from Loco Dice back then. Then Bandcamp came up, where you can just put out your music without a label. You can put out whatever you want. And then I thought, "Okay, maybe I can give this another go and see what happens." I had total artistic freedom and this was the decision to start making music again.
Can you tell us a bit about what creative process you are following when putting a track together? What tools are you using to make music?
Usually when I start a track, I’m using a sample or sound I found inspiring that I can then work around. I try to manipulate it as much as possible so that it's no longer recognisable, using it more as a waveform to make it into something else. I am exactly what you can call a bedroom producer. I don't have a big studio, I just have my PC. I have Ableton, Logic and some other software sims, but not many. I think limitation is also helping. I feel I can work better if I limit myself to the few possibilities I have, and this has helped me develop my own style. I taught myself everything because when I started 20 years ago, there were no tutorials. I made up my own ways to get a result and I’m still learning!
At what point did Cadenza come up on your radar?
I think the first Cadenza release I heard was back in 2006, it was Loco Dice - Harissa. Other key releases for me were Pablo Cahn and of course Luciano’s own stuff. It was totally my cup of tea, mixing electronic music with real instruments, percussive stuff. I also have a sweet spot for a kind of world music and these different influences really appealed to me. Cadenza was a label I always followed, I always had the records.I never expected to be releasing there! With the recent relaunch of Cadenza, I saw a post online where they were asking people to send music and I thought “okay, if they ask for music, I’ll give it a try!”
The Shallow Man EP is out now on Cadenza! How does it feel to have joined the Cadenza family?
Too good to be true! Cadenza is some kind of lifetime achievement for me because I played all the records in the past and it was such a big influence. I saw it as a mystical place for music and it feels really great to have the opportunity to make a release there. I'm happy that Cadenza are giving people the chance where there isn’t already a connection existing. They are really open to finding music from new artists.
What direction were you working towards when you were producing this one?
I thought to myself, okay, how would an 82J6 / Cadenza release sound? I made this release tailored to what I think Cadenza is now, still with the influence of the days back in 2010, my era of dance music. These weren’t tracks I could send to another label because basically, they wouldn't fit.
You definitely captured the Cadenza flavour! Is there a standout track for you?
My favourite track is 'Pur Pur', which I made after the first demo had already been selected by Cadenza ('The Shallow Man'). This for me was the typical Cadenza style. 'A Mil' is also pretty special, actually from a sketch back in 2009 that I made with a friend of mine, Bradler. I collaborated a lot of times with him back then. I was browsing through my hard disk and I found it thinking this has some potential! I finished the track and this is why I also mentioned him in the name, because the initial idea was from him. It’s particularly special for me because it started 15 years ago.
Did you experiment with any new techniques or sounds while working on the release?
Yes, especially on the title track 'The Shallow Man'. Maybe it's kind of a taboo at the moment, but I used an AI tool. I don't have any vocalists around me, so I thought why not ask AI! I used it the same as I use for example sample libraries. I basically sampled again the AI result and put it together in a new way - this gives me a sample that nobody else has. In my normal day job as an art director, I have to be open to new technologies and AI is now the next big thing. If you use the result as a tool to work with creatively, I think this can only help people to express creativity.
What advice might you give to an artist who wants to get seen by a specific label?
What I've learned from the process now with Cadenza is that you have to be selective and exclusive. Produce tracks which really fit to the sound of the label, but with your own style and handwriting, not copying something else. For example, imagine how a Cadenza track would sound, if you would make it. I think it’s also quite important to find good track names and be sure to tag all the tracks right. Send it with nice artwork if you can, along with a polite and personal message - not some kind of bulk email which is totally impersonal. Be selective and exclusive. And keep your eyes open in case labels are asking for music!
Great advice! What do you do when you’re not in studio mode?
I'm working my day job as an Art Director in an agency and all the time I have left, I spend it with my daughter and my wife doing family stuff, which I really enjoy. I actually received the message that Cadenza wanted to sign 'The Shallow Man' when I was at a playground with my daughter, standing next to the sandbox!
What's next for 82J6?
Obviously the Cadenza EP and then I have some unofficial remixes and edits I might release on Bandcamp, because I love doing edits from other genres! I have a remix finished for a Cologne based artist that I think may come out this year and I also recently released a trippy single on Offen Music. There’s a special connection here because this is the label of a good friend of mine, Vladimir, and for this label I'm also doing all the artworks.
Check out The Shallow Man which is available on Beatport or Bandcamp now.