Part 1

Name: Lex Ludlow
Occupation: Producer, DJ, VJ
Nationality: Swedish  
Current release: Lex Ludlow is one of the artists on the most recent House Music With Love compilation. It also features Tigerbalm, Idd Aziz, Arina Mur, Rïa Mehta, and Sean Ae.
Recommendations: During my last visit to London, I stumbled upon The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, a book that inspired me with its exploration of new words and offers insights into the complexities of human emotions. For a musical recommendation, I'd like to share a Live set by Mosley Jr.

[Read our Rïa Mehta interview]

If you enjoyed this Lex Ludlow interview and would like to keep up to date with her music, visit her on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in production and technology?

Absolutely. Over the years, there have been many different micro decisions that slowly led me to where I am now.

When I was around 6 years old, my grandma had a Yamaha PortaSound PC-100 keyboard at our summer house. It had this Playcard System, and I was extremely fascinated by it. I learned how to play some old classics and now, over 30 years later, I have the same synth in my studio. In school, I played the transverse flute, but during my younger years, I was competing in sailing, and it took all my time and focus.

After I quit school, I co-founded a boutique with a friend, showcasing art, music, and high fashion brands, such as KtZ and Marjan Pejoski, who dressed clubbers, and artists like Björk and M.I.A. It was during this time, around 2005 - 2006, that my passion for the electronic dance scene became an essential part of my life. As we traveled between London and Paris, discovering iconic nightclubs and new sounds.

Back home, the music scene flourished, and we began organizing parties and catwalks in abandoned venues, and I tailored stage clothing, such as the black masked capes for SHXCXCHCXSH.

[Read our SHXCXCHCXSH interview]

Despite my involvement in the electronic music scene, it took me years to venture into music production myself. Looking back, I really wish I had embraced it much earlier in life..

What were your very first active steps with music technology and how would you rate the gains made through experience?

1. In 2006 I was introduced to the work of AntiVJ, who did a mind-blowing mapping on a house facade. At the time I had seen nothing like it, and I got so inspired that I began learning Modul8 and Madmapper. Together with a friend I started performing visual art shows under the name Muscles & Brainz. My first VJ controller was a UC-33.

2. I started DJing many years later, and I did not realize that my life was going to change completely after buying a cheap second-hand Pioneer DDJ-200 MIDI controller. I took a gig at a wedding, which led to gigs at bars, and then to  nightclubs, and in 2 years, I suddenly had played over 100 gigs. Then the pandemic hit, and all the clubs and restaurants closed. At that point, I was honestly in need of a break.

3. At the same time as I began to DJ frequently, me and my best friend Klas Isaksson, started a duo named $UN€ULT. Klas, who runs a techno members club and has a studio with all the classic drum machines, synths and a growing Eurorack setup, was definitely the main reason why I got hooked on producing.



4. A few weeks into lockdown, I finally bought Ableton Live 10, and I was totally captivated. I made music every day, and I couldn't get enough. The first track that I really felt like, "Damn, now I'm getting a hold of this," was Marble Arch.

I sent this track to my favorite label, Atomnation, with no expectation of an answer. When, three weeks later, they replied, "This sounds awesome, do you have more?" I told them, "No, but give me a few weeks =)."



Half a year later, I had my first EP released on vinyl with my alias Lex Ludlow, and I'm forever grateful to label boss Pascal for his guidance, patience and belief in my music at such an early stage.

Were/are you interested in the history of production and recording? If so, which events, albums, artists, or insights stand out for you?

2018 I went on a road trip with friends from Milan to Portugal with the end goal of reaching the Waking Life festival. And at this magical hidden gem, I had my strongest music experience ever.

One particular live set by the artist DWIG captured my heart and significantly influenced my musical journey thereafter. 

Earlier, during the years when we operated our store, Pick A Doll,  we were part of a vibrant studio collective where some of Norrköping's creative people converged to brilliant artists and producers. I fondly remember this era when inspiration flowed freely among us, and our gatherings in abandoned industrial buildings hosted unforgettable raves. The music was a blend of dark, deep techno and electronic blippblopp beats.

Eventually, this scene outgrew Norrköping, and many of our community members relocated to bigger cities. Reflecting on this journey, here are a few tracks from our crew:

2006 Nihad Tule - Consequence
2007 Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by Destiny
2008 Style of Eye - The Prophet
2011 Dirtytwo -  Moody
2011 Den svenska Björnstammen - Vart jag mig i världen vänder - Per Hammar Remix
2012 GROS -  Mother Mountain & Puede Morir
2013 Inter Gritty - Pellworm
2014 SHXCXCHCXSH - This humming Raverie

Making music, in the beginning, is often playful and about discovery. How do you retain a sense of playfulness and how do you still draw surprises from tools, approaches, and musical forms you may be very familiar with?

To be honest, I find it impossible to produce music if it doesn't feel fun. I'm completely driven by passion, and I guess I have my ADHD to thank for that. Since I'm still quite new to this, I haven't grown tired of it yet.

For me, it's essential that the process feels easy and simple. I prefer being able to grab my laptop whenever inspiration strikes. While I have a studio in my house where I create most of my tracks, the initial 16-bar loop always happens on my computer, in a cozy corner of a sofa or by the fireplace.

I love incorporating recorded samples from my everyday life and home, which gives my music a very personal meaning. My youngest daughter gives me homemade instruments she makes out of toys and trash, and I use them in most of my tracks. This brings me great joy and inspiration.

Home Alone EP is a 3 tracker tribute to my home and family.



For your own creativity, what is the balance and relative importance between what you learned from teachers, tutorials and other producers on the one hand – and what you discovered, understood, and achieved yourself? What are examples for both of these?

I'm not formally trained in music, nor have I taken any production courses or classes. However, having two close friends who are producers, one of whom is my partner and the other with whom I have a duo, has been invaluable. They're always there to offer guidance whenever I encounter obstacles, often providing more feedback than I anticipate.

I've been cautious about inviting others into my production process, believing it's crucial to learn from my own mistakes and embrace happy mistakes as an important part of my sound. Additionally, I've avoided being influenced by too many tutorials, and I prefer tutorials that focus on teaching different techniques and innovative ways to use plugins, rather than ones that aim to replicate a specific artist's style

How and for what reasons has your music set-up evolved over the years and what are currently some of the most important pieces of gear and software for you?
 
I don't have a lot of gear around me. For me the environment rather plays a huge part of my creative process. And I see myself as a comfy producer who gets the best vibe and inspiration from the sofa or bed with a few scented candles.

I love working with voices and manipulating them by bending, turning and pitching, and melody is often recorded by me first singing into my iphone and later getting transformed into midi. I love collecting samples from old movies, random conversations or birds singing in the garden.

With that said, I rather use plugins than hardware at the moment. And lucky me that my partner works at Softube studios, where he develops some of their products. So I have the luxury of trying out their stuff before release and I have a lot of fun software synths and mixing tools that keep me satisfied working mostly with software. But on my wishlist for additional gear for my upcoming live setup are the Roland TR-8S and MOTU ultralite mk5 sound card.

Among my favorite plugins from the Softube catalog are TSAR reverb, Dirty Tape, Bus Processor, and Model 72 and Model 82. Additionally, I've found Halftime from Cableguys to be a delightful tool for rhythm manipulation. For melodies, LABS from Spitfire remains a staple due to its ease of use and exceptional sound bank. Lastly, for crafting acid basslines, Phoscyon from D16 Group.