Name: Bradley Hutchings aka Guava
Nationality: British
Occupation: Producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist
Recent release: Guava's debut album Out of Nowhere is out October 27th 2023 via his own Gauava Noise imprint.

If you enjoyed this interview with Guava and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.



Some see instruments and equipment as far less important than actual creativity, others feel they go hand in hand. What's your take on that?

That’s a great question! When I was younger, I used to fantasise about having a Tempest, a fancy drum machine designed by Dave Smith and Roger Linn. I’d try to save up for one, but I could never justify the hefty price tag. Ten years later, I have discovered that people complain about the user interface on that synth a lot, so I’m glad I didn’t get it in the end.

I believe you’ve got to start somewhere; you need a tennis racquet to play tennis, so having the necessary setup for what you want to do is important.

However, the key is to be specific about what kind of music you’re going for. For a while, I thought ‘pure analog synthesis is what I’m after’, and then found out that artists like Lone and Nathan Micay were just using VSTs … It made me think ‘Okay, perhaps it’s something else that I’m looking for."

In the light of picking your tools, how would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

I love Mark Fisher’s ‘Slow Cancellation of the Future’ theory. The idea that mainstream culture (in the West) promotes HD re-runs over futurism and innovation. This is not entirely true, of course, but I think his point that the popular sounds of the 1950s are wildly different from the sounds of the 1960s, whereas the difference between, say, 2010 and 2020 is not as vast.

Honestly, I try not to think too hard about these things anymore. Not because they don’t interest me, but because, for me, they are little tripwires that can get in the way of the creative process. As soon as thoughts of wanting to create something original, innovative, and timeless come into play, they can stifle the creative process.

When I was a child, I remember going to my cousins and playing with them and having so much fun—the games, the things we would pretend to be. And then inevitably, mum or dad would call my name and tell me that it was time to go, and I would feel that I wasn’t ready because I was still in such a flow state. That is, in essence, what creativity is all about.

Whenever I make music, I want to flow as much as possible, like when I was younger. The teenage years were when I became more self-aware; I would worry about my significance, whether I fit in, what clothes to wear, and if I was “cool enough.”

None of that has anything to do with the creative process so I shy away from it.

More generally, how do you see the relationship between your instruments and the music you make?

Yeah, I think it’s all very important. I started out in music pretty skint; I didn’t have proper monitors until 5 years ago, and each piece of gear in my home studio was an investment that has ultimately paid off.

I have stickers on each button of my Machinedrum that say:

M.O.R.E..T.H.A.N..E.N.O.U.G.H.

This is something that has to be in the back of my mind when making music.

This synth is more than enough, Logic Pro is more than enough, etc. Retaining that same level of excitement before obtaining a piece of gear is key. Otherwise, that state of lack and frustration really does nothing for the creative process.