Name: Neil McDonald aka Lord Of The Isles

Nationality: Scotish
Occupation: Producer, DJ, radio host
Current release: The latest Lord Of The Isles album Subtle Thoughts is out via Lapsus.

If you enjoyed this interview with Lord Of The Isles and would like to find out more about his music, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud. 



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

All of the above, apart from politics. Music for me is more about escapism or expressing feelings that I can’t articulate any other way. Dreams, art, books and relationships all inspire this.

I suppose politics affects our lives in ways that might cause me to feel a certain way, that in turn indirectly feeds into the music but it’s not a conscience thing. I think I would write some heavy and angry sounding music if it was directly inspired by politics!

‘Spirit Owl’ from my Lapsus album (Subtle Thoughts) was written directly after watching short eared owls hunting one afternoon a few years ago. They were so close and it felt magical, I was buzzing after it and wrote that track, pretty much in one or two take that night.



For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

Sometimes. Sometimes I have a definite idea of a track, how it should sound, what key, melodies, instrumentation etc. ‘Strato’ from my latest ESP Institute album was like that, as was ‘Open Mode’ from my Lapsus album. Quite often I have the notion to start with one instrument and effect combo in my studio and take it from there, depends what I’m feeling at the time.



I’d say the chance / balance ratio is really dynamic across all my music. Some tracks are created with a focussed approach, others can be one take live sessions. Most are probably 50/50.

I think it’s important not to get too constrained by your approach. I swing between live improv sessions, days and days of them, then circle back and listen with some time in between and make tracks from these sessions. It’s very rare for me to a visualisation of a finished piece but it does happen.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

For me the only prep I need is for my studio to be tidy for the more engineering / production phase. It can become pretty messy during the bursts of creating but I always clean it and tidy it before the next stage.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

Yes. I like to be well exercised, running and days of being outside in nature walking are essential for me and my mental health.

I do like certain stimulants and I also like scented candles. A girl at my local TK Max called me ‘Candle Fan’ once, maybe a new alias there ha!

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

Often a chord.

Sometimes very. I have found it more difficult the more equipment and knowledge I have. I’ve recently dived into modular synthesis, so lately it’s been just general confusion!

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Yes it does, quite often. I always just go with it, explore it.

Ideas are good, no matter how they materialise, it’s when there’s none that you worry and feel frustrated.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

For me it’s definitely mediative. I think being able to express yourself through something abstracted, whether it’s music or art has a spiritual aspect to it. A way of unconventionally expressing the human condition.

Frequencies are what the universe is made of, so there must be something of the teachings of the unknown in there somewhere. Some kind of connection.

I’m not religious but I do yearn to understand the human predicament we find ourselves in and where we fit in amongst all these frequencies and vibrations of the universe.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

Sometimes never. If the ideas dry up or I just don’t like where I end up. Anywhere between one take and ten years from my experience. I never force something to be ‘finished’ I just stop and move on.

I think it’s good practice to love the blank canvas, start more and finish less. You’ll know or maybe not even notice you’re finished if it’s right.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

Very for some tracks. Especially for arrangements. During the writing process I feel consumed by the vibe and sound.

Arrangements need time for a different kind of focus later on and this often effects the mix too.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

It’s crucial to me as it probably is for most artists. I view it a bit like a martial art, or any life-long craft. It’s part of the joy of music for me to be always learning new production and mixing techniques. I produce and mix all my music but I still leave mastering to the folks who can.

I was lucky enough to sit in on the mastering of ‘Night Of The Endless Beyond’ (ESP Institute LP) which was mastered locally here in Edinburgh by Nick Moore aka Linkwood. We have a similar appreciation for a natural, warm analog sound so it was a perfect fit for that record and really interesting to be there watching him do his thing.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there
can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I don’t really get a sense of emptiness but I’m usually done with thinking about whatever project for a while after it has been completed / mastered. I just move onto those creative and experimental sessions mentioned before with no real objective in mind.

These days, vinyl production has become such a drawn out affair that by the time something is finally released I’m usually up for listening to it again.