Interview: Far Too Loud on going solo and his plans for the future (check out a new breaks track)

We're still getting used to saying "he" rather than "they" when it comes to describing Far Too Loud. The name still has that ring of being a band moniker, rather than a solo act, but as anyone who's been paying attention lately will know, that's no longer the case. Oli Cash (pictured above) and Dom Smart, who were the core of Far Too Loud, have gone their separate ways at what many would see as the height of their success, with the latter launching a new act, Neurodriver, and the former continuing under the FTL brand.

We've already brought you the lowdown on Neurodriver, including a pair of wicked free tracks, and here we present Oli's side of the story. Far Too Loud will be playing one of his first solo gigs in the UK at Supatronix in London this Friday night, where he's promising a special breaks-orientated set to keep the heads happy. In the meantime he's taken time out to let our readers know what the future holds.

When news first broke of the split, we were pretty disappointed here at thisisbreaks.com, but we're now looking on the bright side. Where once we had one purveyor of energetic psy-tinged electro-breakbeat, we now have two. And that can't be such a bad thing. Over to Oli, and big ups to the awesome Funkatech Records for sorting out this interview.

Most people who have been into breaks over the past couple of years know who Far Too Loud are and appreciate your music. Will there be any difference in the band's output now that it's a solo project?

For me, Far Too Loud has never rigidly stuck to one particular sound, although I think the production techniques link all the tracks together sonically. I get tired of a style quite quickly when making music and usually when I have finished a track I want to do something a bit contrasting, which gives a degree of unpredictability to what will come next. I like to take influences from what I'm listening to at the time and produce some sort of reaction to that. That is what I have always done as part of Far Too Loud and that is what I will continue to do, so in that respect the output of FTL will not change. You will however see me incorporate new influences and ideas so I hope that people will see some sort of difference in the FTL output, not just now but until I stop producing music. I think that if I was going to do anything radically different from FTL music then I wouldn't be carrying on with that name - the fact that I am still using it really answers your question.

What lay behind the decision to go it alone?

I think our styles and views on the direction of FTL weren't in sync. Without a unified goal it's difficult to achieve anything. Separately, I think we can both be more focused and productive as it offers complete creative freedom.

We heard rumours that Far Too Loud were heading in an electro house direction, but Dancefloor Destroyer, the new track is straight up breaks with a psychedelic electro edge, very much the sound your fans will be familar with, and a wicked track. Can we expect plenty more FTL breaks bangers to come?

Far Too Loud - Dancefloor Destroyer by Funkatech Records
Why, thank you sir! Yes, you can expect more breaks bangers. I know I have been working on more 4/4 stuff recently but I have by no means turned my back on breaks. I still love producing and playing out breaks tracks and have loads of ideas for new breaks stuff. At the same time though I want to diversify what I do, encompass other styles and reach out to a wider audience. Therefore you can expect plenty of FTL bangers, some of which will be breaks and some of which will be other styles.

Have you heard the Neurodriver material? What do you reckon to it?

Of course! I have played some of it live as part of the FTL live show and even contributed to a couple of the tracks. It's great stuff. Dom is very skilled in the studio and has a very distinct style. His music will appeal to FTL fans because it is born out of what we have done as FTL, but with his own twist.

What's the best gig you've played as Far Too Loud in the last year?

I've had a couple of special sets on Arcadia this year, at Glastonbury and Electric Picnic. They've got such a wicked stage. It's crazy to look down on loads of people from 30ft in the air, then to look on each side and see people doing acrobatics on giant hoops hanging from cranes. The Mad Max style decor and all the pyrotechnics create an awesome atmosphere for partying. I think France deserves a mention too ... I last played there in March, in Lyon, at a student-run event called Karnaval Humanitaire. The crowd were so responsive, the best you could want as a dance music act. I love the vibe in France and think there are a lot of positive things happening there for our scene.

What's coming up in the future for Far Too Loud? Tell us about your plans.

I have just finished building a new studio in Brighton, so I'm going to be locking myself in there for a while. Track-wise you can look forward to the completion of the Music For Machines series (part 2 "Bass Association"/"Dancefloor Destroyer" out next month!), plus some other stuff which unfortunately I cannot disclose yet. Over the winter I'll also be redeveloping the FTL live set, working on new material for it and adding some new toys, then I'll take that out on the road for the first time in Feb 2010 for a gig in France. Gig-wise the calender is looking busy for the end of the year (check www.myspace.com/fartooloud for listings), including Supatronix this weekend, which I know will be a blast! It's always a pleasure to be in command of the system in Herbal and I plan to do it some justice.

What's your personal favourite Far Too Loud tune so far and why?

I have spent the weekend thinking about this and I still don't know, therefore I assume there is no answer to this. I like them all for different reasons. If you could combine the bits I like best of each track into one then that would be my favourite FTL track.

What do you think breaks needs to do to get back in the limelight, get more press attention etc? Do you feel proud to be part of the breakbeat community? What acts are you currently feeling?

Breaks does seem to be getting less representation in the press and at festivals etc. Its been overshadowed by the development of more bassline-lead music; dubstep, bassline house, ghetto bass ... all that stuff. I think that to get breaks more attention there need to be more tracks around which are defined as breaks but take influence from these more popular styles. To be more specific I'm talking about making tracks shorter, simpler, more bassy, a bit wobbly, more fun and with a good dose of what-the-fuck-ness. There is still a place for teched-out nu-skool breaks but the press are always looking for something new so there needs to be a change in the music for it to get more attention.

I guess I am proud to be part of the breaks community, seeing as I produce and play out breaks. Breaks acts that I'm really liking and that I feel have consistently delivered good tunes (ones that I'd play out) are Access Denied, Beta, Vent, BSD, 4Kuba, Gella, Pro7, Hedflux, to name a few ...

• Far Too Loud plays Supatronix at Herbal, 10-14 Kingsland Road, London this Friday, September 25. Click here for details.