Harvey McKay is celebrating his second studio long-player, ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’, released on Dense & Pika’s Kneaded Pains label. The seasoned producer/DJ from Glasgow has notched up an impressive catalog of releases for labels such as UNCAGE, Perc Trax, Cocoon, Filth On Acid, and many more, always delivering well-polished and effective techno cuts. ‘Anatomy..’ follows 2009’s ‘Machine Make Noise’ album, released on the Soma Quality Recordings label, and marks a distinct progression in the stalwart producer’s sound.
EG caught up with Harvey McKay to learn more about the drop of ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’, the inspiration and process behind it, his views on the current state of the scene, and more.
EG: Hello Harvey! It’s a treat to have you here with us today. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Harvey McKay: Yeah, I’m great, thanks. At the moment, I’m sitting in the studio doing a couple of promo bits for the album and sorting out loads of the touring for the next coming months. Been a super busy and productive time.
EG: Congratulations on the drop of your sophomore studio album, ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’! What has the initial reception been like?
Harvey McKay: Feedback’s been incredible. So many amazing artists I love and respect really feeling it. I sent Leftfield a sneaky preview, and he took the time to email me back saying he was blown away, and guys like Gregor Tresher who I massively respect musically also, so many of my peers I respect. It’s been a real pleasure to make. I know both Alex and Chris, great lads. Alex handles most of the demos from me, and it became apparent that he was really feeling most of the stuff I was sending. So he suggested making the album. It’s been amazing, as they just let me do whatever I wanted, no strings. I have never had that freedom before. I have been really doing my homework, listing to music I love from back in the day, and really sussing out what elements make them so good. Then, learning to make them from scratch, also learning my gear inside out from the ground up. Also, I remake a lot of classic tracks, no samples, it’s a great learning tool to see your knowledge and sound design and learn stuff on the fly. Having that freedom from Kneaded Pains, mixed with knuckling down, I feel my productions have really improved, and my creativity is off the chart. I can’t stop writing music, it’s wild at the moment.
EG: So, what’s the inspiration behind this one? Is there a concept that runs throughout all 13 tracks?
Harvey McKay: The concept is to ignore the nonsense that goes on in the scene, make what I love. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, who cares. I love making it. Also without sounding arrogant, trying to introduce some of the younger people fresh into the scene to what music can be. That used to be our job, to educate, create, and innovate. Now it just seems so many artists just give them the same old crap over and over that charted high once. For me, how things are right now, nearly made me quit. It’s so uninspiring and boring. But then I thought ‘I don’t have to do that, just do what I love, and if it’s really solid people will connect’. I really love Apex Twin, James Holden, Nathan Fake, Extrawelt. They are real sonic pioneers in our field. So I aspired to try to follow in their footsteps sonically and musically to the best of my ability. That’s the shit that fires me up.
EG: And, we know there’s a special dedication in ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’. Could you tell us more about it?
Harvey McKay: Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. One of my brothers, Davey Balmer, not by mother, but we all have one. I pretty much lived at his house in my mid to late teens. Davey was tragically diagnosed with motor neuron disease. It’s such a brutal illness, and with no cure at this stage. It’s taken a monumental toll on him, and he is super ill now. We used to have so much fun in the 90s clubbing, he’s such a buzz. An amazing guy. He used to always smash me at FIFA back in the day, and one time we came back smashed after the club, he was away with it, barely even making sense, and still beat me (laughter). I couldn’t believe it (laughter). But the point is we all have someone in our lives like that’s a brother a pal for life. So the album is dedicated to him and a way for me to raise awareness for his plight. My heart breaks when I think of him and what he’s going through. So because of this, I will donate all profits from the album to Davey, as I way I feel I can help and show him I care and want to help, and the album hopefully can help do that in a small way.
“That used to be our job, to educate, create, and innovate. Now it just seems so many artists just give them the same old crap over and over that charted high once”
EG: What will your fans find on ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’? In which ways would you say this one is different from your first LP?
Harvey McKay: My production has come a long way from the first one, for a starter. My first album was on Soma, and Ironically, my pal Gary Beck was saying the album reminds him of early 90’s Soma. As I say, I’ve been going back to my roots, so that’s kind of what I was after. Also really throwing in some really different downtempo and fast electronica vibes in there, no rules, so a few supprises. I am really proud of it, it feels like what I learned to make with the freedom I had, has made a monumental difference to my music. I feel like it’s the start of a new beginning in what I am about musically.
EG: What did you learn about yourself during the recording sessions for ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’? Did you pick up any new gear or software for these sessions?
Harvey McKay: I learned I had a real ear for sound design, and yeah, I got loads of new toys. A few Elektron bits, a couple of the new Behringer bits, some Rolland stuff. One thing that made a huge difference was, that some of the clones or really old synths I bought you can’t save in, and there are no presets, which sounds like a bad thing. But that’s forced me to really understand the gear so much more. I can remake just about every sound by ear now. I can hear all the different waveforms in the sound and how there being modulated just by listening. I used to be and still am strangely good at hearing a tiny clip of someone’s voice, and knowing who it is. Even if had heard it even only once, or heard them doing a voice on, say for the sake of it, the Simpsons or something 20 years ago. I just instantly knew who it was. Even if they’re putting on a voice, there’s something in the tone and the structure, I can still pick them out. I noticed it even when I was a kid, and I think that’s been really helpful, and has translated into being able to understand sound design better in music. Also, the album taught me to make as much from scratch as possible. So these days tend to use drum machines and synths. If I do use a soundbank, it’s for the drum hits I load into my machines. I find loops, samples, and presets mostly seem to get in the way now. Am not saying I never use them, or totally against them. I just find mostly that’s the way I work now, and how I get the best results. I really get way more creative jamming with the keys on my synths, and making all my sounds from scratch without presets, also jamming my drum machines, groove boxes, etc, you’re just in so much more control.
EG: What would be the perfect setting to listen to ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’? Where would you like to listen to it if you could?
Harvey McKay: All I would ask is that you give a blast from start to finish. As I tried to make it flow like a story. As I tried to not just do the 10 bangers and an ambient standard techno album.
EG: How do you feel about the techno scene in general? Where is techno today?
Harvey McKay: Ahhh, man…as I mentioned before, I’m pretty damn disappointed in a lot of it. Don’t get me wrong, some amazing artists out there, no doubt. But so much of it is just soulless music. I feel people are really selling their souls to just be in the game. People I really respected are just playing pure nonsense, cause it’s sort of the in-thing, which is so so disappointing. A lot of them, I think to myself, ‘There’s no way you can like that, I just know they can’t’. It feels like a lot of people are just going with the flow, rather than creating art and music that will make the scene last for many decades to come. Instead, I feel it’s just the same clones because ‘it charted well once in the past and it’s the easy way out’. It sounds like they’re all just using the sample packs, or presets. I really fear there won’t be a scene left if the majority don’t smarten up. And by the way, its not one genre I am on about. So much of the heavy stuff is like a parody of itself, and for the more commercial techno, a lot of it is basically pop music, as when you think about it, it follows the same rules and structure of pop music. All hype and marketing with mostly zero decent music behind it. I am really concerned about the future. For me underground is about innovative music. There is still amazing music out there, but there’s a general feeling and direction that’s not good. For me, it’s really about cool as f_+k music, and production that makes you go ‘WOW’. That’s what we need to try to get back to. Not about hype, the Insta, or good pictures or marketing, or dressing a certain way. It’s about music. But I don’t think about that, to be honest. If I did, I would pretty depressed, haha. I am loving making music more than I ever have in my life as I am following my heart, and ignoring that aspect. I just get my head down and do what works for me, and that’s helped me find my place in my head where I feel good about what I do.
“I am really proud of it, it feels like what I learned to make with the freedom I had, has made a monumental difference to my music”
EG: What’s next for Harvey McKay in the next few months? What new milestones are you looking to celebrate?
Harvey McKay: I have a great year coming up with loads of touring. But music-wise I have my return to Cocoon after my first release there some 10 years ago. So I’m super excited about that, and it’s a really big record. Sven is such a lovely guy, and beyond legend in this game, and I have so much respect for him, I’m so chuffed to be back with the Cocoon team. I also have my first EP with the Pan-Pot lads on Secondstate. The lads have been amazing with support, and so easy to work with so really happy to have my first EP on there. I have two EPs lined up this year with them. I also have a few things lined up with Marco Faraone on his Superb Uncage label, so it’s probably the biggest year for releases I have ever had.
EG: Thank you for your time, Harvey! We wish you all the best for the future!
Harvey McKay: Pleasure, thanks for taking the time and for the great questions.
Harvey McKay’s ‘Anatomy Of A Drum Machine’ is out now via Kneaded Pains. Purchase your copy here.
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