Walking down empty streets usually signifies the end of a night for someone, the wind hitting his face, footsteps creepily getting louder and storefronts dimmed. Drunks, gluttons and heathens are all around, as things keep winding down as time passes. The only soundtrack to fuel the night’s depth of darkness is the sounds of King Midas Sound, the dub-child of Kevin Martin (aka The Bug), Roger Robinson and Hitomi. The trio’s tracks inhabit cinematic landscapes, which are unearthed by rhymes, alternately power and soft. Their Hyperdub full-length, Waiting For You, was just released with notable reception, and it comes as no surprise, considering the gears that made the wheels turn. We took time out with one of those gears, Kevin Martin, to speak about the process of songwriting, views on “reviving trip-hop” and much more.

URB: What brought you guys to work together, what was the idea sound-wise?
I had worked with Roger as a poet on previous albums as The Bug, and for an earlier project called Techno Animal, but he had then subsequently played me some of his solo material, which he sang in an androgynous high falsetto voice sounding like a cross between Cornell Campbell and Curtis Mayfield, and it just blew my head off. At that time, I was becoming really frustrated with the media caricature of The Bug just being aggro-dancehall, so it seemed like the perfect time to initiate a fresh, zoned out, deep dub project with the focus on songs, lyrics and melodies.

What’s the biggest difference process-wise from making a record for your own solo accords and a King Midas Sound record?
King Midas Sound has really become a group, with all the discussions and head-to-head debates which that involves. Especially since Hitomi has joined us, there is a real feeling of a tight crew, which is growing organically and really enthusiastically. It is exiting to exchange contrasting ideas so passionately, especially as we come from such radically different backgrounds–Roger from Trinidad, Hitomi being half-Japanese, half-Korean and me being a Celtic mongrel…

How did you get involved with Hyperdub and was the intention to always release an album?
I had become a close friend of Kode9 since we first met, when he interviewed me for XLR8R magazine when Pressure by The Bug had just been released. And I had actually been responsible for encouraging Kode9 to start Hyperdub, when he played me his astonishing early demos of tracks he had made with Space Ape. Once Roger and I had begun work on the Midas album, I felt sure Steve [Kode9] would dig the sound. And yeah, for Roger and I, we always saw the King Midas Sound project as an album based entity, because I guess we both loved the idea of immersion, where within an album, you get sucked into its core and lose yourself in the sound, especially as we both agreed that this album should be deeply atmospheric.

What/who were some of your biggest inspirations in terms of coming up with the sound of this record?
We just did a podcast for FACT magazine, which we felt would state the obvious inspirations and parallels, as we knew the sound of the album may take people by surprise, and we thought it could work as an exercise in highlighting the roots of King Midas Sound. So that features the likes of Gregory Isaacs, King Tubby, My Bloody Valentine, Scritti Politti and A.R.Kane. We basically were obsessed with the idea of trying to upgrade Lover’s Rock, whilst giving it a disorientating, sci-fi coating. We wanted to find an intimate, seductive sound that hadn’t been attempted before, and find a new route for dub that wasn’t riddled with cliche. And also, for me personally, as a soundtrack junky and cult movie nerd, I wanted to find a cinematic sonic impulse where Wong Kar-Wai would clash with Nic Roeg or David Lynch would remix Fellini. [laughs]

How did you get in touch with Hitomi to work on this project and how crucial was she to the process of production?
I had seen her play live with her band, Dokkebi Q, and heard a track they had recorded for a Japanese compilation, and felt she had a very special voice and presentation. So, therefore, I had asked her to record dubplates for The Bug. And whilst she was visiting the studio, I had been working on Midas tracks, which she seemed to really like, as they were more song/melody based. This was coincidentally at a crucial stage of  ”Waiting For You,” where Roger and I were having problems finishing the last few songs on the album, so I decided to invite Hitomi to record, after I heard her singing along in the studio to one of the problem tunes. And since then she has added the vital missing ingredient, which we hadn’t even realized was missing, until she added it. She is our favourite spice, and secret weapon. [laughs]

How is the King Midas Show live show coming about?
We have just played our first couple of shows, and are really excited by the responses and possibilities. We played a couple of Hyperdub parties and have been going for a deep dub mash-up of the album with a more uptempo, but no less cinematic upgrade of the album’s sound. Despite our nervousness, and wondering whether or not audiences could be patient, or whether we could retain a delicate layering, the initial experiences have been wicked.

There’s been talk about critics speaking of a trip-hop revival within your record; do you feel like you’re re-inventing the conceptualization of “trip-hop” or is it your own signature contribution to something entirely different?
To be honest there was zero discussion or reference to “trip-hop” when we worked on this record, as I stated earlier, we actually wanted to see if we could find a new translation for Lover’s Rock. I can see why people may try and reference Tricky or Massive, but that seems like lazy journalism to us, but I can only guess they were inspired by similar influences, and we are all products of very cosmopolitan urban melting pots. After all, King Midas Sound is really about strong songs and pushing singing/lyrics, it really has little to do with hip-hop or trip-hop, as far as we are concerned.

What’s the overall message you want listeners to get out of “Waiting For You”?
I feel it is crucial that we all interpret anything independently, so I am the last person you should asking what message someone should receive. But I hope people melt when they listen to this. I hope they are seduced by the sound and bewitched by the voices.

Who are some artists you’ve enjoyed lately?
Ras G, Demdike Stare, Gonja Sufi, Joker, Kode 9 and much more…

What’s next for King Midas Sound?
A new single, remixes by Mala, Intrusion, Ras G and others, plus more live shows.

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