Club-primed melancholia from star-to-be
Who?
Guava is the pseudonym of London-born Bradley Hutchings, a producer and DJ crafting a special blend of lush ambient techno. His deft deployment of vocal samples and motorik rhythms, which lounge atop dark soundscapes, lead to music befitting sunrises. Gentle, sometimes propulsive, always with glorious synth washes.
Why Guava?
Just ask the likes of Jamie xx, Mary Anne Hobbs and Ben UFO, who have all given their stamp of approval to Hutchings’ stylings. With a succession of limited-run records released on underground electronic labels such as Control Freak and Holding Hands, he’s fast becoming a mainstay of the Berlin club scene. Hutchings moved to the city a few years ago, even outputting via venerable techno producer Nick Höppner’s imprint Touch From A Distance, and this month we welcome his much-anticipated debut album, ‘Out Of Nowhere’. He says it was inspired by discovering electronic music as “another form of musical escapism” while touring and supporting acts like Band Of Horses and Men I Trust. The lead single, ‘Universal Angel’, features vocalist Maddie Ashman on a spectral, neon-hued synthwave beat, tickled by Hutchings’ intricate guitar work.
Tell Us More…
Hutchings’ own musical bow reveals more strings the closer you look. A proficient guitarist, he has toured Europe with Latin-British artist Malena Zavala as well as rock artist LION. He enlisted Arlo Parks’ guitarist Alex Blake and Eno-collaborating producer Leo Abrahams on his ‘Guitarist’ EP from last year, while working under the mentorship of the prolific Dutch producer Martyn. On top of all that, Hutchings has even helped pen scores for film and TV, including ‘The Same Sky’, acclaimed German director Oliver Hirschbiegel’s spy drama about two families living either side of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.
‘Out Of Nowhere’ is out on Kartel Music Group
