We spoke to Lenske mainstay Farrago about his debut album Blesssed.
Since his debut in 2017, Farrago has become one of the forerunners leading the new generation of techno artists but the veteran DJ is far from a newcomer. Sam Deliart has been a well-known name in the dance music scene for over ten years now and has seen success through other alias’ such as Talbot Wood, whose dubby, deep house tracks saw support from the likes of Martyn, Ame, and Micheal Mayer to name a few.
Since then, the Belgian artist has rocked some of the worlds biggest clubs and festivals with his raw techno sound. Inspired by the fast-paced, trippy techno that his fans have known to love him for, Blesssed is a culmination of Farrago’s journey though techno. The album is being released on his imprint Vermillion Trax to avoid the bureaucratic process of adhering his creative process to deadlines, a move which he has said ‘gave him a lot of comfort’.
Blesssed is a hypnotic mixture of melody, soundscape, texture, energy, and feeling that showcases Farrago in his purest form. Just in time for the release of his latest single ‘Ducky Tribal Mission’, Farrago talked us through the foundations of the project.
Can you tell us about the upcoming album? What was the inspiration behind the project?
The inspiration came from a certain love and rediscovery of trippy fast techno that I’ve been playing these past months. I’ve always wanted to record an album but my main aim for it was that it should be timeless. I feel like this style of techno I went with even though it could be considered hyped at the moment has always been there and is never going away.
Did your creative process change at all when making the album? Have you done anything different this time compared to previous releases?
The whole process took about 6 months but 80% of the tracks were made within 5-6 weeks so there wasn’t much time to divert any creative direction. The first track I made was Ducky Tribal Mission. After testing it out it became clear to me that I wanted to go all-in with this sound.
What equipment/instruments did you use in the album’s production?
All of it was made exclusively using Ableton and its built-in plugins. For stuff like drums I used some processed Octatrack samples from earlier recording sessions in my home studio, but my studio time the past 12-15 months has been limited to working on the road most of the time. I do love the creative input from touring and DJing. It helps me tremendously while creating music.
In the world of dance music, albums aren’t as common as the single or EP. What did you find challenging about creating a larger project, and what do you think you have learned about yourself as an artist from this experience?
I think there is still room for albums, it’s just a matter of proper communication and preparation. With the right approach I believe albums can still fit in to today’s musical landscape. You just have to market it correctly and have the right expectations.
Why should your fans be excited about this project?
Because a lot of the tracks they have been asking about for the past couple of weeks are all on there. It’s some of the best work of my career if I may say so myself. I am very satisfied with how everything sounds and comes together!
Creating an album can be an exhaustive process. What did you do to relax and refresh yourself during this time?
Well, I decided this album would come out on my own terms. So, I started a new label called Vermillion Trax and just the idea of not having a deadline or being able to move any confirmed dates and what not as I pleased gave a lot of comfort and this feeling made it very easy to get everything done. There were virtually no delays or writer’s blocks because I had full control, and I was stress free. It also never felt like I was making an album because the actual decision came only near the end and I then made 1 or 2 tracks specifically for the album. The rest just came from a series of productive studio time.
What’s next for Farrago?
A busy festival season and a big track coming on Kobosil his R-Label in June. He’s been playing it for a couple of weeks now and the reaction has been phenomenal. I can’t wait to announce it. After summer I will do another EP on Lenske or Exhale Records.
Farrago’s latest single ‘Ducky Tribal Mission’ is out now. Get it here.
Blesssed is out 19th May, pre-order it here.
Follow Farrago here.