New Sins duo Lou Hayter and Nick Phillips have known each other for a decade now, and, so it seems, known each others’ sonic twists and turns even longer. This closely aligned partnership has, over the years, produced some searing, seriously cohesive slices of disco-punk-electro-pop. They first officially released in 2008, seven-inch single ‘It Doesn’t Work Like That’ earning reverential nods from clued-up club nights and mainstream media (chiefly the Guardian) alike. Further smart tracks have followed, albeit occasionally – ‘Beats Of Love’ with Belgian house act Villa (2010) and the super-synth-fresh ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ on Tigersushi Records (2012).
All of which brings us to last summer’s classic shake-it-out single ‘Lights Down’, a deliciously raw collision of bass bounce, machine gun drums and Hayter’s distorted vocals that Defected Records will re-release this spring with suitably lively new remixes by Waze & Odyssey, Kiwi and Christy Ayers. Meanwhile, The New Sins are already recording their next single and actively planning a debut album in what can only be described as a refreshing new tidal wave of artistic, creative momentum.
That’s not to forget that Hayter, former keyboardist with New Young Pony Club, is also working on her second album with Air’s Jean-Benoit Dunckel’s as Tomorrow’s World – a melancholic swirl of chief inspirations Lil Louis, Angelo Badalamenti, Depeche Mode and post-industrial Londoners Factory Floor –after the success of 2012’s eponymous debut. Elsewhere, her further commitments as DJ and model are thriving, whilst Phillips’ extra-curricular activities as film composer, music scientist and 3D sound experimentalist similarly continue to shine. These Sin-ners are a true multi-channel phenomenon. Ms Hayter confesses all....
Lou, how does success in such a wide range of creative disciplines benefit The New Sins?
I think that everything people experience informs what they do, or should do. Nick and I are fortunate to be able to draw on so many different experiences already. We appreciate architecture, art, classical music...the list goes on. All of this goes into The New Sins. I’d hope that, with the more varied and amazing experiences that we have every day, we’re getting better and better.
You’ve known one another for some 10 years now...
Yes, we’ve been friends for a length of time. We both grew up around Kent and South East London, soaking up similar musical influences. We just get each other in the studio. It’s hard to explain. The dynamic between us is that, simply, we really enjoy making music together. We’ve very collaborative...we always work together, never apart. We make all the decisions together. I may write some of the music, or it could be Nick, but there’s still always close collaboration. We’re just very comfortable with one another, which allows us to be totally free with our thinking...we do what we want.
So tell us about ‘Lights Down’ – how’d it happen?
The track actually evolved out of another track we’d recorded in the studio, ‘Night Flights’. Nick started messing around with a plug-in that provided this amazing Wiley-style b-line But it felt better as the basis for something else. I’d actually recorded a rap verse too, but fortunately it’ll never see the light of day! Nick decided to edit it down and pick out the vocal loops you can hear on ‘Lights Down’ now. It was a really catchy idea and we ran with it.
And now Defected have picked up on it, and your bold ‘n’ brassy baby suddenly has remixes....
You know, we’re big fans of Defected so we’re really happy to be on board with the re-release. I’ve collected dance music for years...I grew up with Masters At Work and Mood II Swing and, in terms of Defected, I love how a great record like Storm Queen’s ‘Look Right Through’ was given fresh momentum by MK’s remix. That’s how dance music works. I know Serge [Santiago] from Waze & Odyssey fairly well, so we approached them to do something new...I love their take on ‘Lights Down’.
How do The New Sins describe their sound?
I’d call it club-pop. That, I think, is what we’re aiming to do. The swing between the two is really flexible; it has to be because sometimes it’s hard to balance pop and club sounds.
And how exactly did you and Nick meet?
It was through a mutual friend, the DJ Ross Allen. He suggested we work together. At the time, I was working for Trevor Jackson’s label Output and I’d been hearing this Boxsaga track a lot called ‘Computer Love’ which I thought was amazing. When I realised it was Nick, it confirmed that we should try something together.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
We’re already working on a new single. It’s currently under wraps but will be a club track. Beyond that, we’re using this year to work on an album. We have some material already but I think we probably want to re-write and change other things, because of new ideas and influences. It’s going to offer a bridge between club and pop but the challenge is getting the music ready. It takes so long and we’re both extremely busy as individual artists.
We’ve put a few things out but we have so much more that’s nearly finished and that we’d love people to hear. That can be frustrating. In actual fact, it feels like we’ve never stopped working together but we just need to finish some of our stuff.
How’s Tomorrow’s World going by the way?
Great thanks. We’re currently working on a second album for which I’ve just been laying down vocals. It’s progressing well, we’re about half-way through. I’d say that the next album will be lighter and warmer.
Finally, can we grab your thoughts on the electronic scene in general?
It’s really exciting. There’s this renaissance of stuff from the Nineties...like vocal house. And when you look at artists like Paranoid London, and how they’re interpreting acid house, it’s very exciting. Anything goes these days and that’s great for everyone. With my DJing, too, I’m getting to play a lot of different things at gigs...old soul, disco, electro, R&B.... It’s nice, the variety. This is a really good time to be in and around music.
'Lights Down' is out now on Defected Records - buy from Beatport / Traxsource / DStore
