Much of Rabit's music is informed by conflict, whether directly or indirectly. In the main, and on a superficial level, we see this represented in the juxtaposition of light, delicate melodies and dark, oppressive percussion. However, the Texan producer remains cautious about prescribing too much meaning to his music. The most important thing for him, as an artist, is that wherever possible, the meaning behind his music remains open to interpretation. I suggested that religion, or at least his relationship with religion, is a big influence on his music. From interviews he's given in the past, this appears to be the case, but in reality this appears to be a more indirect influence. All art comes from a conflict on some level, even if that conflict is simply between the artist and what went before.
Interestingly, when Rabit first emerged he was swept up in the "Grime 2.0" renaissance, despite having only a tangential relationship with the genre. His connection to grime, beyond simply being a fan, is only very light, making the association all the more peculiar. Indeed it was Keysound luminaries like Logos whom Rabit first formed UK connections with, but that's it. There are elements of his palette that are informed by the sound, but you could hardly describe any of the tracks on Communion or the Baptizm EP as grime in any meaningful sense. Many artists face this reaction, though usually due to a geographical connection or because of an early affiliation with artists, collectives, or club nights from around South and East London. Rabit, however, is from Texas.
Interview by James Keith
You have Communion coming out on October 30. Like the Baptizm EP, there are lot of religious references—the album title, as well as the opening track "Advent"—how do the two fit together?
I would say the easiest way to approach it would be to as an analogy. I'd probably leave it at that for now. I think I'd like people to hear the full album by themselves without me dictating a meaning to the titles and things like that.
How have your influences and your approach changed between the EP and the album?
The creative urge is something I've been trying to get closer and closer to. So that's something that might have change with my approach. That, and trying to capture a feeling through a sound and just letting it dictate its own direction.
Both the names Baptizm and Communion suggest maturation. Is that coincidence or is that something you're interested in exploring?
There's definitely a lineage that they're following. It's pretty exploratory right now; the picture is painting itself as it goes along. I could explain it in a lot of ways but I think that's the best way to look at it.
So, I guess you don't really know what the next step is in this lineage.
That's true. Really, anything could be next.
The "area" that you operate in musically—this nameless, expansive, experimental sort of electronica—no one wants to put a name on it. Do you think that's why it’s so exciting and permissive for artists to do whatever they want?
That could be it. I'm glad you look it at like that, in that way. Because for me, it's just more affirming in a creative way to be going towards a direction that's unknown. It's also enjoyable because I feel like there's a bit of competition as well.
Now, with Communion, people are throwing the word grime around a lot, but I really don't hear that in your music. I hear more industrial than I do grime.
Yeah, kind of. I don't exactly know what that genre means, because my entry point into it is probably different from a purist's. But pulling from those harsher places has been a big influence because there is a lot of music I've listened to in the past that's been an influence. It's really just doing whatever I want. That was a big part of this album, just taking it wherever I wanted to.
You seem very tapped into what's going on in London right now; I guess the internet has pretty much removed any geographical complications.
I stay pretty clued in just because I have relationships with a good number of people who are doing a lot of things. I wouldn't even be able to say either way if it was easier or harder because it's been pretty natural. The relationships I have are from a mutual appreciation for the music. That's pretty much it. It's never really something that I think of. For example, I won't be able to sit down and be like "OK, I'm going to make something that people from London are going to like."
With music this personal, once it's out there and done, how does your relationship with it change? Are there certain songs that you can't listen to anymore?
To that question, no. There's nothing that I'd not want to re-listen to purely because of an experience that it would make me think about. Nothing is that direct. I like your question and the direction that it's going towards, but it's sort of hard to answer because it's something that I can't really step back. So, even for me, it's sort of a struggle to define it because even I don't really know what's going on, y'know? In one song, there may be a more direct reference as far as sound or feeling. So for that, it's a little easier to apply an emotion to it on one song, whereas on some, I don't really know what's going on. So rather than attempt to define it, I'd rather just leave it as is.
Naturally, people are going to connect with this album, not just musically but on a personal or emotional level. Is that something you try to do or are you more interested in articulating how you feel?
The cool thing about a lot of the music is that people approach it and get a wide variety of things from it. For me, I'm viewing the album a bit more like a process. There's one stage to it and then there's a whole other stage that hasn't happened yet, which is everyone actually hearing it. The first part of the process is much more spontaneous, so I definitely just create on that level. I just let the sounds create themselves. I would say that's more like a representation of where I am at that moment. Some things I don't work on for very long. I wouldn't quite call them improvised. You know how some people will just do random things in the studio and then record it? It's not quite that improvised, but it's kind of close to it. The thing I like about that is if something works, I'm not interested in sitting with it and turning it into something else. I'm learning as I grow as an artist. Now, part of the joy of creating is that I get to see how everyone else responds and how they receive the music in their own way.
I read that you're interested in taking club music in any of its forms and re-purposing that into something entirely new and almost opposed to the club. That concept seems to be something a lot of producers are tapping into. Where do you think that comes from?
The club atmosphere and club music is something that's frequently brought up. In regards to my music, it's difficult to say because I like to DJ club music but it's not exactly what I make. So the intersection of that, the interplay, is what you're noticing.
A lot of club music from back in the day would have an unintentional edge of melancholia to it, even just a minor key buried in the melody.
I think it's also the mood of a lot of the club music from America. It's definitely built for the club like Jersey, for example. Whether it's Jersey or B'more, it's made for that one environment. So I feel like what a lot of club producers do, and what a lot of people are noticing, is a feeling or experience coming out in that template.
A lot of people are talking about club music and the bigger EDM sounds and defending them, describing them as gateways to the deeper, more experimental sounds. Is that something you've found?
No!!! [Laughs] It's funny, but now that I think of it, I can't really say that I've seen any kind of activity where people are showing an interest having come directly from there. It's just a whole other thing entirely and it's not about the music. It's just a business.
Maybe I'm just an endless optimist!
'Communion' will be released via Tri Angle Records on Oct. 30. Catch Rabit on his European tour in support of the album:
October 10 – Robot Festival, Bologna
October 17 – Unsound Festival, Krakow
October 23 – OT301, Amsterdam
October 31 – Warehouse Location, Manchester
November 1 – TBC
November 6 – 4K / Musikverein, Nurenberg
November 7 – Club2Club Festival, Turin
