EXRON EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ATTLAS

February 1, 2020

Today (January 31) marks a monumental career moment for mau5trap mainstay ATTLAS, with the release of his debut album Lavender God. Following the release of two singles ‘Hotel’ and ‘Sinner Complicated’, ATTLAS kicks the year off right with this sensational ten track compilation. Jeff Hartford aka ATTLAS describes Lavender God as “trying to learn who I am and tell my story through music, which has given me so much and has been a home for me: a place to create, a shelter from the storm, and a launch pad into the greatest adventure of my life.” The album is a beautifully crafted piece of art that demonstrates the studio prowess that this Canadian producer possesses.

ATTLAS has become widely recognized across the electronic music community with notable releases on mau5trap and highly coveted Storyline mix series. Lavender God is a sonic masterpiece featuring twinkling synths and stirring riffs. Check out our exclusive interview with ATTLAS below to learn more about his favorite tracks on the album, inspirations, and upcoming plans.

Exron Music: We love your debut album, Lavender God, can you share a little bit about the journey you took to create it?

ATTLAS:Thank you. It was mostly written between November of 2018 and April of 2019. During that time, I was falling in love with my girlfriend, camping and hiking and canoeing through the winter, and training for my first ultramarathon. Behind the scenes though there were other things going on in my personal life that caused me to pause and reflect and reconsider a lot of approaches and issues. Meditation as well had become a big part of my life. The result was a period of pushing myself hard mentally, physically, and emotionally. I don’t know if all these things were a way of answering the big questions, or a way of avoiding them. For the same reasons I wanted the extreme weather, the new physical challenges, and to fall in love deeply were the same existential drives that let me create new geography for myself musically.

Exron Music: Which track(s) off the album do you feel you have the deepest connection with?

ATTLAS: More Than That, I think it’s the piece of music I’m most proud of at the moment. It’s written as a suite of three tracks. Part of releasing it like that is to remind myself of my own authorship, and part of it is just the way I like to listen to music. A lot of my favourite acts have tucked smaller pieces of music within larger ones, and I wanted that challenge. Beyond the more academic justifications of connecting with the work, the outro is particularly resonant with a lot of emotions of past reconciling in present. The third part is titled ‘Forlorn’, and is actually built off a sample of one of my favourite tracks I wrote back in 2014 that just never saw the light of day. It was written when I was writing out of my parents house in my bedroom, and to close the album off with something that ties so specifically to a place where the ATTLAS journey began is sentimental for a real number of reasons.

Exron Music: One of our favorite tracks off the album is the ‘Half Light’, will you tell us a little more about this track and the inspiration behind it?

ATTLAS: In 2015 I wrote a piece of music based around one of my piano melodies called ‘Lake Throw’. For a while I sat on the demo, unable to find the perfect way to finish it. Its tempo and production really demanded a vocal, and it can be very difficult to find the right fit creatively as well as personally. A few years later, I connected with vocalist and musician Alisa Xayalith of the Naked and Famous, and we spent a day at her place in LA going through ideas in the hopes of building something good together. We had something we were getting really excited about, but then on a whim Alisa tried the idea on top of the ‘Lake Throw’ demo, and that sent us off. We changed the key and tempo a bit while we were jamming on the idea the next day at the Spotify Secret Genius studios, and hours later cut all the vocals for the track. Then we worked on it in our own studios in LA and Toronto to get the final product we have today. Lyrically, you’ll have to ask Alisa as it’s her story to tell.

Exron Music: Your highly anticipated Storyline series has garnered a solid amount of support, do you plan to continue to grow the series in 2020?

ATTLAS: For sure. I didn’t realize how meaningful they would grow to be, I began that mix idea a long time ago because my brother was really into them. And now here we are. They definitely take a lot of time to assemble properly, and they can be tricky to figure out where/how to release because they contain so many samples of so many different kinds of media. As a pure creative exercise and emotional outlet though, they’re among the works I’m proudest of. There’s sometimes a bit of a fear of letting down the people that cherish them so much with a sub-par release, so I’m very hard on myself with these projects. But I ain’t afraid of nothing so lets get moving on vol4.

Exron Music: As an artist, releasing a debut album is a pivotal moment in your career, what does this accomplishment mean to you?

ATTLAS: I didn’t think of it like that neccessarily, but it’s definitely been the perspective of those around me (that being a pivotal moment). That being said, it feels like the right time creatively. I think making a record sound workable for labels and for DJs playing out is a lot easier to accomplish than finding a unique voice. That was what I always craved and still aim ambitiously for, creatively. And honestly it’s not just finding that way of telling stories that’s your own, but you had to have good stories to write about. I felt that the things I was writing about and trying to express finally had a point to them, even if the point was just asking more questions.

Exron Music: What is it about the mau5trap label resonates with your brand for ATTLAS?

ATTLAS: They’ve been supportive of my creativity and have given me tremendous opportunities.

half light ? @attlas ft @alisaxayalith from @TNAF • lavender god is out now!! https://t.co/keu9goYdKS pic.twitter.com/2Zp2hYbq4q

— mau5trap (@mau5trap) January 31, 2020

Exron Music: We are looking forward to your set at the Official Cube V3 after party next weekend in Brooklyn. What is something you’re looking forward to with this performance?

ATTLAS: It’s my first time playing that venue, which’ll be awesome. I love these shows where you know everyone on the lineup, it feels like a class reunion – just so fun to hang with these guys that have been on similar but remarkably unique journeys through music over the last little bit too. It’s just honestly a thrill everytime you get to play your favourite tracks out with terrific energy in the room, it’s that je ne sais quoi that keeps us aspiring and driving.

Exron Music: Following the release of the Lavender God album, we are hopeful for some forthcoming tour dates. Are there any updates that you can share with us?

ATTLAS: We are putting together a good run coming up that’ll take me to some of my favourite places to play alongside brand new cities I’ve yet to visit (Salt Lake City and Dallas to name a couple). Alongside the music, the artist I worked with on the videos for Sinner Complicated and Hotel is ambitiously working alongside the new music for a visual show that we’d love to bring to fruition sooner rather than later. I’m really encouraged by the response to the album and the way the live experience can grow to be more immersive and a complete vision.

Exron Music: What is your current vision for the future of ATTLAS?

ATTLAS: “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. (Luke 8:16) I think if this direction works out, it will be a wonderful thing. It means there’s a great space to explore these concepts and ideas musically, and a group of listeners that are willing to do that together. I’m constantly wanting to push myself. I want to achieve on perfect thing, write one perfect articulation of it all. I find it difficult yet rewarding, trying to balance the grand vision with something bookable and sustainable as a source of income. And while I’d like to of course push forward musically, there’s no reason to stop wanting to explore and improve and experiment with that which you love the most (music), but turning ATTLAS as a show and a live event into something that feels like a community of explorers and thinkers and wonderers. I meet the most fascinating people at shows these days, and you wish they could all meet each other as well. We’re all there in that room connecting to a certain kind of perspective creatively, musically, and those kinds of perspectives are worth exploring in a deeper and more meaningful way. And let’s throw the outdoors in there too, fit that in the mix somehow too while we’re at it.