Having realigned themselves with a flourishing roster of fresh talent over the last couple of years, R & S Records have recently revived ambient subsidiary label Apollo Records with similar success. A quickfire series of EPs from the likes of Synkro, Jack Dixon and Submerse over the last six months have explored a re-invigorated output championing a raft of new talent, and their latest offering from Kasket is perhaps the best thing they have released yet.

Kasket is the musical alias of 22-year old Brighton based producer, instrumentalist and vocalist Charlie Baldwin. Channeling his sprawling musical background into intricate lifeforms, Baldwin’s dense productions are both engaging and evocative, revelling in the complex arrangements without ever becoming a victim to their own abstraction. Absorbing found sound, live instrumentation and Baldwin’s own heavily processed vocals into the electronic backbone, there is a distinct sense of human fragility that burns through his indefinable songwriting. This week he officially joins the Apollo Records stable with the three-track ‘August Fades’ EP, a promising precursor to the album that he is currently working on for the label.

Pivoting around the crumbling percussion and eastern melodic lilt at its core, ‘Fallen’ ebbs and flows with beautiful synth washes and the twisting tones of his vocodered vocals. Repeatedly switching gears and warping the source material into new shapes, the track envelopes you and keeps you in its grasp for the full five minutes of its duration. ‘Mia’ on the other hand explores the kind of joyously naive, lush electronica that characterized Bath’s standout ‘Cerulean’ LP, sweeping through intricate edits and weightless melodies with a brilliant lightness of touch. Title track ‘August Fades’ attacks more directly on a bandy-legged march, offsetting the digital bounce with rich strings and freewheeling melodies.

With the ‘August Fades’ EP out this week, I chased up Baldwin to get an insight into his influences, unusual arrangements and his forthcoming debut album. Read the full interview below…

First up, for those that might not already be aware can you please briefly introduce yourself…

My name is Charlie Baldwin “Kasket” I’m a 22 year old producer from the south of the U.K.

Your use of instrumentation and arrangements are quite unusual and indicative of influences outside of electronic music. What music did you grow up on? and how do you feel that feeds into your productions?

I grew up on a lot of different types of music. My father is a session guitarist and film composer, so as a kid I was always around a lot of different sounds. Everything from Classical to Jazz to Rock, so I like to think I put bits of that into what I make. Also I used to listen to a lot of artists like Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa so I have never been one for simple arrangements.

Leading on from that, at what point did you first come in to contact with electronic music and move in that direction?

I remember borrowing a Prodigy album “Experience” from my brother, and I was hooked on it. I loved all the sampling and the wild vibe, it was so raw and groovy. I then went on to hearing people like Boards Of Canada, Aphex Twin, Steve Reich and even Bjork. I loved all the sounds they created and I just wanted to do the same.

How did you first get into production and what impelled you to do so?

I played drums for many years, which I still do, but I just started to love doing more sound design, cutting up tunes making them new, constantly tweaking things and getting new sounds. It was a new area with no rules for me, so I could go mad and just enjoy it! I kinda knew I was at home with this, so I kept on doing it.

It is immediately evident from your tracks that not everything is done in the box with lots of live percussion, organic timbres and found sounds. Do you think that a live/human element is important to electronic music?

Not for all, but for me I think its important. As a drummer I think about the percussion a lot more, and would rather play them in and have that live feel, rather than making it quantised and robotic, however it does work for a lot of other music though. Finding sounds and using them in tracks is something I do a lot of, it’s amazing what you can find out there, and I believe it brings a more organic feel to the music.

Working in this way, straddling live and electronic, and with your productions being very dense, layered and intricate, how do you begin to put them together? How do you start sculpting them in to fully formed tracks?

It’s kinda funny, I never have a formula for these things, I sometimes just start messing on the guitar or on my keyboard, or sometimes just record a vocal line and go on from there. Other times I just start with a groove that I can nod to for an hour without getting bored of it. I have to admit when I start a track it doesn’t sound anything like it did at the beginning once I have finished with it. I’m my own worst enemy with my music, I’m always trying to improve my craft, its a good thing in a way, but can cause sleepless nights!

I find it interesting that you use your own voice almost as if you were sampling at points. Why do you play with the vocals in this way?

Well I sing a lot, which I’m doing a lot more at the moment in my music. As much as I love going though acapellas and looking for the right thing I just prefer doing it myself and messing around with it to make it something strange. Once I have a word or a melody in my head I have to put it down.

You are set to release the ‘August Fades’ EP on Apollo imminently. How did you come to hook up with them and how has it been working together?

Well it kinda happened on the net, a good friend Stijn who runs a label called “Diamind” (who I had an EP out with) introduced me to Renaat and kept sending him music. I then met Mixmaster Morris a few times and it kinda went from there, it’s great to work with them both. Being on Apollo is a real push for me, it makes me work harder on my music, which I enjoy. I like being busy!

With the EP, did you set out to write it as such? That is to say, did you set out with any overarching concept for a collection of tracks, sonically or thematically?

I guess I always had a theme for this EP, but more in the way that it’s the new sound for me. It’s not just for the dance floor its more song based tunes. I kinda wanted to give myself a challenge I guess. Thus why I went all out and added more vocals and live elements to it, I wanted to be an EP that I’m proud of, which I am.

I read that you are currently working on an album for Apollo, is that right? If so how is that coming along? Do you think that it will be a logical progression from the ‘August Fades’ EP?

I am working on my album at the moment! No titles as of yet to give out but I’m really happy with the sound so far, but still a lot of work to be done. I feel it’s going to be a lot of different elements but i’m enjoying working on it, but still a long way to go before its complete!

What else have you got in the pipeline for the coming months?

A few remixes will be out, work on my new EP and some gigs. I’m also currently working on a sample pack.

How does your live show work? Do you feel that it is a better medium for articulating yourself as an artist than DJing?

I think the live set is something I want to do more of, I love DJing but with this set I can really get involved with the tunes, making layers of sounds, dropping the atmosphere and having the freedom to make it as mad and varied as I want. I guess its good as I’m making more song based music these days. I hope to one day get a band together, but at the moment i’m just using a lot of hand made percussion, and my laptop with lots of midi controllers and fx pedals. But like I said I like being busy, it keeps me on my toes.

-KASKET ‘AUGUST FADES’ EP IS OUT NOW ON APOLLO RECORDS