Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with Draiocht313

Draiocht313 - Waterbaby

"Waterbaby" was captured using the improvisational philosophy of the 1959 Kind of Blue sessions. Just as Miles Davis brought sketches—not finished charts—to his band to capture the "first thought, best thought" energy, this session relied on live, first-take captures of analog synthesizers and live bass. This preserves the "breathing" tempo and human imperfections that define both classic jazz and the gritty, sampled feel of early 90s trip-hop.

Interview with Draiocht313

What do you think is driving the renewed fascination with trip hop and the Bristol sound among Gen Y and Gen Alpha listeners?

2025 felt like a return to the shadows. While Portishead and Massive Attack have always been benchmarks, the resurgence of that era’s grit is resonating in a profound way. Trip-hop is built on friction and texture. Gen Y and Alpha are craving that tactile weight—the hiss, the heavy air, because it brings a breath and pulse that is harder to find.”

How does Draiocht313 intentionally bridge 90s trip hop nostalgia with the sophistication of 1950s jazz fusion?

It was never an intentional decision to bring those styles together; it was an organic collision of the varied musical obsessions I’ve had in my life. I was in the studio tracking Grant Green’s 'Idle Moments'—a cornerstone of the Blue Note catalog—but my bebop solos felt like a costume I was wearing. I reached for a vintage fuzz pedal (the same one I used when I was in a Shoegaze band in High-School). And threw down a very simple, noisy solo. It was an 'aha' moment. It wasn't traditional jazz, but it was authentically me. That’s the moment 'Garage Jazz' identity was born—embracing instead of polishing it away.” One I started down that road, that moment has influenced every thing I’ve done.

(•)> Why did the improvisational approach of the Kind of Blue sessions feel like the right framework for this project?

That album has been an obsession of mine since I got my first copy in high school. I can’t even count how many times I’ve listened to it. (and still regularly do). I’ve read every book, and watched every documentary I could find on the album and it’s recording process.

What fascinates me isn’t just the notes; it’s the trust. Miles created a space where instinct took over. For 'Garage Jazz,' I wanted that same tension—the feeling of a musicians in a room, creating in real-time. It’s about capturing a mood that can’t be rehearsed.

I would never be so naive as to say I captured what they did on those 2 days in the studio, but that approach shaped how I structure everything.

(•)> What does capturing first take performances bring out that gridlocked modern production often loses?

“Modern production is often about perfection through subtraction—editing out the 'errors.' But I believe you edit out the soul in the process. On 'Waterbaby,' there’s a synth chord that hits 'wrong' right at the emotional peak of the song. We could have fixed it in seconds, but we kept it. It’s an honest snapshot. Like Miles said, it’s the note you play after a wrong note that makes it right. That’s the emotional connection I’m chasing.

(•)> How do analog synths and live bass help preserve the breathing tempo and human imperfections you were aiming for?

I love how you phrased it as “breathing tempo”. The drums in our music lay down a groove, but the bass and the synths add a pulse that brings the groove to life. While the guitar and trumpet take the lead, they’re actually following the 'breath' of the low end. It turns the track into a living, moving thing rather than a sequence of programmed events.” if you listen they pull all their cues from the breath that the synths and bass bring…

(•)> What does the phrase “Imperfect by Design” mean to you in the context of today’s hyper-polished music landscape?

“It’s a rebellion against the ‘Uncanny Valley’ of modern music. If everything is perfectly on the grid and pitch-corrected, it stops breathing. ‘Imperfect by Design’ means choosing the soul of a performance over the safety of an edit. It’s the smoke in the jazz club, the wobble on the tape. It’s what makes the music feel sexy and urban rather than clinical.”

(•)> Why was it important for you to release this project as physical formats like cassette, CD, and vinyl?

(•)> What does tactile ownership represent to you in an era dominated by streaming?

It’s a commitment. When you put on a vinyl or a cassette, you’re entering a world for 40 minutes. You can’t just swipe it away. In an era of infinite, disposable streams,

If one day Spotify or YouTube ceased to exist, streaming only music would be gone forever. An entire catalog would be wiped. While that is unlikely to happen, when you hold a physical copy of a music, it’s yours forever.

(•)> How do you see this release functioning as a bridge between underground 1990s culture and contemporary listeners?

“I want to reintroduce a specific kind of sonic grit that’s gone missing. In the 50s, it was the warmth of a tube preamp; in the 90s, it was the crackle of a sampled vinyl. Both eras shared a love for atmosphere. By using the wobble of a Rhodes or the tremolo of a vintage amp, I’m building a bridge for contemporary listeners to experience that same 'urban mystery.' It’s a nostalgic palette used to paint a modern picture—familiar, but not dated.”

(•)> In what ways does your cinephile mindset shape the way you compose and arrange soundscapes?

I’m endlessly fascinated by film, All my songs start as a scene in my head. It’s a mini movie with a setting, characters, and emotions. and I create the entire structure in my head before I ever pick up an instrument. Everything you hear is the soundtrack to a movie that nobody has ever seen, but I remember each of them vividly.

(•)> How do you envision this music being used in film or visual storytelling environments?

Honestly, I’ve always felt like I speak the same language as directors. I have several friends in film, and I’m just constantly blown away by how they can pull a mood out of thin air just by how they light a room. It’s the same way I approach music.

Because my songs are more about non-linear movements—they tend to just fit behind a camera. They don't fight the dialogue; they just add to the humidity of the scene. I’m actually working on some projects right now where I’m scoring directly to their visuals, and it’s been incredible. It’s that shared passion for creating an atmosphere that people can actually feel."

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Draiocht313 on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist