Boxcutter is The Host
boxcutter-is-the-host
March 19, 2012
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# Boxcutter is The Host
**Barry Lynn** aka **Boxcutter** is as ebullient about music as it's
possible to be. He's a hard-working musician, with a love of dubstep and
cosmic jazz in equal measure. Over the past decade his releases have
focused on retro house, jazz, dubstep and grime. [**The Host**][1]{:
target="_blank"} is his latest project, with a new direction and a very
psychedelic edge, thanks to Lynn's use of vintage synthesizers. Rachel
Preece caught up with Lynn to chat about The Host.
**You seem to have a real passion for innovation -- last year The
Dissolve channeled a lot of funk and jazz, and now you've reinvented
yourself as The Host. Can you talk us through the sounds on this
album?**
I feel like I was trying to channel a lot of music from different eras
into some sort of coherent and personalized picture. There's some
footwork-inspired beats, totally beatless tracks (which hopefully sound
as necessary as the other stuff), lo-fi jazz funk, delayed guitar,
cassette tape edits...
**Why the new name?**
Without giving it all away, it ties in with some of the ideas and
feelings I'm trying to convey in the music. It sets the theme.
**Who are you enjoying listening to right now?**
Right now it's Terry Riley and Jaco Pastorius.
**You're also an accomplished bassist and guitarist; can you tell us
about your musical background? How did you get into electronic music?**
I've just always been into hunting out oddball sounds of any stripe;
especially if psychedelic drugs have been involved in their creation
(would recommend this to any young person seeking to educate themselves
in good sounds).
I actually started off sounding not dissimilar to The Host LP, but made
without any equipment apart from my guitar and a Spiritualized-inspired
Farfisa organ (purchased for £50 in 1998, and previously owned by David
Holmes, although I've never verified this), and sequenced on a computer
that ground to an inspiration-destroying halt with sickening ease. Track
bounces used to take one hour plus, and real-time playback was an
indulgent dream, so progress was slow. Kids today don't know they're
born.
**You're performing a few gigs in the UK in the coming months; will you
pop over to the continent too?**
I suppose I could, maybe get the Eurostar, and walk around for a bit,
try out my French (which is appalling at this point). But without
someone to book me it'll remain a mostly private affair and beyond the
scope of this interview.
Just kidding, I actually do have a show in Brussels on May 19th I'm
looking forward to.
**Your set was a huge hit at Bloc last year -- will you be playing any
festivals this year?**
The short answer is -- it's not up to me...
Glad you liked the Bloc set, the crowd makes all the difference -- nice
one for being there.
**What's next for Boxcutter / The Host?**
More passive aggressive egotism, failing to be witty or interesting in
interviews, writing music of diminishing quality for an ever-shrinking
audience, pretension, jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. I wouldn't
rule out some of the vintage crap I use to make sounds from breaking on
me either.
The Host is being released on **Planet Mu** on March
20th
[1]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/news/boxcutter-s-hosting-new-album
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title: 'Boxcutter is The Host'
date: 2012-03-19T14:23:10+01:00
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<p> <strong>Barry Lynn</strong> aka <strong>Boxcutter</strong> is as ebullient about music as it’s possible to be. He’s a hard-working musician, with a love of dubstep and cosmic jazz in equal measure. Over the past decade his releases have focused on retro house, jazz, dubstep and grime. <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/news/boxcutter-s-hosting-new-album" target="_blank"><strong>The Host</strong></a> is his latest project, with a new direction and a very psychedelic edge, thanks to Lynn’s use of vintage synthesizers. Rachel Preece caught up with Lynn to chat about The Host. </p><p><strong>You seem to have a real passion for innovation – last year The Dissolve channeled a lot of funk and jazz, and now you’ve reinvented yourself as The Host. Can you talk us through the sounds on this album?</strong><br>
I feel like I was trying to channel a lot of music from different eras into some sort of coherent and personalized picture. There’s some footwork-inspired beats, totally beatless tracks (which hopefully sound as necessary as the other stuff), lo-fi jazz funk, delayed guitar, cassette tape edits…</p><p><strong>Why the new name?</strong><br>
Without giving it all away, it ties in with some of the ideas and feelings I’m trying to convey in the music. It sets the theme.</p><p><strong>Who are you enjoying listening to right now?</strong><br>
Right now it’s Terry Riley and Jaco Pastorius.</p><p><strong>You’re also an accomplished bassist and guitarist; can you tell us about your musical background? How did you get into electronic music?</strong><br>
I’ve just always been into hunting out oddball sounds of any stripe; especially if psychedelic drugs have been involved in their creation (would recommend this to any young person seeking to educate themselves in good sounds). </p><p>I actually started off sounding not dissimilar to The Host LP, but made without any equipment apart from my guitar and a Spiritualized-inspired Farfisa organ (purchased for £50 in 1998, and previously owned by David Holmes, although I’ve never verified this), and sequenced on a computer that ground to an inspiration-destroying halt with sickening ease. Track bounces used to take one hour plus, and real-time playback was an indulgent dream, so progress was slow. Kids today don’t know they’re born.</p><p><strong>You’re performing a few gigs in the UK in the coming months; will you pop over to the continent too?</strong><br>
I suppose I could, maybe get the Eurostar, and walk around for a bit, try out my French (which is appalling at this point). But without someone to book me it’ll remain a mostly private affair and beyond the scope of this interview.</p><p>Just kidding, I actually do have a show in Brussels on May 19th I’m looking forward to.</p><p><strong>Your set was a huge hit at Bloc last year – will you be playing any festivals this year?</strong><br>
The short answer is – it’s not up to me…<br>
Glad you liked the Bloc set, the crowd makes all the difference – nice one for being there.</p><p><strong>What’s next for Boxcutter / The Host?</strong><br>
More passive aggressive egotism, failing to be witty or interesting in interviews, writing music of diminishing quality for an ever-shrinking audience, pretension, jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. I wouldn’t rule out some of the vintage crap I use to make sounds from breaking on me either.</p><p>
<strong>The Host </strong>is being released on <strong>Planet Mu</strong> on March 20th</p>
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# Boxcutter is The Host **Barry Lynn** aka **Boxcutter** is as ebullient about music as it's possible to be. He's a hard-working musician, with a love of dubstep and cosmic jazz in equal measure. Over the past decade his releases have focused on retro house, jazz, dubstep and grime. [**The Host*...
Chunk #2 (Position: 1)
**You're also an accomplished bassist and guitarist; can you tell us about your musical background. How did you get into electronic music?** . I've just always been into hunting out oddball sounds of any stripe; especially if psychedelic drugs have been involved in their creation (would recomm...
Chunk #3 (Position: 2)
But without someone to book me it'll remain a mostly private affair and beyond the scope of this interview. Just kidding, I actually do have a show in Brussels on May 19th I'm looking forward to. **Your set was a huge hit at Bloc last year -- will you be playing any festivals this year?** The ...