Terminal V Podcast 008 || AVNU

Terminal V might stretch its ever-expanding reach around the world of house and techno but at its very core is a grass roots event that recognises and nurtures home grown talent. One such son of Scotland and very much a product of the rich and varied Scottish club scene is Avnu.
Rising through the techno ranks to become an artist with plenty to say Avnu has a barrage of tracks that Maceo Plex has taken job lot. The taste making mogul has already begun unloading this content starting with the late 2020 funk fuelled ‘Ultraviolet’ EP. However, before we get down to the business of his podcast for us we heard what the Dundee lad had to say on his recent shift in gears…
How has things in the studio been going of late?
Studio time has been pretty crazy lately. I’m pretty much glued to my MacBook. Either at home or in the studio. All good though. I’ve been super productive and heavy inspired.
Can you give us the lowdown on your new album?
The album tracks haven’t actually been confirmed yet, there are a few firm favourites but I’m still writing new stuff. So, who knows. I’m working closely with management and the label to zone in on the list.
Please give us a little insight into the tracks and the process behind writing such a body of work?
I usually start making a track with the chord progression. But it totally depends, my ears might catch a random sample from a film or a YouTube clip and track can evolve from there. But I’m happiest when sitting making chord progressions and melodies. I have so much music so it’s now a case of compiling a whole cohesive piece of work. Melodic with touches of disco seem to be where I’m heading though.
You also have a fair number of edits and bootlegs under your belt, where do you get the inspiration for choosing the tracks to rework?
It usually just comes from just wanting to play music I love but making it fit to my style. There’s no particular train of thought. I’ll just grab what I like and have fun!
Will these ever be available or are they your own personal secret weapons?
They’ll probably be available at some point. A lot of folk have been messaging so I’d like to share them in the near future.
Tell us a little more about your connection with Maceo Plex, how it come about and what can we expect next from it?
So, I was sitting on all this music for more than a year and I’m constantly writing new material, so I was gonna just chuck it all up for free, I sent it to Lord of the isles, who’s a family friend. Neil (loti) has been a big supporter of me through the years in terms of production. He mentioned Maceo would like them and sent them across. He got back in couple of hours saying he wanted to sign everything haha! Like 30 tracks. Glad I held on to them.
You have just launched your own label Death Rattle Records, what prompted the decision and when can we expect to see the first releases?
So, Death Rattle was actually gonna be my platform to release all that music. I wasn’t gonna be signing other music or anything. And it’s taken a back seat for now. But who knows what the future holds.
Aside from your own label what else do you have in the pipeline?
Honestly, right now I’m just focused on the album. That’s number 1 priority. I write lots of different styles. I’d like to start writing for other artists. Would love to write some poppy stuff. But good poppy stuff
Being a Scottish lad what does being involved in Terminal V mean to you?
It’s great. I’ve attended the past few. What the festival are doing, in terms of line up and how they operate. Some of the best line ups I’ve seen in the UK. I’m super stoked to be on board.
Can you talk us through your podcast for us, was it off the cuff or did you really plan it out?
Nah nothing planned really, it was done in ableton though, I don’t have decks haha, just jamming with tracks I love just now tbh. That’s it. But it represents what and how I play.
Tell us more about the track choices as there is a real diverse journey there?
My latest track “Error Trap” featured on the upcoming Ellum audio sampler is featured in the mix. I also included a couple of tracks I’ve been been sitting on the last year or so. “More” and “Untitled”. I’m honestly not sure if these will ever see the light of day, and probably still need a bit of work. They’re pretty far removed from what I’m writing these days but they fitted with the mindset I was in that day, so I chucked them in the pot for good measure. As for the rest, as I said, no real planning, just jamming with tracks I’m really enjoying at the moment. I hate chin strokers. This mix definitely represents how I’d play peak time. Pretty tough and fun. Hope you enjoy 🙂
Interview by Stu Todd