Photo Credit: Annie Tobin
We sit down with the talented artist edbl to discuss his latest project, ‘2010 Mixtape’. Reflecting on a year that marked a significant turning point in his musical journey, edbl shares how 2010, the year he began his studies at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), shaped his artistic identity. Transitioning from his indie roots to a diverse blend of hip-hop, soul, and R&B, edbl’s ‘2010 Mixtape’ pays tribute to this transformative period. We explore the inspirations behind the album’s title, his collaborative process with a wide range of artists, and the unique production techniques that define his sound. ‘2010 Mixtape’ features 12 collabs with some of the UK’s finest rappers — Kofi Stone, Guvna B, Jayahadadream, IYAMAH, Jelani Blackman and many more join master beatmaker edbl on sublime project.
Can you share more about the inspiration behind the title ‘2010 Mixtape’ and how that year shaped your musical journey?
Gladly! So 2010 was a huge year in my life as an artist as it is when I left home to start studying music at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts / LIPA. Prior to going to university I was very much an ‘indie kid’ and was just super into bands like Foals and Bombay Bicycle Club (who I still love!).
My favourite thing about going to music university was meeting people who were just as into music as me but had completely different backgrounds/tastes. So all of a sudden I was exposed to, and fell in love with, hip-hop, soul and r&b. Before long those influences started to inform the music I created, so when I decided to make a straight hip-hop album it seemed right to name it after such a hugely influential year in my life.
You’ve collaborated with a wide range of artists on this album. How do you choose your collaborators, and what was the collaboration process like for ‘2010 Mixtape’?
It varies from project to project and track to track. Collaboration is so integral to everything I do as an artist but I don’t have a set way of choosing — it’s a mixture of me hitting up artists wanting to work with them and the other way round, often just through Spotify or Instagram.
2010 was an interesting process — with it being more rap-focused I put together a playlist of my best beats and sent that out to rappers, some of the artists I worked with on the release I’ve never met they just sent back bars! It was a mixture though as I did have a few sessions from the home studio with rappers also, which is my preferred way to work usually. Most of the features are new collaborators which always excites me.
Your music often features a blend of jazz, soul, RnB, and Hip-Hop. How do you go about merging these genres in your production process?
I guess I don’t really think about it too much and just do whatever comes naturally — drums wise I love hiphop beats, slapping snares and generally Dilla style sounds so always gravitate towards that for beats, similarly with guitar I love ‘jazzy’ chords like minor 9s and augmented so will always lean that way in terms of the chords & harmony whether that be on keys or guitar.
Tracks like ‘Since When’ and ‘Too Much Shit To Do (Outro)’ have distinct vibes and intricate production. Can you walk us through the creation of one of these tracks?
Since When was one of my favourite beats and I had tried some stuff with one or two artists that never quite hit until Jelani jumped on it — what he had done was speed the beat up by quite a bit and put down a verse and I loved both sonically so spent a bit of time reworking the beat so it worked at the new tempo. During our session he put down a bunch of ideas to a few different beats but I knew straight away ‘since when’ was the one. I always love working with brass so the fact Jelani plays sax and put down a sweet line for the hook straight away was dope. He suggested doing the song as a duo which I was up for, and he’s a very well connected guy so he reached out to the amazing IYAMAH to lay some stuff down on the track too. I love the contrast of the tone and vibe of their parts in this tune — though we were never all in the room together and I’ve actually never met IYAMAH!
You’ve mentioned that 2010 was a pivotal year for you because of your exposure to jazz, soul, RnB, and Hip-Hop. Are there any specific artists or albums from that time that particularly influenced you?
Definitely good kid mad city, I love the music and production of that album so much (as well as the bars of course!) and also just discovering artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo all at the same time was fairly mind blowing. Hip hop wise I would trade hard drives with an American who lived in my halls and she sorted me out with artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr and Jurassic 5.
Your ‘edbl & friends’ series was well-received for its collaborative spirit. How does ‘2010 Mixtape’ continue or differ from the collaborative approach of your previous projects?
The EP series was really fun as I very much enjoyed working with one artist on a collection of tracks. 2010 is in the same vein as my previous mixtapes Boys & Girls and Brockwell in that it is a collection of tracks featuring an array of incredible UK talent — I’ve enjoyed working on a full length project again.
You’ve performed at some iconic venues recently, including the Jazz Café and the Blue Note Tokyo. How do live performances influence your music-making process, if at all?
I wouldn’t say they necessarily influence the music making process but at the same time performing live, from a young age, was what got me hooked on music and what made me feel like ‘yeah, I wanna do this for a job.’ Performing live for me is so beneficial because it enforces that connection with fans and seeing people sing along to your songs is a feeling you can’t replicate. It can be really invigorating and inspiring to do live shows — for me it’s like a reminder as to why you do music, seeing the joy on people’s faces.
The album features a wide array of instruments and sounds. Do you have a favorite instrument or a particular sound that you feel defines your style?
Instrument wise it has to be guitar for me, as much as I love making beats and playing keys, I’ve played guitar since the age of 7 so it almost feels like an extension of me. Sound wise I’m not sure about one in particular but I have had people say to me ‘that sounds like an edbl track’ when they’ve heard my stuff which I love!
With over 70 million streams and support from major radio stations and magazines, how do you stay grounded and maintain your creative authenticity?
Routine is massive for me in terms of staying grounded, I have a wife who works 9–6 so and I find getting up with her and finishing when she gets home, plus keeping weekends free, really beneficial to just maintaining a normal life and staying inspired.
I started out in the music industry as a session guitarist, amongst a load of other jobs, so going from that to being an artist and having total control of your timetable and schedule I am still really appreciative of.
What’s next for you after the release of ‘2010 Mixtape’? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you can share with us?
I’ve done so many sessions over the last few years and so am sat on a bunch of great demos so I think it’ll just be a case of getting them into shape and seeing how things look! Nothing nailed on yet collaborations-wise, but some of the artists I have worked with recently were definitely on my bucket list..so let’s see!
‘2010 Mixtape’ is out now. Stream HERE
Photo Credits:
Photographer: @annietobinphoto
Stylist: @peter.sj.watts
Styling assistant: @jamiebaptiste
Studio: @blackgoldsunstudios
Rishma