Interviews

London label Not An Animal is run by scene rebels Andy Bainbridge and Chris Stoker who prefer to live in the left lane. For their next release they invite Frequencies of Love for his debut and here we get the chance to know a bit more about (real name) Tom Rankin and his striking first ever EP.

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello everyone, my name is Tom Rankin aka Frequencies of Love. Proud native of my beloved northern England. Believer in freedom from tyranny and rubbish music. Third eye opener and avid encourager of dancing, smiling and human connection.

Can you give us an overview of your Frequencies of Love EP.

This EP is a selection of three original tracks curated between me and the guys at NAA, made over the last 5 years. The styles vary but the theme running through them is colour and soul. I spent 2 years in the Peruvian Amazon when I was around 30 (I'm 37 now) and reprogrammed my whole understanding of music, (and reality to a degree). I stopped listening to music full stop for a little while, then reintroduced gradually by going right back to the origins of what I was into. When I returned to making music, I wanted to make tracks that recaptured the message of hope, love and unity that was very present in the early days of our movement but has been widely lost. This EP is part of the embodiment of that.

Is this really your first ever release?

This is indeed my first release, after making music for around 20 years I decided it was time to stop stockpiling them to play at after parties (which I don't even go to anymore) and release some.

How did you connect with Not an Animal Records and why do you think the label was the right place for your Frequencies of Love EP?

I don't actually remember how I met Chris, but I think I've known him around 10 years, not well - but I always enjoyed my interactions with him. He's also very highly thought of by people I love and respect (both as a man, and an artist). I’ve never met Andy in person, but I again know a lot of people that know him. I’ve always been loosely aware of the label & releases too and I’m a fan of a lot of the artists that have released with them.

I knew it was the right place for the music because they instantly understood the energy and ethos. Despite my own rudimentary mix-downs before they’d be sorted properly, they understood the message and really took the time to listen to through all my tracks on numerous occasions to find the right music for this release. They have a great network of friends and other DJ’s that know and play good music so I was confident the tracks would find their way to the right people, which they have. I also love that they have a relationship with the people that release on their label, and they do it for the passion and love of the subculture and music. They’re top lads and I’m incredibly grateful to them.

Talk to us about track Pegasus.

Pegasus is a fusion of a lot of different styles that I love, the Gregorian chant sample was something I had kicking around for a while and wanted to use but wasn’t sure how it would work but moving more into the realms of disco really frees up the parameters of what you can get away with I find. The big drums have been heavily inspired by my love of Italo disco and that real bass guitar bassline is out of trillion - it’s thick and warm and carries the track well. As my tracks often do, emotive pads and choirs feature heavily. The piano/acid section towards the end is my nod to my love of 90s house then the talking female sample is from an old psyche rock album I used to listen to often and always stayed with me. There’s a 'changing of the times’ energy and an optimism for the bright future ahead of us all that I like to connect people to through my music.

Why did you select Fantastic Man for the remix and what do you think of his version? What do you feel he has done to it?

Fantastic Man was on a shortlist of similar artists but was definitely my number 1 choice. Fortunately, Chris & Andy know him and were with him whilst playing in Croatia so could play the music to him and he obviously chose Pegasus for the remix. I’m really happy with the job he’s done, I’ve never had my music remixed before, so it was a strange experience. I had envisioned he would go down more of a progressive route, although there are definitely elements of that style coming through, he keeps a lot of the organic house elements and a variation on the live bassline which sound great together. It’s a solid remix and brings a new energy to the track whilst still carrying the message of the original. He’s an inspirational artist for me so it’s an honour to have him on my first release.

Who are the artists that have inspire the music that you’re making?

Artists that inspired this record include Andrew Weatherall, the Grid, Bliss Inc, Dj Metatron, LaTour, Dj Normal 4, The Beloved, Pure Science, A Guy Called Gerald, Dream 2 Science & last but not least; Nicky Mann, a very close friend and my favourite DJ - the amount of world class music he has put me onto over the last 15 years has been invaluable to my craft.

What other artists do you follow right now?

At the minute I’m listening almost exclusively 90s jungle, and I have been for some time. I think it’s absolutely genius and so ahead of its time. LTJ Bukem, Artemis, DJ Crystl etc, I’m absolutely addicted. The pads, the energy, the drums, nothing else is really getting a look in right now. But it’s hard to say artists wise in terms of what’s being released now, I go through periods of keeping up with current releases but I’m not into a lot of it - my heart is most definitely with music released in the late 80s to mid-90s. But DJs I follow are Tornado Wallace, Alex Kassian, Massalo, Palms Trax, Running Hot, Intergalactic Gary, Raphael Top Secret, Skatebard, Paramida, RFX & Telephones.

What was the last record you purchased?

The last record that landed on my shelves was Slyve - I’ve only got you to blame, the repress from Sound Metaphors (who are consistently repressing amazing, high quality records by the way) - it was a present from my wife Jessica who shares my of love of all things Italo disco.

Where is the perfect setting for this music?

The perfect setting for this music is either outside at a festival with a great sound system, full of mushrooms and surrounded by friends, or sat on your sofa while the record spins and getting lost in the sonic transmissions of love.

Who is this music for?

This record is for anyone that wants to bring the dancefloor to life with colour, even if that dancefloor just your kitchen. It’s meaningful and will speak to your soul, will open your heart, and help you to connect with joy, euphoria and the higher vibrational energy fields that make you feel good. It’s spread across 90s breaks, house, and disco so it’s not really to be pigeonholed, as music never should be.

Check out the latest release from Frequencies of Love.