Music
Introducing: Mount Alaska
The Dublin electronica duo and old musical comrades have big plans for 2018
Taking their cue from the likes of Burial and The Field with a smidge of Boards of Canada in the mix, Mount Alaska formed from the ashes of Dublin band Halfset. Steve Shannon – best known for his production work for some of Ireland's finest artists, as well as his own short-lived solo project Strands, reunited with drummer and record label founder Cillian McDonnell and their latest endeavour is an entirely different proposition to what came before.
We caught up with them ahead of their first Irish gig of 2018 (on March 9th in Dublin's Fumbally Stables) to find out what they've been up to and what they're planning in the future.
You both previously played together in Halfset – was that the first time that you'd met?
SS: We met in 1994, in an indie club called Dazed - it’s where so many people met those days. We both started to get into electro and dance music in a big way, but didn’t start making music together until 2005, when I asked Cillian to play drums with Halfset.
How do you feel about Halfset looking back, now?
SS: Halfset was an unusual project for all involved. Most of the time, it was our differences, rather than what we had in common, that informed the music we made. For me, it was a struggle with many compromises but I was very proud of what we created. When we finally completed [second album] Another Way of Being There, nobody really wanted to continue with that battle. Personally, I wanted to have more control over what I was creating.
Mount Alaska is obviously a pretty big departure from that band - but do you feel there are any similarities that you've maintained throughout both projects?
SS: The music we make now is much closer to the original vision for Halfset. It’s very much electronic music, utilising vintage synthesisers and hardware. We can work independently and meet up to correlate our ideas. Our influences have changed considerably, too. We listen to a lot of contemporary classical music now, as well as a huge amount of old and new electronic artists. We spend a lot of time listening to, and discussing, this music, to reach a consensus on our own musical direction and creative processes.
When did you first come up with the idea for Mount Alaska, and who was the first to broach working together again?
CMcD: We never really stopped working together after Halfset. Other projects - and life - got in the way for a number of years, but we were constantly collaborating, experimenting, talking, and shaping these ideas over a long period of time. It wasn't until 2016 that we were both in the position, and the right headspace, to begin releasing music again and playing live together.
SS: We were quietly doing shows as a duo when we were in Halfset and we formally started this project in 2012. We spent almost five years developing the Mount Alaska sound before sharing any music - but it was easy for us to do that, and quite an enjoyable process. Of all the people I’ve worked with, Cillian and I have the most in common, musically. This makes things a lot easier when you set about creating something: the less barriers there are, the better.
How much does your other work inform what you do in Mount Alaska?
CMcD: Our backgrounds/other work have a huge impact on how we approach Mount Alaska. In Steve's studio (and through his production work), we have the space and ability to write, produce, mix and master all of our music, and with my record label/design experience we have the ability to create all the artwork, videos and promotional assets - along with executing all our own press, marketing and sales campaigns, which gives us complete control. We are as independent and self-sufficient as we want to be, from release to release, which is very liberating and extremely important to us.
How does the writing process work between you both?
SS: We both work on ideas separately and meet regularly to discuss and develop them. We never pursue something that doesn’t really excite the both of us. If we’re working too hard on something, and struggling to make it work, we usually discard it very quickly. If we’re not really enjoying what we're working on, we tend to just move on.
You've released a number of tracks to date - are you working towards an end goal in terms of your sound?
SS: It’s a fun process that's constantly evolving as we work on new material. We’re always listening to new music, as well as referencing electronic music from the past. Having said that, we only finish and release material that really resonates with the both of us, emotionally.
What's the general plan for 2018 – is there an EP on the cards, or maybe an album on the cards?
CMcD: Toiling away on an album for the next two years just doesn't sound like fun at the moment. We have a number of individual tracks to finish and release over the next six months, on Language Recordings, we're pretty hyped about a remix coming out at the end of the month. Then there's an international release of a new EP scheduled for the autumn, and we're really excited about a different kind of release that is pencilled in for the end of 2018, on a London/Berlin label.
You've already supported the likes of Kiasmos, but can we expect to see Mount Alaska on the festival circuit in 2018?
We've just announced our first headliner of 2018 in the Fumbally Stables on March 9. We have some confirmed festival appearances to announce shortly, some offers under consideration, and a few really exciting opportunities that we hope get to over the line shortly.
Finally, what's the best-case scenario for this time 5 years?
While we love the control that comes with doing everything ourselves, it would be nice to hand over a lot of the everyday heavy-lifting (of the business stuff) to someone else, so that we could just concentrate on the music. It's hard to say where we'll be in five years, or where the industry will be, but we'd like to think that by 2023 we will have released an accomplished catalogue of original music and built ourselves up to be a formidable live force - all the while, having a lot of fun together on the journey.
Mount Alaska play their first live show of 2018 in the Fumbally Stables on Friday, March 9th. Doors 8pm / BYOB
Tickets: Online: €12 / On door: €15
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