Contirbutor
With a career spanning classical performance, music production, DJing and radio presenting, Bill McGruddy has continuously evolved while remaining rooted in a lifelong passion for rhythm and melody. From early success to recent collaborations pushing the boundaries of progressive and melodic dance music, his journey has been anything but conventional. Following the release of his latest single, Rattlesnake, alongside longtime collaborator Xenmaster, we caught up with him to discuss his musical beginnings, creative evolution, the inspiration behind the new track and what lies ahead.
MI4L – You’ve built a career across production, DJing, and radio presenting. Take us back to the beginning, what first sparked your passion for music, and how did you get started?
Bill McGruddy – If I trace the spark all the way back to its origin, my musical journey began from the tender age of 18 months. Of course I couldn’t yet talk, however I could bust some serious moves on the dancefloor, as well as having the uncanny ability to conduct and play drums.
You could say it all started with rhythm, the beat and an insatiable appetite for dancing.
MI4L – Looking back over your journey so far, what have been some of the key milestones or moments that have shaped your career?
Bill McGruddy – As a classical concert pianist age 11, I learnt so much about performance, melody & composition, this essential experience set me on a path to the most understated ambient collaboration of all time with Rich Mowatt as 2nd Element with Underwaterfall.
Described as ahead of its time by Mixmag, it lay on a shelf in the form of a single DAT Master for 2 years before it found a home on the (Red) Euphoria Chilled Album on Telstar, mixed by Solarstone (Rich) which sold over 800,000 copies in the first week of its release.
MI4L – You’ve worn several hats within the music industry. How has your perspective evolved from being primarily a producer to also becoming a DJ and radio presenter?
Bill McGruddy – As a producer/recording artist my output began to feel insular, deeply personal and difficult to gauge any genuine listener reaction. As a DJ/presenter a direct connection with my audience gives me the sense of being part of something much bigger.
MI4L – Has spending more time behind the decks and on the airwaves changed the way you approach music production? If so, how?
Bill McGruddy – Absolutely! Learning to DJ has given fresh insights into workflow, arrangement and dynamics. I often find something that took hours to produce can now be discovered and recorded in minutes as part of a live DJ take.
MI4L – As a DJ, you’re constantly exposed to crowd reactions and emerging sounds. How much does that influence the music you create in the studio?
Bill McGruddy – I find this new type of interaction extremely inspirational, and am able to make quick decisions about sound palette, dynamics and how drum choices will interact with other mixes.
MI4L – Your new single Rattlesnake with Xenmaster has just been released. How did the collaboration come together, and what made Xenmaster the right creative partner for this track?
Bill McGruddy – Xenmaster has been a friend and part of my extended family since the late 90’s. A talented vinyl DJ he was introduced to me by our mutual friend Justin, who as it happens produced & created the video for Rattlesnake, making this the first collaboration between the 3 of us.
Xenmaster was the obvious creative partner for something as ambitious as trying to imitate the sound and movement of the iconic snake using Progressive, melodic, tech/trance as the vehicle, as previous collabs include The Monk and George’s Clock, Xenmaster has always had a taste for the unique & quirky!
MI4L – The track has a hypnotic, tension-building quality that really lives up to its title. What was the creative vision behind Rattlesnake, and how did you translate that concept into the music?
Bill McGruddy – So the objective from the beginning was to create something organic & expressionistic within the confines of such rigid sub genre rules which was achieved by using set pieces as pictures you could use to create a collage. We recorded the Rattle with a hands on approach as a live take changing the rate of the arpeggio with a range starting ¼ notes up to 1/64.
MI4L – Following the success of I Fell In Love With An Alien, did you feel any pressure going into this release, or were you simply focused on creating something fresh and exciting?
Bill McGruddy – In the past whenever I have put myself under pressure the end result has always been impotent. It’s much more about quality over quantity and capturing a moment that makes me feel something or makes me want to move my body. Rattlesnake was just that, two longstanding friends actually 3 as it turns out making music and a creative output for the pure joy of it.
MI4L – Progressive music continues to evolve. Where do you see the genre heading, and how do you see your own sound fitting into that future?
Bill McGruddy – I think potentially progressive music could evolve to the point where it becomes something altogether different , using sub genres that create a more sophisticated, expressive musical journey, although what it really comes down to is Drums bass groove and tempo, afterall the objective is to produce music that has an infectious rhythm that the body finds it irresistible to move to. I love the idea of being able to perform sets live as part of a band as Faithless did and The Prodigy but something current, exciting and vital.
MI4L – With Rattlesnake now out in the world, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming releases, collaborations, DJ shows, or projects fans should be watching out for?
Bill McGruddy – Well yes I am collaborating with some incredible DJs and producers on a track called “Never Alone” with Kosovan born DJ Caboo now based in Germany, Las Vegas based producer/DJ Quantum P & German based Producer/DJ Unitec,. As well as a Release with Desyfer scheduled in November and a further track with him and the first lady of trance herself Jan Johnson. Other projects include plans with Greek producer/DJ Codeus and a further collab with Quantum P & Thailand based producer/DJ Gelima.
As part of my Rattlesnake world tour the dates i’m most excited about so far is an open air 2 hour Progressive & Melodic set in Lindos, Rhodes 26th June (venue to be announced) and a full on 1 hour Trance set on 5th Sept at Koko, London.
Buy/Stream Rattlesnake here – https://magikmuzik.lnk.to/Rattlesnake