England’s industrial north has long been an inspiration for artists, musicians and musos. To Yarni, it’s just home. With a background in live music, in 2014 Yarni turned his attention to melodic electronica. Influenced by the music and energy of his Sheffield hometown, he has been crafting quietly impressive soundscapes ever since.
Following releases on Redlight, Audaz and Dazed & Confused Records, in 2017 Yarni unveiled his debut album ‘Entkommen‘. This experimental and emotional long-player has caught the attention of BBC 6 Music’s Nemone (“absolutely sublime”) and DJ Harvey (“this album is amazing!”). ‘Entkommen‘ was featured on the influential Ibiza Sonica at the radio station’s own request, and since then Yarni has taken to the airwaves himself with his own weekly show and features on the likes of Pioneer Radio.
Forthcoming projects include an immersive live show and a collaborative project ‘Yarni & Javi‘ which is backed by Exploited Records.
We caught up with Yarni to get some additional private information about the artist:
Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
I am feeling inspired after returning from two weeks in Japan. I’m currently in my local coffee shop Bragazzi catching up with music-related emails.
To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?
Field recordings, acoustic instrumentation with an electronic backbone.
What are the 5 albums and artists that have influenced you the most?
The Stone Roses-The Stone Roses, Robag Wruhme-Thora Vukk, The Streets-Original Pirate Material, The Beatles-Revolver & The Chemical Brother-Surrender.
What other artists do you really like at the moment and why?
If I’m honest I don’t pay much attention to current music as I find it inadvertently influences my music. Having said that I have been working with Oriel Poole, Quatri & Alexandra Pride who are all talented in very different ways!
What are some of the key pieces of gear you use to write your tracks in the studio? Or do you prefer to use software and plugins?
Every melody within my music starts off with my old acoustic guitar and from then it’s a case of converting to midi and running through my hardware synths. My go-to workhorse synth is the Nord Lead 2x!
Has your arsenal of equipment changed much since you first started?
Having started off in the box like most I built up the core knowledge & then the gear addiction started! The core of my studio is built around a Roland Juno 6, Nord Lead 2x, Arturia Minibrute, Yamaha TX81Z & a Roland JP-08. So yeah it’s growing but I feel each piece gives me different options.
Do you enjoy playing to an audience or working in the studio?
Having played in a band for a few years I definitely prefer performing to a live audience. I am currently building a live set which incorporates live instrumentation, looping and hardware synths.
If we gave you the budget to put a line-up together for a mini-fest, who would you book and where would you play?
The lineup would have to be Stimming, Robag Wruhme, Roman Flugel, David August and a little warmup for myself! As I’m a brutalist architecture lover it’d have to be set within the grounds of the Barbican Centre in London!
If you weren’t a musician what would you be?
I have a real interest in fashion & textiles specifically from Japan. Their use of traditional dyeing techniques I find intriguing and it’s something I will almost certainly get involved with at some point.
Do you have any information regarding upcoming releases, projects, DJ mixes or collaborations in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
I just launched a new collaborative project called Yarni & Javi with our debut release coming on the mighty Exploited Records. I also have forthcoming releases with my good friends NWS(Nie Wieder Schlafen) and another collaborative EP with Scholz on Filburts O*rs label! It’s a very busy & exciting time ahead!
Follow Yarni
Soundcloud – Website – Instagram – Twitter
