Interview | Jimmy Edgar

The producer, DJ, and photographer tells Leo Maymind about his long history with recording, why he redlines in Ableton Live, and what’s motivated him in the time of Covid

Detroit Native Jimmy Edgar has been a rulebreaker since day one. From starting on a home studio setup first centred around FL Studio and then a plethora of hardware being sequenced by Logic, Edgar has always followed his own ears as opposed to seeking answers from those around him. Choosing to purposely redline his mixes and record with as little volume as possible to maximum noise would be things most producers would avoid. But Edgar has applied both techniques to his rhythmic exercises, and what he’s doing clearly works, as his debut full-length was released by the venerable Warp Records when Edgar was just 18. Since then, his discography has exploded with multi-hued productions in both the club and rap genres and while he has worked solo with a variety of setups, the last few years have seen Edgar work with a number of vocalists as well. Following a move to Berlin that saw the producer dive deep into a modular-based setup, Edgar returned to the states and released an almost never-ending amount of music via his own label and multimedia platform Ultramajic.

His most recent full-length, Cheetah Bend, released in a somewhat piecemeal fashion over the course of early 2021 by LA label Innovative Leisure, finds Edgar in both collaborative and solitary modes. The 14 track full-length features guests like Danny Brown, Matt Ox, Rochelle Jordan, Hudson Mohawke, and SOPHIE but also sees Edgar demonstrating some of the finest songwriting and sound design chops of his career. While Edgar has always dipped his toes in various modes – as can also be evidenced in his time as JETS with collaborator Travis Stewart, aka Machinedrum – Cheetah Bend is his most synthesised effort yet, though not quite in the way you’d expect.

Where previous albums have found Edgar’s programming focused on classic Detroit machines like the Oberheim Matrix 1000 and the Moog Voyager, his new record instead sees Edgar exploring what he described as ‘Slipstick Synthesis’. These types of sounds tend to explore the more angular side of FM synthesis, no doubt partially inspired by SOPHIE’s collaboration.

So let’s start with location – are you currently in LA?

“I’m often in LA but not at the moment! I’m currently working on new productions and building a new studio in Atlanta. But I also have a studio where I am now in Portland. I love the trees here. ”