INTRODUCING: TUTANKHAMUN
We sit down with the elusive Tutankamun, the solo project of young British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Olly Toomey. Discussing just how much he does when it comes to creating his music, the tracks so far and what he’s got coming out soon!
Interview by SOPHIE EMMETT
Hi Olly, How are you?
I’m all good - thanks for having me Tirade world !
So I think we have to start with your music name “Tutankhamun” fancy yourself an Egyptian king, how did this name come about?
It came into my head one day during the first lockdown. It was that time in June when it had been around 30 degrees for 8 weeks and the days were just becoming a hot blur. It felt a bit timeless and I guess that's why the name made sense.
You dropped your debut LP last year, 8 tracks of moody funk, what has been the most nerve-racking aspect of having your music out there for the world to hear?
It's not really too nerve racking cos it's nice to have it out in the world finally. I love that people have been digging and getting positive messages from across the globe is a special thing whatever you are doing. It's growing organically and the nearest feel engaged so I'm happy.
“More music. I'm making something quite different next. Less lyrical and less poppy. I want to take myself out of the project and make something more instrumental. I've been inspired by a lot of stuff which builds in historic genres - artists like Saint Germain, Quantic, early bonobo as well as producers like Robert Glasper and Danger Mouse. I like the idea of putting together different elements and motifs without changing the overall 'mood', which I guess is, as you say, kind of moody. This is what kind of inspires me to keep recording music.”
TUTANKHAMUN 2023 PLANS
You can play the piano, guitar, synths, drums, bass percussion and saxophone - am I missing anything? How on earth do you find the time to play all of these, are you a one man band?
Haha well it's good to get in the zone and practice when you can but sometimes it is hard to find the time. I think you both want and need to do it, and you need it when you can get the best stuff done. .
What is your processes when it comes to creating your music, do you start with the lyrics or melodies?
They all mainly start as little drum loops which I record in and layer up. Lyrics are normally right at the end, to fit the feel of the track.This summer I started working on the next LP at NXNE Studios in North London, which was a bit of a step up from the first LP recorded in my attic. They have some amazing equipment in there and I spent literally days micing up the drum kit and running it through different pre-amps. But now, I'm currently working in a pretty minimal space with just an acoustic piano, instruments, amps and a few mics. It's helped me go back to working on composing rather than mixing, which I find way more natural and intuitive. It's more tactile. More in the room, less in the laptop.
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