Next up on the Podcast front is Púca. He hails from Ireland and will be making the trip over to Wales in June (that's actually be the first part of the line-up we have revealed!) to deliver so mind mending music. His style cannot be pigeon holed and this mix makes very interesting listening, perfect headphone music when you all you need to do is get away from the mundane normality of everyday life.
Introduce yourself to the Gottwood family…
Hi, my name is Aodhgán O'Flaherty, I go under the alias Púca, I come from the west of Ireland - currently based in Cork city. I am a producer and Dj. I also do sound and video installation/performance work.
What's been keeping you busy lately?
I am trying to get an EP together at the moment, I am also working on some live audio video projects that have been keeping me out of trouble... I have a remix coming out for Danish singer, Vibeke Falden, on her forthcoming record and I work in a pub too so I'm never bored!
Your Gottwood Presents mix is an impressive selection of your own tunes, tell us a bit more about how it evolved?
A lot of the tracks in the mix are recent material, with a couple of slightly older ones thrown in for good measure. Its been a long progression, I started out making dark ambient electronica, then I began doing more ambient soundscapes for video work in college. At this time I also started performing with a drummer as a side project which quickly grew to be more dance floor orientated, which got me into gigging my own material and Dj-ing. Somewhere in the middle the two met, and it just kind of went from there.
Polyester Princess by Púca
When we first heard the mix we noticed so many different genres in your sound - it's a pretty intense, but captivating hour. Obviously your involvement with different scenes, including what seems to be a trip towards IDM has shaped this, but how do you go about getting your ideas down?
I like to build sets that move, and I am inspired by lots of different styles of music. The process is always different but I generally sketch out the bones or vibe of the track then refine and build from there. I send a lot of sounds back out through different processes. I build up layers, then cut back into them, then build, then walk away from it for a few days, then cut into them again and repeat until it starts to feel right. I have started using more PD to generate sounds and rhythms. I have also started recording with a female vocalist which is proving really exciting.
It's great to hear of artists that take their productions out of a computer and don't get stuck in the digital world. With this, and your time spent flirting with other genres in mind, who have been your biggest musical influences?
A lot of my peers probably, most notably my uncle. He used to Dj house, and taught me to mix when I was about 10. When I really started to get into it I discovered people like Trentemøller and James Holden. More recently Olafur Arnalds, Jon Hopkins, Kangding Ray and Alva Noto.
Internal Combustion by Púca
Watching Trentemøller at Glade 07' was a special experience for us…! What's the scene like in Ireland at the moment, its always such an intriguing country but we know so little about it?
It's really amazing for the size of the place, also, in the face of totalitarian licensing laws (we get thrown out on the street at 2am in Cork....) and venues closing left right and centre.. beneath the surface there is a great scene with a real community vibe to it.
There are so many talented people doing very interesting things and everybody drives each other on in a really healthy way. There are loads of great nights in Cork, Electric Underground, Bastardo Electro, Rise up! and Ctrl-Alt-Delete to name but a few. Around the country, the Macronite collective are doing incredible things. Surge and !kaboogie are hard at it, and Belfast seems to be thriving through nights like Dsnt and Shine, and spawning people like Phil Kieran and Space Dimension Controller. There are also lots of great homemade festivals.
It's really vibrant here with a great DIY feel, and its being really helped along by people giving it exposure such as the Skirmish Blog. There is a lot of negative talk in the media and people leaving at the moment, which doesn't help, but there's no denying there's still a great scene here which is something to be proud of all things considered.
What 3 tracks best sum you up at the moment?
Got to love the Sam Cooke tune! What are your tips (artists) for 2012?
There's so many good things going on at the moment, but off the top of my head: Fran Hartnett, Kevin Blake, P-Hocto, Coherx and Robin Renwick.
And the killer question...if you had to be stranded in the woods what 5 items could you not leave home without?
Four pairs of fresh socks and a tin whistle...
Aodhgán, it's been a pleasure speaking to you, we have to admit we still can't quite pronounce your name, but we will have it down by June we promise! Welcome on board.
Gottwood x
Early Bird Weekender - SOLD OUT
1st Tier Weekender - £75
2nd Tier Weekender - £85
TICKETS - http://www.notjustaticket.com/gottwood
Go back