By Jason Barnard
I spoke to Stephen Emmer over two years ago about his critically acclaimed album, Home Ground. This LP combined classic soul with a contemporary edge and six of its tracks have now been reworked by Wilroy. It was great to speak to Wilroy to find out more about this new EP.
Why did you decide to remix Home Ground for the remix EP?
I was initially interested because of the breadth of talent among the featured vocalists. I was already an admirer of Kendra Foster, Frank McComb and obviously Chaka Khan. I was also drawn to Stephen’s elaborate arrangements and gorgeous instrumentation. The album certainly has a retro quality to it, and it was Stephen’s intention to bring the sound into today. When he asked me to remix he wanted to see how much further we could push the production into the future.
What tracks are your highlights?
I would say that Close To Life is the centrepiece, as the lyrics are the most central to the concept of Home Ground. With my remix I wanted to heighten the expression and duality of the social issues that are explored, the juxtaposition of despair and hope. Under Your Spell is another highlight and possibly the most radical transformation of any of the 6 songs.
What was the production process for the remixes? What did you want to keep from the material and what did you want to change or bring out?
I wanted to preserve the narrative of the vocal performances as well as use as much of the strings as I could. Salvaging the strings was a challenge because for the most part the chord progressions are quite different from the original. The rhythm tracks were mostly reinvented as well, I wanted to give the low end more power.
Where are you from and what are your musical influences?
I’m from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada originally and been living in Liverpool for the last 8 years. My earliest musical influences were jazz and guitar-based music like rock and blues music. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-teens that I properly got into r&b/soul and hip hop. My top 5 musical influences are D’Angelo, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Frank Ocean and John Mayer.
How did you get into music production?
When I was studying guitar I took a songwriting course and through that I discovered a love for production and recording. In the beginning I was transcribing and recreating Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder songs. My background in learning music theory helped me understand chords and the relationship between them.
What are your career highlights and why?
The release of my first EP Too Dark To See The Green, as it was the first body of work I’d ever released as an artist. Also the recent Future Bubblers compilation that I have a track on, first time I’ve had something of mine on vinyl. The Home Ground remixes is another highlight too, it’s amazing to have had the chance to put my name alongside some of the best soul artists of all time.
Do you think you’ll work with Stephen again?
I think we’ll work together again. His output has been so varied, hopping from one genre to the next, I’m excited to see what the next project becomes.
What are your plans for the next year?
My 2nd EP will be coming out, hopefully before summer.
Home Ground – The Wilroy Remixes is out now on Electric Fairytale Recordings.
