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Andy's initial interest in music began at the sprightly age
of nine when he joined a marching band, learning intricate rhythm
patterns, which later on would become of the key attributes
of Lamb. After getting interested in music technology and equipment
he was quickly understanding the features of the kit and what
all that it offered. A few years passed and Lamb was formed.
'When we started we had New Order's 4-track and Sub Sub's sampler,
we borrowed a load of gear and wrote a couple of songs and then
we got our own deal'.
His studio has an impressive setup: a G4 and Powerbook providing
the power, and a host of hardware and software providing the
sound. 'I've got a laptop on which I run Cubase
SX and Nuendo.
All the creative stuff will be started in Cubase SX, no matter
what song it is. I'm so happy with it, it's great'.
'Absynth is
fantastic' Barlow proclaims, ' I think the actual sound of Absynth
is the best of any synth I've heard. I like taking a preset,
finding something good about it, and changing it'. He adds,
'Arturia did the Moog
Modular V, it's wicked actually, I used it on a couple of
tracks'. On more traditional instruments, 'The Native Instruments
B4 is really
good, I had a real Hammond which I had to sell to get an engagement
ring!'
'I'd like to have a look at the Arturia CS-80V,
I've got an original Yamaha CS-80 that someone has leant to
me', he says enthusiastically.
Their latest masterpiece is titled 'Between Darkness and Wonder'
which was recorded in a rented farmhouse just North of Bath
where Andy exploited his vast recording and production skills.
The result is an album of ballads, dance tracks, with a touch
of jazziness to confirm that Lamb is still one of the most respected
names in electronica.
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On 'What Sound' we worked with tons of people, on all the
other albums we produced ourselves and recorded in our own space.
We worked with producers and tons of musicians and travelled
all around the world, I love to see how different people work',
says Barlow, who got back in the producer's seat for 'Between
Darkness and Wonder', although he does like to have an engineer
nearby to allow him to focus more on the creative side.
Andy is finishing his album as 'Hipoptimist', his alias that
he started out on as on Skint Records, and he's looking forward
to doing some more film work, animations, finishing the Lamb
DVD that was recently recorded in Portugal and of course touring
and writing more material with Lamb.
Their gig is perfect; Lou's voice sadistically fills the arena,
Andy runs about the stage to play with his next piece of equipment,
and the crowd love it. An impressive kit list, talented songwriter
and producer, Andy Barlow is a name that you'll have heard and
certainly will be hearing for a long time to come.
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