With his sixth studio album and headline Barbican show, the producer continues to be one of UK electronic music’s most intriguing presences. He talks legacy, collaborators, and spooky stories.

There aren’t many UK producers whose legacy can match that of Daniel Avery. For over a decade, the 39-year-old has innovated, explored and inspired, setting the pace in terms of creativity and consistency through the wider electronic sphere. He’s worked with a pantheon of the genre’s best, has several seminal bodies of work (2013’s debut Drone Logic and 2022’s Ultra Truth being standouts now cemented in the UK electronic canon), and continues to push production and thematic boundaries every time he returns to the fray.

On 31st October, Avery shared his sixth studio album, Tremor. The record is perhaps the most sonically wide-reaching and conceptually ambitious of his career to date, combining elements of prog and industrial rock with indie pop goodness and glistening ambience, whilst remaining rooted in his distinct production identity.

Renowned for his collective spirit, for the new album, Avery has enlisted a who’s who of musical progressives. There’s Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell on the suitably named “Haze”, a haunting, heavy cut that bleeds straight into a masterclass of disorientation “, A Silent Shadow”, featuring the excellent bdrmm. Elsewhere, there’s SOPHIE collaborator Cecile Believe on “Rapture In Blue”, new wave favourite yuné pinku on “New Life”, and pop disruptor yeule on “Disturb Me”.

It’s a striking, unique, and enveloping listen, full of movement and intricacy, the work of an auteur at the top of his game, pushing himself ever further to burgeoning sonic transcendence. To commemorate the album and to look ahead to his forthcoming headline show at London’s cultural epicentre, The Barbican, Avery opens up to Man About Town, reflecting on his decorated career and breaking down the making and meaning of Tremor.

How do you reflect on your artistic tenure? What has been the standout moments? 

I feel proud of every moment, in particular, all of my albums. If I had to choose just one aspect of what I do, it would be to continue to release records. Objects that can be passed between people and that will outlive me. Supporting Nine Inch Nails on tour comes a very close second, though.

Electronic music is thriving in the UK at the moment. Are there any artists you are particularly championing? Why?

There’s so much great new stuff around right now. Some recent favourites include Ruthlss, RIP Magic, Dek, IMOGEN… all artists with a unique and interesting voice.

Congratulations on your new album! How are you feeling about the release?

Thank you. I’m incredibly proud of this record. It’s been a long time in the making. I’m most pleased with how it sounds like a new version of an Avery record.

What’s the meaning behind the title, Tremor? 

From its earliest inception, this album has been called Tremor. I love how, for a small word, it has many powerful meanings. The vibration of distortion; the noise of sound.

This is your sixth studio album. From your perspective, how has the to-and-fro of releasing an album changed during your career? In what ways have you had to adapt? 

One world informs the other for me. There’s no way I could survive creatively if all I did was tour. I’d go as far as to say that a touring act that doesn’t make records is only fulfilling half of its potential.

You signed to Domino to release this record – what drew you to the label? How does their industry outlook mirror your own?

Domino are a great example of an independent label who do things with the might and passion of something far bigger. They only sign great music and don’t worry themselves with trends, to put it simply. They are everything a label should be.

The sonic palette of the new album is largely unrecognisable from your previous work – what sparked the change? How would you define the LP’s essence?

I would respectfully disagree. This still very much feels like an Avery record to me, but with certain elements pushed to the fore. This record is about finding stillness in the distortion, hope within the noise.

What has been the process of making this project? What was the nucleus, and how has it grown into this sprawling, refined and ambient masterpiece?

I’ve always loved collaborating and, after making the track “Haze”, I knew I wanted to push things in this direction. It’s difficult to describe, but everything felt right. The album feels like every influence I’ve absorbed throughout my musical life.

The feature list for the album is packed with brilliant collaborators – from yuné pinku to New Dad and yeule. Was there an artist in particular, or someone you’ve worked with previously, who stood out as the most impressive in their creativity and how they carry themselves? 

I have been beyond inspired and awed by every contributor to this record. My favourite thing about collaborating is the idea of two parties coming together and creating something neither of them would make on their own. There’s nothing more exciting to me than that. I was confident everyone here would deliver, but I’m most struck by the lyrics, in which I had no say, as I wanted everyone to leave their true voice.

You’re playing at the Barbican on 8 November. Why was that the right venue to break down this record in a live format? What’s your relationship with the space?

DJing remains an integral part of what I do, but with these live shows, it was imperative that they felt different to a club. These shows take the energy of the rock gigs I fell for in my teens. There’s a techno heartbeat, for sure, but these shows are intense and beautiful in equal measure. That description could equally refer to the Barbican.

With Tremor releasing on Halloween, what’s your favourite spooky story? 

There once was a nation who thought all their problems could be solved by a man named Nigel…