The ultimate purist. An enduring visionary. Ian Pooley shares the next part of his legacy with his fifth album, ‘What I Do’, after a four year hiatus. Ian Pooley is a rarity. Twenty years into his professional career, he is regarded as both a cult underground DJ and established mainstream producer. As one of the only artists that walk the path between the two, his latest work builds on his past and delivers a polished body of work that sounds both classic and fresh.
In the past Pooley has scoured influences from around the globe – Detroit, Chicago, Brazil, playing with funk with an emphasis on the groove. Over the course of fifteen tracks, ‘What I Do’ walks a similarly tactile path, refreshing the listener on Pooley's full-bodied and engaging approach but realigning his signature sound. “The new album is more raw. I produced a lot of the tracks in the old school way, how I used to work in the nineties. All the sounds were created and programmed on analog gear”. Pooley's vast collection of analog equipment and wealth of experience result in a smooth finesse. “I played a lot of the basslines and pads by hand,” explains Pooley, “I recorded a 10 minute take and later would edit out the highlights. On each track I tried to focus on two to three machines.”
This patience is indicative of his deep passion and is also signalled in the four-year break since his last album, the same period that separated his previous two albums. This break in time acts as a space that allows Pooley to absorb and move into his next phase of evolution.