XO is the latest in the crop of young producers that make you feel guilty because, to put it bluntly, he’s already achieved more than you ever will. The nineteen-year-old producer burst onto the scene last year, after he dropped a couple of intriguing reworks, but it’s not taken him long to craft his own sonic space.
The producer is just about to embark on his first official release, which he has spent a while honing to fit his eclectic mix of pop, house and R&B influences. With his debut EP set for release on the 1st December, we thought it would be good to catch up the producer to talk about the release, the journey so far and whether things have changed… — Patrick Mills
XO: Hey Sunil – hope this finds you in a good place! What’s going on?
Prime Planet: Hey! Not a lot to be quite honest. Just got up and out of bed, it’s 2pm… terrible I know.
XO: Tell us about the journey you’ve been on so far – where did it all start and how have you got to this point?
PP: It’s been quite an unexpected journey, I only started making music as a hobby in high school, and a few years down the line it’s almost a job I guess. I started to make full tracks at around 16 but didn’t come out as XO until I was fully confident in my ability as a producer. But yeah, after a year or so of hard work and developing my sound, I think I’m ready to show everyone what I’m truly about!
XO: You’ve been involved with the whole BBC introducing scheme – how’s that helped you to ‘break through’?
PP: Massively. BBC Introducing have been so supportive over the past couple of years and have really helped me to achieve things I didn’t think were possible at one point. It’s crazy to think that I’ve played the BBC Introducing stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Glasgow and even had my own 2 hour slot on the R1 Dance Channel this year, all as a result of simply uploading my music to the website.
XO: What about the creative process – how do you go about making new music?
PP: I think it’s important to just go with the flow when you’re in the process of building a track, it doesn’t really have a set formula. These days, I’ll often find myself recording little ideas using my phone on the go, that way I can come back to them and develop them from there. Sometimes, I’ll write to a track as I’m producing it or there’s times where I’ll completely finish it, then begin to work on the songwriting – it all depends really.
XO: You do a lot of work with RobLaw – does it just work between you two?
PP: Yeah we definitely have a wicked connection, it’s pretty strange though as we’ve never met. Obviously with him being from Georgia, USA and me, Staffordshire in the UK, there was always gonna be a bit of a problem! But honestly, it is like we’re in the studio together at times, even over Facebook or whatever – I know him as a vocalist and he knows me as a producer, so we do come out with some really cool stuff being on the same wavelength.
XO: Up to now we’ve just heard a few tracks and mixes – are you looking forward to getting out a proper release?
PP: I am indeed! The EP itself is a body of work which I’m really proud of, every track’s different but there’s still that element of cohesion throughout. In terms of sound and musical direction, I feel like it’s a stepping stone between now and what’s to come in the not too distant future.
XO: How long have you spent working on it?
PP: I got most of the tracks finished within a few months, but spent stupid amounts of time tweaking tiny little things in each song which probably weren’t even noticeable! But that’s just me, I won’t release something unless I’m 100% happy with it, hopefully it’ll all be worth it in the end.
XO: What about the label you’re releasing it through – it all seems pretty on the low?
PP: It’s called He Loves You Not Recordings and it’s a brand new label based in the UK. Yeah, I mean I’m all about doing things a little bit differently and I think exclusivity as an artist, label or whatever it may be, is really important. The EP’s out on 1st December, so it’s gonna be really interesting to see how it all unfolds.
XO: What else can we expect from you in the future?
PP: Hopefully a second EP in 2015 at some point, a free download or two and a whole bunch of dates where you can catch me behind the decks at various venues around the UK and beyond.
XO: Is there anyone that you’d like to get in the studio with?
PP: I’m really loving a lot of American artists at the moment like Childish Gambino, Tinashe and Jhene Aiko, so to be in the studio with them one day would be absolutely incredible. But a bit closer to home, I’d love to work with SBTRKT, Sampha & Ben Khan.
XO: What else is going on for you right now – have you put all education things to the side?
PP: I figured it’d be a good idea to take a year out of education after finishing my A Levels, just to see how the music thing goes. At the moment I’m taking every day as it comes so we’ll see what happens, but I don’t really wanna go to University to do a degree in something I can’t see myself doing 10 years from now.
XO: How have your mates taken to all this? Do you talk talk to them much or do they just treat you exactly the same?
PP: Haha, nothing’s changed at all, it’s the same now as it was five years ago. I wouldn’t have it any other way to be honest, they’re really supportive and help to keep me grounded at the same time.
XO: How would you describe your aesthetic?
PP: Old Skool over Nu Skool. Mind over matter. Substance, not style. And I like the 90s, music and fashion was so good back then, shout out to all the 90s babies.
XO: In 5 years where would you like to be?
I tend not to think about the future an awful lot, but if I’m in a better place than I am now then I’ll be happy with that.
