Luke Titus Composes Sonic Collage
Photo Credit Sam Kfare
Luke Titus is an artist in transition. The 23 year old multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer-songwriter has already been in the music game for almost a decade. Titus has toured the world playing drums with the Blue Man Group and has appeared all over the Chicago music scene collaborating with artists like Noname, Sen Morimoto and Ravyn Lenae (among countless others). 2020, a challenging year for most, proved to be the beginning of a new chapter in Luke’s career. Titus made a move to L.A. to further integrate into the music industry and released his first album as a solo artist, titled PLASMA.
The album is a diverse collection of songs that reflects the myriad of influences and skills that Titus has as a musician. Elements of neo-soul, R&B, jazz, pop and electronica splash across incredibly dense and occasionally experimental instrumentation. Titus’ music often defies easy categorization. The songs are often collages of many disparate sounds like album opener “Air (feat. Sen Morimoto)” which combines Flying Lotus acid jazz freakouts with Chicago-bred footwork rhythms. The track begins with a sample of audio describing that plasma is something with “neither a specific shape or a consistent volume,” a perfect metaphor for the stylistic exploration that Titus makes throughout the album. Released on Chicago’s own Sooper Records late last year, PLASMA is a showcase of a young artist moving into the spotlight and coming into his own as a creative force.
Just a little over three months since the release of his debut solo-project, we catch up with Luke to discuss the ins and outs of PLASMA, how he’s settled into life in LA and what the music community can expect from him in the coming years.
Hey Luke, thank you so much for joining us. How’s life treating you currently?
Life is great, considering how crazy everything is! I’ve been enjoying my new home in LA and working on lots of music with friends. Trying to get better everyday!
Glad to hear the LA move is going well! How would you compare the music scene out there to Chicago? How did the move affect your process while putting together the album?
I would say there’s less of a focus on community collaboration from a live-music level and more of a focus on song-writing, production, and business in LA. I think it has allowed me to focus on honing my skills as a producer and music maker outside of just playing live music. In a time where there aren’t many live shows anyway, it’s been super beneficial for me. It definitely was hard to move and put out the album, but because there is not any touring etc. It wasn’t too much of a set back.
You’ve been pretty heavily involved in Chicago’s music scene working as a drummer and producer since you were in high school. How does the transition from being in a supporting role to becoming a solo artist feel?
The transition feels natural. I’ve always been a song-writer as well as a drummer and producer, so the adjustment is really for other people to process. I think it’s hard for anyone to make that transition, so I just have to trust the process.
Your primary instrument is the drums, is that where you start when you’re writing a track?
Not necessarily. Sometimes, yes, but every song has its own journey and can start with any instrument, rhythm or melody.
How did the album come together? How long was the recording process? What tracks did you begin with?
Over about 2.5 years of making music I eventually was able to piece this together in a way that I thought was fitting and felt complete! Many many songs did not make the cut, ha. I was making songs on tour, some at home and all over really. I started with Love, Yourself. I think that is the oldest track. Shortly after that, Soft Serve, Retrograde, and then even up until about 1 month from mixing completion I was still adding songs.
Sonically, the album is incredibly diverse; each song sounds unique from the others. Are there any artists / sounds that you felt inspired by in different instrumental / vocal / production parts on the album?
Yes! So many. This album is like a sonic-collage for me. Everybody from Flying Lotus to Squarepusher, Moses Sumney, Stevie Wonder, Tame Impala, and many many of my contemporaries are of huge inspiration to me. Chicago artists like Ravyn, Sen, Elton, etc. The list really goes on and on.
On the tracks with features, were they written together, or did you write the track with Sen, Qari, Ravyn & Elton in mind?
I wrote these tracks prior and thought that the artists featured would be a good fit once the tracks were essentially complete.
Plasma is out on Sooper Records. How did you get involved with them & what made them feel like the right fit for you?
Sen, Nnamdi and Kaina are all long-time Chicago friends and supporters of great music. Through the process I also met the Sooper guru Glenn who has also become a great friend. I was searching for a home for this music and through a few different conversations at different stages of completion we found that this would be the perfect fit! I really just love what the label stands for: supporting amazing independent artists and helping to build a community around those artists and the music. The fact that they are all friends and people I trust made it a no-brainer.
With your debut & big move now behind you, what’s the next big milestone you have your eyes set on?
There are so many things I have my eyes set on. If I told you all of them, you’d call me crazy. Right now I am working on a lot of music with some amazingly talented artists and really looking to hone my craft as a producer in the coming years. There will definitely be some albums on the way soon that I’ve had a hand in, but I don’t want to give too much away! Going to also try and stream a lot more on twitch just to give people insight into my production style and day-to-day.