The best musicians keep us guessing. Just when we think we’ve got them sussed out, they throw down another stylistic curveball. 25-year-old Henry Laufer, AKA Shlohmo, exemplifies this dictum. Over the course of 2014, Laufer collaborated with crooner Jeremih on the sultry No More EP, produced one of the highlights on Banks’ debut album Goddess, and still found time for countless remixes. Another slinky R&B-inspired release seemed like the obvious next step. Instead, the Los Angeles producer has returned with his darkest solo album so far.

Released in April, Shlohmo’s second LP Dark Red is deeply hypnotising. Largely devoid of vocals, the record is propelled by layers of murky synths, skittering drums and eerie melodies. While partially inspired by horror movies, Dark Red was also driven by some harrowing real-life events.

“I guess you could say it was a very trying time in my life,” Laufer says. “There was a lot of family shit, funerals, fucking hospitals and whatever going on. Nothing that I’d want to go too in-depth on, but I think it was inevitable that it all came through in the making [of the album]. But at the same time, I’ve always been drawn to the darker side of art-making, or whatever the fuck you want to call it.”

The thematic darkness was amply supported by Laufer’s eclectic musical influences. “Some of my favourite stuff ever is Sleep,” he says. “Obviously, the album Dopesmoker has been a huge influence on everything I’ve ever done. Electric Wizard, another stoner metal band, too. And Burzum’s more cold, melodic shit is my favourite. Like the weird synth shit that he made in prison; it’s so fucking dark in how not dark it is. It’s creepy serial killer music. At the same time, I’m always listening to Memphis horrorcore, like Tommy Wright III, Hypnotize Minds – basically all the real slow rap that’s recorded to tape. That’s like my favourite shit.”

Shlohmo is coming to Australia in July for Splendour In The Grass, plus a string of headline shows where he’ll be supported by fellow producers from the Wedidit collective, Purple (Luis Dourado), D33J (Djavan Santos) and Nick Melons (Nick Meledandri). D33J also handles guitar and synth duties in Shlohmo’s live band, which is rounded out by New York percussionist Bill DeLelles.

“There’s a basic melodic structure to follow, but it’s kind of… not necessarily a fucking jam band or anything like that, but it’s pretty loose,” says Laufer on recreating Dark Red live. “But at the same time, Bill is very on point. He’s replicating almost identically the drum program that’s on the record.”

When Laufer’s not making music, he’s making art for Wedidit, the music and lifestyle brand he co-founded in high school. Wedidit may have started as a joke, but it’s grown to encompass a clothing line and record label, which is home to the likes of RL Grime. The collective’s visual identity, which embraces kitsch ’90s iconography and bad graphic design, is nearly as renowned as its beats. The Wedidit logo is a tombstone with a smiley face on it, and it’s become a popular tattoo amongst hardcore fans. Business is good, but they don’t like taking things too seriously, as underlined by the unofficial mantra, “Professionally unprofessional since 1990.”

“My main focus for most of my life was graphic design, painting and visual art,” says Laufer. “But then music started taking over and the only time I had to do my visual art was through Wedidit. So I was just kind of creating my own cover art and whatever the fuck I needed for the Shlohmo stuff. But then also logo design. Now, me and Nick work in constant collaboration on all the Wedidit clothing. It’s been a passion of ours for a while to run an all-encompassing brand.”

As for brand expansion, Laufer – a lifelong, dedicated skateboarder – is keen to incorporate skate merchandising in the future too. “That’s one of my only tattoos at this point,” he confesses, “a little skateboard on my knee.”

Things are looking pretty rosy for the talented young producer right now, but he wouldn’t be where he is if he didn’t have such a knack for selecting the best and brightest artists to collaborate with, produce and remix. Indeed, Shlohmo has earned his tastemaking status by maintaining a certain standard, and he’s not afraid to point out what he does and does not like. Unfortunately for a lot of contemporary producers, they fall into the latter category.

“If it’s not perfect dance music or perfect hip hop or whatever, or it’s not completely crazy shit that I’ve never heard before, then it’s not worth my fucking time,” Laufer says. “People ask me all the time who my favourite producer is and I genuinely don’t know what to say, because I don’t listen to that kind of music anymore. Maybe my taste has just changed. Like, if it’s not exactly within the confines of what it’s supposed to be, or completely different to anything I’ve ever heard, I don’t care about it for some reason.”

What advice does Laufer have for aspiring producers, then? “Don’t do it,” he jokes, before adding, “Either do it to say something, or don’t do it at all.”

Shlohmo photo by Erika Miyagiwa

Catch Shlohmo at Splendour In The Grass 2015 at North Byron Parklands, Friday July 24 – Sunday July 26. He also plays Metro Theatre on Friday July 31 and the album Dark Red is out now through True Panther/Remote Control.

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