Introducing: Milyoo

Introducing: Milyoo

16 December, 2011 | 5.13AM

• Written by: beatportchristine
• Filed under: Music News: introducing, milyoo, opit records

Lexington, Kentucky, is the unlikely home turf of Milyoo, one of the rising stars of that murky territory between bass music, instrumental hip-hop and leftfield dancefloor fare. Tommy “Milyoo” Wilson’s sound is impossible to pin down, but takes inspiration from a holy trinity of influences—J Dilla, house music and The Beach Boys—resulting in what Wilson himself describes as sounding “tropical, soulful, and with a slight Midwestern dampness.”

Wilson’s universally well-received output for Opit Records, WNCL Recordings and Saigon Recordings this year has been as multifarious as you’d expect from all of those labels, and it’s demonstrated that he can tackle pretty much anything he sets his mind to: he easily slips sideways into wonky hip-hop, witchy techno and new age dub, but doesn’t neglect the upfront or the anthemic: check his tune ”Colors”—a summer highlight—for proof of that.

Wilson is marked as “one to watch” heading into 2012, so we caught up with him before that gets underway to find out how he’s gotten to where he is. Read on for his articulate answers on how a Derrick Carter DJ set changed everything for him, and also to find out why he’d like UK duo Mount Kimbie to just follow him around and provide the soundtrack to his life.

Can you tell us a little about your background and where are you based now?

Yeah, sure. I grew up in a small town in Kentucky, moved out to California for a bit, and then moved back to Kentucky to study geography at the state university.  I currently live in Lexington, Kentucky with my wife, a couple dogs and some cats. 

How did you get started DJing and/or making music?

I remember watching Derrick Carter play records in about 1995.  I thought to myself, “OK, DJing is great but I’m gonna need to write some of that.” It just seemed like something I might do. So I started buying records and slowly amassing gear.

How would you describe your music?

Every track I’ve done I connect back to house music, J Dilla and The Beach Boys. I listen to a ton of different stuff, but those three things/groups/people seem the best way to sort of triangulate my musical position.Tropical, soulful, with a slight Midwestern dampness.

Do you DJ or play live, and how would you describe your sets?

I do a live set and some DJing, but I’ve not done either in forever.  When I do play I tend towards dirty techno/house sets.  Despite the aforementioned tropical mood in some of my productions I’m kinda into desperate, gray, atmospheric stuff.

Did you have any mentors when you were starting out? Who helped you get established?

Not really any mentors per se. I’ve been mostly a trial and error type fellow. Friends are helpful though. Matt Bandy, Jon Singer, my wife Erin, and Aidan O’Brien have all been involved as useful sounding boards.

When did you first feel that you had finally discovered your own individual sound?

The day I came up with the name Milyoo something clicked; seriously.  It was weird. I was sitting on the couch, came up with name, and within hours these tracks started falling out of my computer. The first one I wrote under the Milyoo moniker is set for release on Fortified Audio, actually. 

How do you explain your music to your family members?

Ha. My mom loves it. I send her everything I do and she responds with a ton of virtual applause. I don’t really discuss it much with the rest of my family. I mean, I don’t really feel the need to share it with people who don’t care.

Do you know what kind of track you want to write before you sit down to make it, or is it more a process of experimentation, trial and error?

For me it’s always a puzzle and in most cases I arrange a set of rules before I start. Sometimes it’s “only use these samples” while other times I go with “all sine waves, no filter sweeps, sounds like Shed, David Bowie will love it.” Sometimes I don’t play anything live, just draw notes. Sometimes I don’t sequence anything and just do live audio. Sometimes I do basslines visually; like draw something. It keeps it entertaining and—to be honest—I just like seeing what comes out the other end. 

How long does a track typically take you to make?

I get most of the big work done really fast or… not at all. I find that I’m more creative in short bursts, so I like to finish the core of a track in under 15-20 minutes and then start to arrange as soon as possible.  Sometimes I’m on point and get the whole thing finished in an hour or so, but other times I lose the thread and have to come back to it. I have a folder of about 300+ tracks in the “lost thread” category. All of them have something good in them, but they either became too convoluted or I couldn’t sort out the arrangement.  But—eventually—I plan to see them through.

Where do you record?

My wife and I share an 800 sq ft. studio space. She has an art studio and I have my setup. But it’s basically a glorified bedroom studio with a refrigerator and subwoofer.

Do you currently have a favorite piece of gear or software?

I’m pretty simple really. I use Reason (which I need to upgrade) and some MIDI gear. So… I guess those?

Are you a morning person or night owl?

Both, at one time or another. I used to write all day, but now I mostly write in the evenings. Mornings, of course, are for FIFA 12.

Which record do you wish you had made?

Everything Mount Kimbie has done. I mean, I don’t wish I had made it, but I do wish they would follow me around and soundtrack my day.

If a wrecking ball was headed for your house, which *one* record would you rescue before it hit?

Hmm. Probably this old Sade remix/bootleg I have. It’s like 15 years old and it still makes me swoon.

When you’re not listening to electronic music, what do you listen to?

Beach Boys, Fugazi, early Get Up Kids, Built to Spill, Pixies, Modest Mouse, and lots of hip-hop.

When you’re not making or playing music, what’s your preferred pastime?

At the moment I’m pretty much a full-time rock climber. I spend about 20 hours a week working at a climbing shop and my days off are spent in the woods looking for new rock or climbing. 

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing with your life?

Heh. Exactly what I’m doing now sans music.

Tell us about your upcoming gigs and releases…

I’m focused more on production and climbing, but I do have some releases coming out on Night Audio, Fortified Audio, and Well Rounded Housing Project. After those are in shops… who knows?

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