Canary Yellow on early influences, in-the-box experimentation & the dual identity of Angel Club | Faux Poly Interviews

Growing up between piano lessons, bedroom beat-making, and weekends spent at Red Rocks, he developed a taste for digging deep and moving between genres without overthinking it. Now based in LA, the Canary Yellow project builds on that approach of pairing resampled breaks, off-kilter rhythms, and a fully in-the-box workflow that keeps things fast and intentional.

In our conversation, he talks about the two-sided structure of Angel Club, the role resampling plays in finding unexpected grooves, and how travel, nature, and community continue to feed his sound.

Hey Tim, can you give us a little insight into where you’re from, your musical journey, and your local scene?

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, where I spent formative years attending mostly rock, pop, and hip hop concerts. I grew up playing piano and drums and got my first copy of FL Studio 8 when I was 13 years old and tried to make hip hop beats and eurodance tracks. I would make beats for my friends then record their raps in bedroom closets or even in my car.

I was fortunate enough to have access to Denver’s budding bass music scene when I was about 15 and had discovered UKF and various music blogs. I got to attend shows locally on most weekends, including many at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater. This immersion made me an obsessive crate digger on SoundCloud and other platforms and naturally led to me starting to DJ.

I’ve produced and released music across various aliases the whole time, but never with any focus or vision until Canary Yellow. This project has been my way of pulling from all my influences and finding a sonic identity that is inherently agnostic or genre-less, which I love.

Since moving to LA in 2023, I’ve continued to push the envelope with the Canary Yellow sound, playing sporadic and spontaneous sets around LA with other tastemakers including Heds and Venice Afters Club, and more. This has also given me access to some of my closest and most talented friends, Next to Blue and Player Dave, who have helped me push my sound and project even further.

Your music nods to UK garage, breaks, and techno but still feels very personal. What scenes or artists shaped your ears early on?

It’s tough to narrow down all the artists who’ve shaped my sound, but a few stand out more than others: Daft Punk, Justice, Eric Prydz, ATB, Infected Mushroom, Pendulum, Mr. Carmack, and Kaytranada. From the Eurodance world, DJ Mangoo, DJ Splash, and Basshunter have been big influences.

And on the dubstep side and everything that branches out from it: Trolley Snatcha, Brown & Gammon, Doctor P, Flume, and Skrillex have all played a major role.

Angel Club feels very intentional – two versions of the title track that each hit different parts of the dancefloor. What made you want to present both sides instead of settling on one?

I’ve always enjoyed exploring the dichotomy in music, typically within my own tracks where there are very gentle, introspective moments but also heavy, explosive ones. This time I decided to explore this across the same release with these two versions.

The original includes a jittery broken-beat rhythm and nearly atonal instrumentation that is meant to bite hard. The 4x4 was meant to feel a little softer and hypnotic by smoothing out transients and adding a simple, washed-out chord.

You produced this EP entirely “in-the-box” with just HS8s in your bedroom. Do you feel limited by not using hardware, or does this method help you stay focused?

I have been producing “in-the-box” without even a midi keyboard since I first downloaded a DAW over 15 years ago. I feel focused and intentional as I’m extremely comfortable with the tools at my disposal. Hardware typically only comes into play when I am collaborating with others and using their gear.

Since your EP was made fully in-the-box, are there specific Ableton tools or stock devices you find yourself returning to again and again?

I have a number of Ableton racks that I’ve acquired or built that are used in nearly every project. As far as third-party tools, I love everything from SoundToys, Fors, and FabFilter. I try different plugins all the time, looking for new ways to add intentional dust and imperfection to my sound. I’ve currently been obsessed with SoundToys Radiator and Arturia’s Tape J-37.

You mentioned resampling was central to Angel Club. Can you tell us a bit more about this process and how it shapes/flips your tracks?

The track is built upon a breakbeat sample I found in my library, which dictated the main groove of the track. I had also just downloaded Josi Devil’s bass sample packs and wanted to find a way to utilize some of the sounds in a non-obvious way. I haphazardly placed a one-shot bass from the pack to create a sort of counter-groove. I thought it played nicely with the breakbeat to sound really interesting and odd but still rhythmic.

Resampling is critical to all my tracks – I’m constantly looking for inspiring sounds that I can mangle, especially drums.

Do you find inspiration from outside of music – film, art, or everyday experiences?

I find inspiration everywhere, but mostly from experiences in nature and with friends. I spend a lot of time in the mountains, skiing, hiking, and camping, where I draw a lot of inspiration.

I am also still just as much of a concert- and festival-goer as I was growing up, so I am constantly attending events locally and around the US. I recently visited Mexico City for the first time and came back from the trip with brand new ideas that influenced my productions.

What’s next for Canary Yellow? Any projects in the pipeline you can tell a little about?

I feel there has been some exciting traction with the project in the past few months. The project sits in a unique space, where I think I’ve done a great job positioning myself well amongst American acts, while still garnering respect and support from some of my favorite international acts, such as Jacques Greene, BICEP, Pangaea, and more.

I love straddling the line between styles and plan to release a more complete body of work in the form of an EP early next year. This will include 5-6 tracks, all very different from one another but still retaining the Canary Yellow sonic identity. Beyond that, I just want the project to remain authentic and natural, and never stop having fun creating with others.