Q&A Scene: Nick Drabble + Stu Turner ~SET MO

SET-MO-FLUX-LOOK-02-JORDAN-MUNNS-@jordankmunns-6 — Photo: Jordan Munns

Tell us about your latest album

Our latest album Flux is an exploration of change and its continuous nature. Prior to starting this album we spent some time figuring out exactly what we wanted to write about. We’d had a huge few years both together as Set Mo as well as individually. This album is about how change is constant, some of it is by choice and some of it just happens and we have no say in it. What we realised though is that what we always have control over is how we view and respond to change.

What’s your favourite work at this point in time?

NICK: It’s a weird feeling when you put out new music. You write it, get excited, produce it up, get more excited, go thru a million versions to realize that version 2.3 was the one, kinda hate the song, get it mixed and mastered, get excited again and then forget about the track until you then realize the track is finally coming out and get excited once again!

Over the weekend, for the first time in a little while, I listened to the whole album from start to finish and after having some space from it I realized how proud I am of this body of work. We wrote over a 100 ideas for this album and the best 13 made it on the album. This is the best, most honest music we’ve ever made in my opinion. Basically I’m fucking geed up for this album – I love it all.

STU: Don’t ask us to pick our fav child, how rude. I’m biased and I think they’re all great but Choose You First is my personal fav. We approached it in a completely different way to how we usually make tunes, sampling really heavily and building out the drum groove from a bunch of different sources. It makes me feel all the things and will forever remind me of writing this album. It’s equal parts melancholic and banging, 2 of my favourite things. SPOOKY AND INNOVATIVE just like you’re spotify wrapped.

What, or who, inspires you?

Everything really, we draw inspiration from our friends doing awesome stuff, from other music and sometimes just great weather will be enough to spark a song.

Which song do you wish you wrote?

What Else Is There (Thin White Duke Mix) – Royksopp. This absolute classic can be played at any time of day or night and absolutely smashes a dance floor while getting a tear in the eye. Pretty much the perfect dance record.

What’s next for you?

We’re putting together a really exciting show to bring Flux to life so keep your eyes peeled to see when we’re heading to your city. We’re also always working on new music and after being back playing some epic shows the music is feeling pretty damn uplifting!

How would you describe your sound in food form and why?

This is such a hard question to answer… but how about an Al Pastor taco? Kinda naughty, very nice and a little bit spicy.

What’s your scene?

Our scene is a scene that will dance all the way from sunset to sunrise rolling along a musical journey with its roots firmly planted in house music. If this sounds like your kind of scene, we’ll see you at the next Set Mo show ;-)

FLUX is released FRIDAY 21 APRIL

SET MO navigate the intricacies of change and evolution on sophomore album FLUX

Sydney’s SET MO have long been at the forefront of fresh and enticing electronic sounds; it has been in their forward-thinking approach to songwriting and production that Stu Turner and Nick Drabble have found their rhythm.

And with over 150 million streams and multiple gold and platinum accredited releases to their name, it’s clear that the audience Set Mo have cultivated for themselves across the last decade are enamoured by their approach as well.

2023 sees Set Mo embark on their boldest musical chapter to date, with the release of their highly anticipated sophomore studio album, FLUX. A record that zeroes in on the concept of change itself, and its effect on the human condition – regardless of if the changes are good or bad – Flux is Set Mo operating at an untouchable creative peak.

At 13 tracks of immersive electronic music, Flux is the type of album that beckons the listener to dive in and enjoy the kaleidoscopic journey on offer.

Featuring singles ‘Second Line (ft. Sumner)’, ‘Out My Mind (ft. Jess Kent)’, ‘On Fire’, ‘Feelings’, ‘Something To Dream Of’, and their most recent release, ‘Let Yourself Go’, Flux represents different emotional pathways and responses to life-altering change.

As the listening experience unfolds, the music weaves its way through moments of euphoria and catharsis (‘Choose You First’, ‘Let Yourself Go’); sweat and palpitation inducing beats (‘Accelerate’, ‘Here We Go’, ‘On Fire’); and moments of bright poignancy (‘Helios’, ‘All I Need’).

For Set Mo, the Flux creative process began taking shape as both Turner and Drabble found themselves in unique periods of personal flux. Pandemic aside, the duo experienced loss and new frontiers: both lost their grandparents, and while Turner was navigating his way through the end of a long-term relationship, Drabble was learning to balance fatherhood as a new element of his life.

“So many things had changed, some of which we’d chosen but most we had no say in. A concept we were really intrigued by is how change is constant/inevitable, however it’s our perception of this that can shape how we view it; good or bad, happy or sad.

In a nutshell this album is about change; how it affects us, how often we have no control or say in shifts in our lives but how we do have control over how we respond to it. Each track explores a more specific aspect of this.”


SET MO

 Moving into a new studio in 2020, Set Mo were able to refocus their vision and pour themselves into new inspirations and more importantly, introspection. The final product, raw and impassioned, directly mirroring the sharpened direction Set Mo are taking, as they step into a new spotlight with the release of Flux.


“We spent two years of lockdown writing solely in our studio, just the two of us. This was a huge shift from our first album, which was written almost exclusively ‘in the box’ on the computer in studios all around the world. We wrote over 100 demos during this time which meant we ended up picking the very best tracks that fitted into this concept.”

PRAISE FOR SET MO

“undisputed title as one of Australia’s most-adored dance acts.” Secret Sounds

“They’re one of the hardest-working electronic acts on the market at the moment – from their rigorous touring schedule to their constant releases.” Pilerats

“invigorating electro-dance treat…. of pulsing beats, vibrant synths and golden percussion.” Acid Stag

“Set Mo have gone above and beyond in cementing their name in Aus music history over the past few years, levelling up from club circuit regulars to something of a national treasure off the back of a some huge release that have all raked in millions of streams across the board.” Stoney Roads

FLUX is released FRIDAY 21 APRIL