Edward Scissortongue

In 2012, Edward Scissortongue dropped Better.Luck.Next.Life, an album which saw him execute complex, dark rhymes over the minimalist and cinematic produced by frequent collaborator Lamplighter. The record established him as one the UKHH scene’s most lyrically dextrous artists, and on 28 April he follows it up with The Theremin EP. If you follow Ed on Facebook, you’re just as likely to see him rave about a Mogwai or Deftones track as a forthcoming show with his Contact Play affiliates, and musically the EP reflects the tastes of an artist with a broad palette. In anticipation of the EP drop, we got in touch with Scissortongue to talk about wordplay, reckless boat rides and the darker pockets of his psyche.

First of all, can you tell us about the beats on this EP? Is Lamplighter on there, and who are the others who’ve produced on it?

Lamplighter is the most prolific producer on the project with two pieces of music to his name, however, I really wanted to zig-zag about the place with the sonics on this release, and that’s why there are so many producers involved. Dirty Dike produced the title track, LDN Zoo and Problem Child music man Sumgii is on the record as is Miles Courtney, Eon Ra (watch out for him) and Glasgow’s finest Konchis. They would make a great five-a-side team. Dike would play up front.

The ambient intro is a nice surprise. Do you think that track reflects elements of your music taste that might surprise the average UK hip-hop fan?

I asked my dear friend Miles Courtney to produce a piece of music that would propel the listener into the future. The opening track of the EP is what he came up with and I have to say, he did a great job. In regards to my music tastes, the average UKHH fan knows me now so nothing should surprise. I love each and every genre of music for what it’s worth, even Taylor Swift got game in my eyes.

Which track/verse from the EP are you most proud of and why?

It’s tricky to pick a standout verse or track, as I value the EP as a complete piece of music. Everything is there for a reason. Just like all my music, this EP is designed to be listened to from start to finish, in that order, without exception. At just over 30 minutes long, I don’t feel that is too much to ask. However, if you had me cornered in a room with a machete to my neck, I would have to say I am particularly proud of the second track Teeth.

You’re known for a very complex, intricate style of rhyming. When did you first start rapping like this and are there any lyricists in particular that have inspired this?

I’ve always written dense rap songs. When I first started writing bars I would fill each line up with so many words that they were basically impossible to record. It was dumb. I wanted to be like Twista, but found out pretty sharpish that I didn’t have those levels of lyrical dexterity on tap. The music I have written since this realisation has seen me experiment with various approaches to get the very most out of the English language, but this doesn’t mean I’ve been word heavy throughout. This learning curve has seen the ‘less is more’ approach grow ever-more prevalent, and this is evident throughout The Theremin EP and even more so on the new stuff I’m working on.

And there’s all the sinister imagery. Why do you think you drift towards dark lyrics, and what do you think is the appeal of listening to them?

I drift towards the darkness as I find greater rewards there. I reckon David Lynch, Stephen King or John Carpenter would say something similar, as would Danny Filth or Rob Zombie. I have no idea what the appeal is in listening to my music, but the fact there are entire music scenes built upon total darkness must mean there are like-minded weirdos out there who get off on the same strange shit as I do. I almost certainly alienate large numbers of people with my music, but that’s no big deal. My penchant for darker themes is beginning to define me as an artist which was never the plan. This is why my best stab at a love album is in the pipeline…

There seems to be a big discrepancy between your lyrics and persona. Do you think if people met you after listening to your lyrics, they’d be surprised by the way you really are?

One million per cent. The music I make is a product of the inner workings of my brain, the deeper recesses if you will, whereas my day-to-day persona is pretty happy-go-lucky I’d say. These deeper recesses seem to lay dormant when I’m out of the house interacting with other human beings.

I can be totally honest with myself through my music, I feel no limitations in what I can or cannot say, and this is almost certainly why I find myself meandering along such a strange introspective path. If people expect me to act all weird and gothic on a day-to-day, well, they’ll be surprised when I buy them an ice cream.

You’ve been on the road with the High Focus/Contact Play lot a couple of times right? Tell us a tour anecdote or two that you wouldn’t want your mum to know about…

We hit the road twice last year. We toured the UK in May and spent November in Australia. In terms of disgraceful incidents the list is long, however, I am particularly fond of the early morning Tanqueray laced speedboat rides in Falmouth (it doesn’t get much better than pulling donuts in the wake of a warship) and dressing up as 2Pac in Sydney and getting my handstand twerk on. My Mum is a delicate flower, I won’t go into too many details. Hi Mum.

What about these trailers you have been releasing?

The Theremin trailers are my attempt at expanding upon the narrative I developed throughout the EP in as striking a visual form as possible. I prefer shooting stuff that isn’t restricted to a piece of music as I often find myself submerged in a sea of ideas that I cannot articulate visually, or at least I struggle to hone in on one particular idea when a song is involved. The trailers are visual accompaniments, snippets of the bigger picture – or message – if you will, simple as that really.