ddd has been playing to sold out audiences in London Town throughout 2006 and he's looking all set for an even brighter 2007. PlayLouder spoke to him in a bid to find what makes him tick. "I have an unhealthy obsession with detail," he told us.
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ddd frequently slayed audiences as well as released one of the stranger singles of 2006 on fresh and funky White Heat records; the stealthily addictive robotic guitar sound and urgent, almost panicked voice on 'Knives' made for an unsettling yet ultimately rewarding listen - and shops sold out as a result.
And there's plenty more where that came from. ddd, or Daryl to his mum, has a whole set of ridiculously catchy yet dark and complicated pop nuggets full of jagged guitar noise set over bizarre time signatures for your delectation. We caught up with him via the power of the internet while he was taking a break from tidying his room.
.. Hello, how are you?
"Not bad, thank you. Currently enjoying a sleepless week. How are you?
" Just great. Anyway - for the benefit of PlayLouder readers who might not know much about you as yet, give them a few details about yourself to wet their appetites..
. "I cook a pretty good Spanish omelette and my crepes are second to none. I also cook a mean roast dinner despite the fact that I always fuck up the Yorkshire puddings.
"An equally naff and cretinous answer would be...
27-year-old Anglo-Algerian Londoner with a noisy guitar, a drum machine, stupid timings and an unhealthy obsession with detail." And how was your 2006? "Ups and downs, mainly ups.
Stopped drinking, played some concerts, released a record, fractured my right wrist. Cancelled some concerts, tried to play guitar one-handed, failed, took up drinking again, but with my left hand." You've made PlayLouder's Class of 2007.
Are you looking forward to the forthcoming year? "You have to really! What kind of a miserable cretin would not be looking forward to a new year?
Also, you can fuck up all you like for a whole year, safe in the knowledge that you'll be starting with a clean slate again come the following January. "Oh, and I'm flattered and made up by the 'class of 2007' thingy, thank you." Don't mention it.
Name something, anything 2007 needs that 2006 was missing? "More hours in the day, please." January is always the quietest month.
How have you been occupying yourself? "I drank myself silly for the first part of the month. I'm now playing catch-up and sleeping as little as possible, trying desperately to get a head start on 2007 while everyone else is still feeling too miserable, lazy and hungover to do anything.
" Still keeping up your new year's resolutions? "Yes, I haven't slept more than 6 hours each night and I haven't had any drunken conversations (read: arguments) with religious twats yet. Tell us what the last song you wrote was about?
"It's called 'trojan horse'. Discussing lyrics has got to be the most pointless and tedious exercise ever. Unless your name is Nick Cave.
I'd happily listen to him talking about his lyrics every single minute of every single hour." We want details. Any gigs lined-up?
Where and when can we watch your shit? "Providing I don't break any bones I'll be starting the year with these gigs: 23rd January at White Heat (London), 26th at the Marquee (Hertford), 18th February at the Luminaire (London - free afternoon show), the 24th at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes (London again), the 10th of March at the Mean Fiddler (London for a change), the 20th at the Old Blue Last (London - Yes, that is where I live) and the 21th of March at Joe Publics (Bristol)." "And on February the 21st I'll be playing some records on the radio, which should be fun.
It's a show called 'Noise on the Radio' with dj Rajinder, on Pulse FM. It's over a month away and I've already started to think about what I'm going to play: Yes. It is the first time I've been asked to play records on the radio.
" What music did it for you last year, or even this one thus far? What's the best cure for a hangover? Can you take any more reality television?
"Does anyone really watch that shit though? I'm not convinced." How do you feel about Saddam Hussein being recipient of the ultimate happy slap?
"Is this the 'reality television' you were talking about in the previous question? I'm certainly not comfortable with it, no." What steps are you taking this year to reduce your global footprint?
Got any long-term goals music wise? "I'm going to concentrate on recording an EP this summer. I've never recorded more than two songs at a time, so that should take a fair amount of self-discipline.
"I'd also quite like to play gigs six nights a week, every week of every month. Most months anyway." "I was going to get my little sister to answer this interview for me but then I figured you might think I have the brain of a 17 year old French girl.
Which I don't. Oh and when I asked her, she told me exactly where to stick my 'interview de merde'.
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