Restored entrepreneur, former nightlife kingpin and Sheff’s resident rhythmic consultant, DIMITRI has turned his sonic attentions to buildings. New album ‘Exploring the Relationships Between Buildings and the People That Use Them’ brings architectural enquiries and philosophical musings to the record player. Intrigued, we collared the shadowy figure to find out more.
For Exposed readers yet to encounter DIMITRI, how would you introduce yourself – and how much of that introduction should we believe?
DIMITRI is a rehabilitated businessman, former nightclub owner and scientific music aficionado based in Sheffield. He has also appeared in action films, created their official soundtracks and regularly performs specialist rhythmic consultancy for other artists.
The album began with you stuck in your flat watching architecture documentaries. At what point did “eh, this is quite an interesting programme about buildings” become “I must make an entire record about this”?
There was not an intention to create this piece. The essence of it came after most of the songs had already been born. There was then a moment of realisation of what this collection had to become: an investigation into how mankind uses buildings now, how we used them in the past and how we are likely to use them in the future.
How did that interest translate into the music itself?
Throughout this project, it became clear that creating a song is very much like creating a building. It must have a foundation and structure – the bass and rhythm. It must have a façade – a melody and sonic footprint. It must have a purpose – the lyrics and vocal delivery.
Your earlier work includes My Synthesizer, Modern European Philosophy & Me. What prompted the move from philosophical enquiries to the built environment? Had you solved the former?
It is more of a continuation of that matter and collaboration between those fields. I discovered there are many intertwining concepts within philosophy and architecture. For example, only when an idea has a physical presence can it be considered truly real and therefore something that actually exists. Until it has a tangible form, it is merely an abstract idea and cannot be experienced through human senses. This album and its teachings now have a home; it is therefore real and can be consumed. That home is the vinyl album you can own.
You worked with the legendary Dean Honer on mastering. What has he brought to proceedings?
Dean Honer enabled the pure audio quality intended by the artist. This mastery also safeguards the public from any unwanted aural frequencies.
What does a live performance of this record look like? And which building would you most like to perform it in, assuming fire regulations could be easily negotiated?
A live performance of this work looks like a panel discussion hosted by DIMITRI Himself with esteemed building users – an architect, a builder and a regular citizen. We have a frank and honest discussion about how these songs have influenced them and how they will positively impact their views and uses of buildings.
The optimum venue for this must be very dimly lit but also completely accessible.
Finally, if DIMITRI were a building, what would we find inside?
Many of the standard items found within a regular person if they were a building, such as metal machinery, entertainment equipment and storage boxes. However, these storage boxes contain the vast knowledge of classical history, quantum phenomena, business methods and frameworks, and recording techniques that will help shape the lives of future generations.
Exploring the Relationships Between Buildings and the People That Use Them is available now on 12-inch vinyl through Do It Thissen Records, with a wider digital and streaming release in November. Give it a home via doitthissenrecords.bandcamp.com.
