Deep Digs: Stereo_IMG

Patrick Haggart, also known as Stereo_IMG, creates synesthesia-inducing soundscapes of hardware-heavy, dark, experimental techno. You might have seen him if you attended Exposé Noir‘s unforgettable May 2019 event featuring Function, DJ Nobu, Dr. Rubinstein, and MMSI - Haggart’s collaboration with a long-time staple of the Montreal techno scene, Mateo Murphy. Hailing from a background in cinematic sound design, Stereo_IMG takes you on a sonic journey of intricate composition meandering through ambient, UK Base, and techno - with pulsating rhythms that constantly keep you on your toes. Check out some of the selector’s top tracks in the Deep Digs below.

You’ve been involved in music from a very young age what has been your journey into techno, noise, and experimental music production?

I’ve been making music most of my life, but I started producing electronic music about 10 years ago. From there I’ve explored all over the electronic music Spectrum and I didn’t get hard into techno until my close friend Haydar started North Of Nowhere Records. I was so excited that he was getting involved in the music world, and I wanted to contribute in any way possible to his Techno/Experimental music label. The more I made and listened to this kind of music, the more I felt it was a natural match for me. I’ve always liked darker heavier music, and sound design was always my strong point when making music, and those are the two focuses of the music I make.

How have working in cinematic sound design and teaching yourself to use various electronic hardware influenced your sound?

Studying and working in post-production audio gave me a leg up when it comes to creating, recording, and crafting new sounds from unexpected sources. A huge part of the way I make sound is by recording noise with a field recorder and then editing, affecting, and completely obliterating it with hardware, or in the computer. This process makes it so I discover new sounds I haven’t heard before, and that’s what I think makes a track exciting to me. From there it’s all about keeping a certain mood or vibe that is consistent throughout my body of work.

How would you describe your aesthetic - what are the influences behind it?

My sound is Moody, hard, dark, sometimes strange, and often cinematic. I pride myself in the textures I use in my music. Going to festivals such as Mutek [Montreal] and CTM [Berlin], and clubbing in cities like Berlin have really influenced the direction of my sound. Also the artists of Montreal have had a huge impact on me. Every musician I collaborate with ends up influencing my sound somehow. I try to be a musical sponge as much as possible.

You were joined at Exposé Noir by the other half of MMSI - the Montreal techno veteran, Mateo Murphy. How did you begin collaborating and Performing together?

I own a barbershop in Montreal and Mateo had come for a beard trim. We ended up talking about Techno and quickly realized that we are very much on the same page when it comes to making music. It was him that looked at me and said “Maybe we should start making music together.” I was like “Hell yes !!” It’s been a real treat working with him. He has a lot of experience, so it’s been awesome learning from his point of view. He’s influenced me already so much. As far as I know he hasn’t done much or any live techno performances before our project, so it’s been a lot of fun going on that adventure together.

It’s also way less stressful performing with someone else that you have confidence in, because I can take a few seconds to catch my breath while he takes over and vice versa. It’s also way more exciting because one of us will end up playing something new and surprising, which then creates a little inspired moment to go in a New direction. When you’re playing alone it’s too easy to know exactly what’s going to happen and make the same moves over and over. Those inspiring surprised moments are what makes performing live so much fun.

What upcoming projects are you looking forward to - both for Stereo_IMG and MMSI?

With Stereo image I have a 6 song EP coming out in collaboration with Pheek. I am really excited about it because it’s a dark cinematic twist to his textural sound design. There isn’t a single track that fits within a specific genre of music and yet I feel like they tell a story. I love working with him because he’s a minimal producer and we approach techno from a completely different perspective, but when we meet in the middle something interesting happens.

With MMSI the next step is to start releasing productions. We have a ton of music in progress that we’ve been experimenting with, but at the moment there’s no real release date for these.

Deep Digs

1. Most acoustically-challenging track you’ve come across

Andy Stott - North to South

This is an oldie but a goodie. Every time I relisten to the album this track is from I love it more. It’s just super squished, dark, odd and frankly genius.

2. A recent track you’ve found and immediately loved

J&L - Ramayana chant / ESHU007 (original mix)

The texture and mood of this track is everything I love about sound design in electronic music.

3. A track that you’re most excited to play for your next set

Anything from my TEK_series. It’s a collection of tracks I’ve made for the dance floor specifically. Even though I play all my sets live and mostly improvised, I try to throw one or two of these in a set just to see how well they do.

4. A track that embodies the beauty and elasticity of electronic hardware

Ben Frost - Eurydice’s Heal

The whole album was played live on hardware and showcases how emotional and non formulaic electronic music can be.

5. An under-appreciated track

Pact Infernal - Circle Vii (Violence)

This song and this whole album are super poetic and creative. It’s a dark journey that’s geniously executed.

6. What you listen to when you wake up / start your day

The Funkees - Slipping into Darkness

Not electronic music at all haha. I’m loving retro Afrobeat right now. It’s a good start to your day and I’ve been inspired to incorporate some of the rhythmic ideas in my dance music recently. The best inspiration comes from unexpected sources.