Grum Sheds Light on the Evolution of His Sound and the Fate of Nu-Disco

Since nu-disco first broke into the North American nightclub scene, Grum is a name that most of us have become well-acquainted with. The Scottish producer, known for creating some of the catchiest beats with '80s pop and disco flavours, has been working steadily to produce an aesthetic sound for his fans and new followers throughout the past four years. With the release of his latest single "The Touch," Graeme Shepherd has been receiving on-air support from Annie Mac, Pete Tong, Above and Beyond, Danny Howard, and more. I caught up with a sweaty and energized Graeme over Skype after his show in Toronto at Uniun nightclub on July 18th.

I'd followed Grum since he first reached our shores, so I was curious to hear what his thoughts were on the decline of the nu-disco. "This always happens with genres. When [a genre] becomes fully formed everything is defined and so it gets a bit boring. That's why I had to change what I was doing," he explains.

Earlier this year, Graeme dropped "Tears," an undeniably progressive-inspired tune with a deep disco root. "It just felt like a natural evolution… I was looking at the big room sound that has gained popularity over the last couple of years and I'd say the only guy who's delivering quality is Eric Prydz. It was really good electronic music. That idea appealed to me and I just decided that's the way I wanted to go. I felt really influenced by it so I started making it." As Grum has mentioned in previous interviews, his goal for producing music wasn't to stick religiously to French disco house, it was to create an emotional response for his fans.

I raised the topic of feedback on his music and was surprised about just how open he was with his music. When you ask many producers, they don't trust the opinion of anyone. Graeme on the other hand takes a much more lenient approach. "I've got a few close friends I try to send stuff to," he explains, "because you meet a lot of people who think everything you do is great, but you need some constructive criticism, so I have a couple friends I trust for that."

Not only has Graeme been getting support from friends and family, but also from international trance legends, Above & Beyond. The trio welcomed Grum back in February to their Group Therapy Radio for a special guest mix. Despite its revitalized popularity, Graeme is adamant that he won't return to the genre. "It's not really what appeals to me," he says bluntly, "I used to like trance 14 years ago. It would feel weird for me to try to go into that now, but there is definitely an influence in what I'm doing now."

Graeme's upcoming release "Raindrop" is without a doubt his more radio-friendly and accessible to date, but he's careful to point out that the song is "the high point of the album." Unlike Calvin Harris, we shouldn't expect him to abandon his history with disco. Expect more from Graeme within the year as "Raindrop" will be released digitally on August 11th.

You can follow Connie on Twitter: @ConstanceChan

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