Ital Tek

Over the past decade, Alan Myson’s Ital Tek has become one of the UK’s most unique and inspiring electronic acts. Danny Turner delves into the inner workings of his sixth long player, Outland

- Danny Turner

Alan Myson’s Ital Tek project has taken an abstract approach to electronic music across the course of six highly original albums for Planet Mu. Hailed by a generation of critics and fans alike, Myson has evolved his sound throughout the noughties, incorporating elements of breakstep, ambient and IDM. He has also been commissioned to produce music for ad campaigns across numerous TV/cable channels and brands including Red Bull, DKNY and Google Glass. In 2018, in partnership with BAFTAwinning studio Roll7, Myson created the original score for the sci-fi video game Laser League. Meanwhile, drenched in textured atmospheric and penetrating melodies, Myson’s seventh Ital Tek album Outland is amongst his best to date.

Take us right back to one of your earliest releases, Terminator 2, on a label called Net Lab. Big Arnie fan?

“I was 18 and I’d just moved to Brighton and started messing around with music. My mates and I thought ‘let’s pick an Arnie film, sample a load of stuff and see what we come up with’. I haven’t listened to that in years, but it’s funny how often I get people saying they like that even if I don’t think it sounds like anything I do now.”

Some might be surprised to learn you preferred guitar to synths and it was using effects pedals that led you into making electronic music…

“That was definitely my first step into instrumental electronic music. When I started making music I was playing guitar in a band and couldn’t afford any gear. Guitar pedals are reasonably inexpensive, so that was my first go at making ‘electronic’ music. I had a looper and some very cheap Korg multi-effects and used to record loads of sound design loops and drones onto MiniDisc.”