Much of Robin Guthrie’s music is inspired by travel. His new E.P., Astoria, is the second part of a journey that began back in July with Atlas. The 4 fresh pieces are further evolutions of his trademark sonic aesthetic, mixing swirling synthetic symphonies with slow guitar picking, waltzing through reverb, in spacious productions rich with warm resonance. The sighing, swooning melodies, wrought from treated, textured 6-string ringing, are impossibly romantic. The compositions describing big shifts in emotion, as they climb from quiet contemplation to cathartic crescendos. Often joined by crashing drum batteries that smash, the cymbals like spray, as if surf, storm waves against breakers. These dramas enacted gracefully, unhurried, in the short space of around 3 minutes.

I did a Zoom with Guthrie recently, which he attended from his studio in Bretagne / Brittany. I asked him if he used a “live” drum kit, since the cathartic crashing sounds like he did. This was one of my favourite parts of the interview because he broke into a huge grin. Quoting Arrested Development, he replied, “Illusions. Illusions Michael. A trick is what a whore does for money. I feel all made up now. I haven’t used a live kit for about 10 years.”

When we later talked about the drum machines used on the Cocteau Twins’ classic Treasure, Guthrie went to a draw and pulled out a string of chips / processors – “That’s the drums off Treasure. I kept that as a little fun momento” – which was also priceless.

Guthrie’s tracks always have clues in their titles, but they’re often cryptic. I was wondering if Jura and Starting Fires related to The KLF’s trip to the remote Scottish island to burn a million quid and spark a capitalist / absurdist / existentialist crisis. The former is a glacial Eno & Lanois-like glide of guitar-generated gossamer glissandi. The latter expands out into a wide screen epic. 

During the Zoom Guthrie told me a story about meeting Eno and Lanois. You see I’d always assumed there was an Eno-Influence on Guthrie’s music. 4AD founder, Ivo Watts-Russell, had arranged the get together with a view to having the respected duo produce the next Cocteau Twins album. Guthrie confessed that he didn’t really know who Eno was at the time. Unaware of the pioneering polymath’s work outside of Roxy Music, and being into punk he wasn’t the biggest Roxy fan. Guthrie said, “I asked them, “What would you do? How would you make it different?”, and they were like, “No, no, we love it. We think it’s great”, and so I was like, “See you. Bye bye.”

Guthrie says he feels a bit embarrassed by this now, and that it might have come across as arrogant, but the incident demonstrates Guthrie’s belief in what he was doing, and the conversation, “Grown up” producers telling him not to change anything, helped to qualify and strengthen his resolve. 

“I don’t like bringing that anecdote out very often, because it makes me seem like a bit of a dick, but it gave me a lot more confidence. I was young, wanting to do it my way, and here were two big people telling me that I was doing it right.”

Guthrie also admits that when Watts-Russell later played him Eno & Lanois’ Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks he was suitably impressed and that it remains one of his favourite LPs. 

Robin Guthrie’s Astoria E.P. is out now on Soleil Apres Minuit.

The full conversation with Robin Guthrie has been divided into two parts. The first, concerning Guthrie’s new music is already online. The second will appear in a print edition of Electronic Sound Magazine early in 2025.