One of the outright titans of modern electronic music, Jon Hopkins has transcended those limiting labels of ‘IDM’ and ‘electronica’ with records such as 2013’s Immunity and 2018’s Singularity breaking through his unique, emotive work into the ears and minds of a huge array of listeners. If he was said to have a watchword, 'humanity' would be it.
We were fascinated then, when rifling through our old archive of vintage Computer Music magazines, to uncover an interview we did with Jon from way back in 2009.
At that point, Hopkins had just finished working with Coldplay on their massive Viva La Vida album (which interpolated Hopkins’ track Light Through the Veins for its opening and closing track).
Jon was keen to tell us in detail about his then relatively humble production set-up. At that time, it orbited Magix’ Sound Forge.
Perhaps most fascinating are the questions that round out the interview, asking Hopkins what he wants to do next. “[To] make stranger things, to go more deviant musically,” Hopkins foreshadowed. “The whole electronic music thing is great now, but I want to avoid the immediate trends, so there will be no trace of the 80s! I listen to it and love it, but I don’t want to follow anything.”
It seems Jon certainly kept that philosophy in mind when making his 2010s masterpieces.
Below is the full, unedited interview.
