THE ELECTRONIC CORNER

In today’s episode of The Electronic Corner, we explore the artistic journey of British musician, songwriter, producer, and painter Robin Scott, best known as “M.”
Robin discusses his approaches to songwriting, his shift towards African music, and collaborations with icons like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Thomas Dolby, while also reflecting on the evolution of music production technology.
Last but not least, we get a sneak peek at his new projects.

Sir Joe: Besides being a musician and songwriter, you’re also a producer and painter. Taking for granted that you enjoy all these roles, which one feels the most natural to you?

Robin Scott: Well, I started out as a painter, as it feels most natural to hold a paintbrush.
But then again, the guitar was always with me throughout my painting phases, which eventually led to songwriting. I’m truly torn between the two.
It’s nice to switch between disciplines; when things aren’t going well with music, I can turn to painting, and vice versa.

It might be based on a single line, a full chorus, or simply a thought about a situation you want to respond to, essentially processing an experience while searching for the right words.
Sometimes it begins with a chord progression you like, making the lyrics somewhat secondary, and there are many ways to approach writing a song.
Personally, I tend to explore it from all angles.

SJ: In 1983, you moved away from M and started releasing music under your real name. Was this shift about exploring new musical directions, and what brought you back to M in 2023 with ‘Break the Silence?’

Robin Scott: Well, they say that history has a habit of repeating itself, and I guess that’s what it’s doing now.

SJ: Looking at the musicians you’ve worked with, I see names like Phil Gould and Mark King of Level 42, Thomas Dolby, Yukihiro Takahashi from Yellow Magic Orchestra, and even David Bowie who contributed claps on a track. Did they simply follow your direction, or did they bring their own ideas to the table in terms of arrangements, vibe, and so on?

Robin Scott: I follow my own ideas but it’s also about providing inspiration, I suppose, and then hoping the chemistry develops between us.
That’s the beauty of collaborating with other musicians in a live environment.

SJ: As a producer, you worked also with the other two members of Yellow Magic Orchestra, especially Ryuichi Sakamoto. What led the two of you to release an EP together later on, and what memories do you have of working with him?

Robin Scott: Ryuichi reached out to me after hearing my album ‘Official Secrets’ and sent me one of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s current albums.
He invited me to Tokyo to co-produce his next album, ‘Left Handed Dream’. I spent a few weeks there, which was a fascinating experience, especially since I had to work through a translator because Ryuichi didn’t speak English at that time.
His main interest seemed to be collaborating with Western musicians to explore cross-cultural influences.
While Yukihiro (Takahashi) was involved in the project, it was primarily Ryuichi, who asked if I could introduce other musicians who might contribute to the album. I suggested Adrian Belew, who joined us, leading to several recordings that Ryuichi gave me to develop back in London. I turned these backing tracks into a four-track album called ‘The Arrangement’.
It was a memorable period, and it was clear even then that Ryuichi was a gifted composer. His pieces, even those for commercial TV ads, were intriguing in their own right.
Truly, a wonderful guy to work with.

SJ: You’ve seen a lot of changes in the studio over the years. Aside from MIDI, which is recognized as a huge breakthrough for electronic music, what would you say is the one piece of hardware and one piece of software that had the biggest impact on the recording process?

Robin Scott: Well, it’s pretty obvious to me that the Apple platform, particularly its hardware, has always been supportive of creative people, whether in music or film.
It’s very reliable, and they took on the responsibility of Logic Pro, which is an excellent DAW for songwriters.
So, most of the work I’m currently doing is, at its core, based on Apple.

SJ: What’s your favorite piece of gear to play around with in the studio?

Robin Scott: In the virtual world, I would spend time exploring Native Instruments Kontakt. It’s a magnificent set of plug-ins that’s simply brilliant for having fun with.
For me, it sits perfectly between the guitar and the piano.

SJ: If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently now that you see it might have been the wrong decision?

Robin Scott: With hindsight, we all reflect on the decisions we’ve made in the past. However, without those choices, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
Since I’m happy with where I am now, I believe I must have made the right decisions.

SJ: I know you are recording some new material. Can you give us an idea of what we can look forward to, and will it be released as M?

Robin Scott: It’s difficult to preview music with words, but I would say that each song or piece is part of a voyage of discovery, I never quite know where it will lead.
If something doesn’t grip my imagination, I abandon it and move on to something else.
I’m confident that next year will be promising, with plans to release new material as well as a retrospective project featuring remixes of my first album.
The new music will carry some historical influence but will differ significantly from my past work. M serves as a convenient alter ego, offering me flexibility, so everything will be presented under the Robin Scott M identity.

We say thanks to Robin Scott a.k.a. M for this interview and we look forward to hearing his new material soon!

Don’t forget to visit his official website as well as his Instagram and Facebook page.

You are also welcome to check the other interviews for The Electronic Corner