Ian Bradley was born just outside of Washington D.C., in Rockville, Maryland, where he trained as a guitarist and pianist for the majority of his youth. Heavily influenced by the grunge rock, jazz and classical music that surrounded him, it wasn't until his late high school and college years that Ian delved into the history of hip-hop and electronic music.

UDR: You seem to have a clear vision. What draws you to this sort of darker, atmospheric approach to hip-hop?

SLOUCH: I started producing around four or five years ago... it was for a hip-hop group when I was in college. I had a problem back then... the emcees I worked with would always say, "it's good, but we can't rhyme over this." It was true. Too much delay, too much reverb, too many layers. I tried to simplify it, but the tracks would compound and build so quickly when I worked, I couldn't stop. Eventually, I realized that I loved hip-hop, but I had something more to say with the production. I guess that 'something' is where the name 'Slouch' came from. A lot of hip-hop demands a kind of personable, simple energy that just wasn't in me. For me, the name has to do with a weight on your shoulders or a pause in your mind... this kind of soaking-in of a moment and place with a drag in your step. I think it's something I picked up from the grunge era. I was always a sucker for the meloncholy pictures painted by those guys. Alot of these tracks are stories about people, and a good amount are romantic in nature, especially on 'Varistor'. This kind of cinematic, visual side is my favorite part. The best thing about making a track is finding out what it will 'look' like in a way. If the iTunes store would let you have an album cover for each track, I'd do it. As for the sound of it all, technical aspects come from all over. AFX, Bonobo, Krush and Shadow were my musical life for years. I couldn't get enough. Then Prefuse and these guys show up... and that was it. It got really solidified around then.

UDR: What was the impetus for your (solo) debut LP 'Viva'?

SLOUCH: 'Viva' is the first collection of work that I felt could really make a statement. It took years to evolve, but only some of the work from the last year had made the cut. I guess any debut can be tough. In your mind you see what you want, and eventually you just kind of have to make a move. I felt these tracks had that spark. It's kind of like letting you're first born go off to college or something. You wonder, did I do enough? ...but the response has been overwhelming. My goal with the album, since it's my first, was simply to reach people. If I can get a reaction, I can keep moving. I would anyway, but I thrive off knowing that people can relate to the mood... that it's taking them somewhere. Beyond that, I was pretty much exploring. Alot of the tracks here kind of made themselves, but there were plenty of roadblocks. You have to learn to trust your instincts. I wasn't surrounded by people or any crew that was into the genre, whatever this genre is, for that entire year. I had friends who were into house, commercial hip-hop, indie rock... other than the drum and bass heads, no one really knew how to take the sound, and that can get to you. Providence wasn't the venue. You get questions like, "So what are you trying to do with the music?" and you just say, "I already did it. You're hearing it. Screw this. I'm going to Brooklyn."

UDR: The follow up EP, 'Varistor', seems so closely related to 'Viva'. Is this continuity deliberate?

SLOUCH: 'Varistor' is basically volume two. And yeah, I definitely want continuity. There's a story running through these albums that has to do with my life... music, relationships, and so on. I don't expect everyone to get it, but it's there. I've gotten responses from people online who've written me because they knew exactly what I was talking about, which was kind of crazy. I started Varistor this past Spring, a lot was changing. A varistor is a component in electronics that keeps circuits from frying when they're overloaded, pretty much what the album was. As far as the differences, Varistor's just more focused. I learned a lot from Viva that I channeled in one direction this time around. I think now it's time to open it up again.

UDR: You're moving from Providence to Brooklyn... What motivates your decision to move? What are your expectations?

SLOUCH: I just moved to Brooklyn about a month ago. I guess my goal for coming here was, first, to get the hell out of Providence... 5 years was enough for me. Second, to be around likeminded people and a larger scene. There's an insane amount of stuff going on here, and no shortage of opportunity. The electronic production scene is so saturated nowadays, I felt if I'm going to do this, it has to be in person. Everybody and their little sister, and their little sister's stuffed animal has a myspace page. So besides getting better, you're only advantage is to show up, network, and build with people. I'm in the middle of shopping 'Varistor' to people, looking for someone who can really push it. I've got an offer, we'll see how it goes. I'm just looking forward to getting on tour and onto the next level.