Somni Weighs In with Gravity

Somni Weighs In with Gravity: Somni is the solo project of UK-born, L.A.-based artist Leo Shulman. He first got interested in electronic music when he was in high school.

“I’d already been recording my guitar ideas for a few years in an old version of Logic Pro that my dad had on his computer, but started really realizing the possibilities of music software and sampling when I heard stuff like Portishead, Amon Tobin, and then later Flying Lotus with his album Los Angeles,” he says. “I remember it blowing my mind that one person could create such weird, complex music by themselves just on a computer. So I started trying to get weirder with it, using different types of FX, reversing and chopping up different types of samples and it just went from there – I was obsessed.”

Somni describes his sound as a blend between the L.A. beat scene sounds that inspired him to start producing seriously (“stuff like Flying Lotus, Shlohmo, Teebs etc”), mixed with more of an indie/alternative sound.

“I’ve always been really into folky singer songwriters and alternative/indie from the ’90s and 2000’s like Elliott Smith, Modest Mouse, Radiohead, along with some older stuff like Simon & Garfunkel, Townes Van Zandt, The Beatles, etc,” he says. “I think I’ve been trying to tie these two worlds together for a long time now, which is why my vocals and songwriting are so prominent on this newest album, Gravity.”

Somni’s latest release is Gravity.

“I was working on Gravity on and off over the course of about two years, from late 2020 to late 2022,” he says. “The whole process was kind of like a therapy session for me — figuring out what you have to say and coming up with lyrics is a whole different process than making just instrumental music. I wanted to make an honest album that really reflected where I was in life and how I was feeling, and when you sit and just force yourself to write it can be surprising what comes out of you – a super cathartic process. I think I had a lot of stuff bottled up and I kind of unloaded all my fears and doubts and struggles into this thing so it’s a weird feeling to have it out in the world, on display for everyone to see.”

“I think overall Gravity is about dealing with the weight of life,” he continues. “Dealing with anxiety, depression, fears of getting older, losing touch, trying to figure out who you are and realizing the way that the world is set up, and that the cards may be stacked against you. Trying to grow as a person and feeling the forces of the world pushing back against you, whether it be external sources or internal. I recorded Gravity at my little studio space in North Hollywood – it’s basically just a 12’ x 15’ room with no sunlight and a bunch of music gear and instruments. Most days I would lock myself in there and keep chipping away at the project until I couldn’t anymore. Once everything was mostly done and sounding good to my ears, I took a trip up to the Bay Area to do final mixdown with my buddy Josh Jacobs (aka Surfer Dave) – it always gets to a point where my ears are too used to the songs because I’ve been working on them for so long, and he always notices little details that I’ve overlooked and helps me fine tune the mixes. We’ve done this for all three of my albums and I’m super grateful for him and his magic ears. It was then mastered by another friend of mine, Dan Braunstein. The visual art direction was all a collaboration between me and my wife, Veronica. The whole thing was very much a family affair.”

He left the UK for L.A. with his family when he was eight.

“I can’t really speak on the scene [in the UK] from a personal standpoint,” he says. “But I do know that the underground electronic/beat scene in L.A. has always had a special relationship musically with the stuff coming out of the UK. Lots of bouncing back and forth across the pond for a few decades. UK guys like Four Tet, Aphex Twin, and Amon Tobin, along with the dubstep and bass scene out there I think were a big inspiration to what became the LA beat scene (of course along with more hip hop guys from the US like J Dilla, Madlib, etc). And then I think guys like James Blake, Airhead, Mount Kimbie etc. sort of played off what was happening in LA and did their own version of it but more within the context of the UK bass scene. Daddy Kev’s weekly Low End Theory night (and his new Scenario night) was always filled with UK bass sounds alongside the beat stuff – I think it’s cool that there’s been so much cross pollination between the two places.”

Looking ahead, Somni has plenty planned for 2024.

“Since I finished Gravity I’ve been trying to be more open and collaborative,” he says. “It feels good to take a break from my hiding place for a bit. Lots of new projects coming up with friends of mine like Joe Nora, Harris Cole, Dylan Thomas Griffin, and a bunch more I’m probably forgetting. I’ll probably be back to working on new solo stuff again soon though, I’m definitely starting to feel that itch!”

Somni Weighs In with Gravity: Somni’s Gravity is out now.

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