Who is Archangel? It’s a question being asked from those who are locked-in to the subterranean networks of drum & bass.
Across forums and social media, fans have speculated whether he’s an already-established producer in disguise – the level of finesse in his growing catalogue definitely suggests it. In this interview, we set out to get an answer. And we did. Kind of.
Archangel is keen to keep some of the mystery alive. He’s a relative newcomer, but he did confirm he was previously part of a duo. He also comes from a strong musical background – particularly as a guitarist – and that is unmistakable in his productions, which have been coming through thick and fast since 2022 on Fokuz Recordings.
The influences are deep and varied: Religion, visuals of stained glass and sunlight, film scores, and a variety of other musicians are all touchpoints that he describes as shaping his output – which often sounds angelic or spiritual, but in a drum & bass context. Archangel seems to enjoy channeling those experiences into tracks, that he then wants to inspire others with – paying the influence forward.
In his latest EP for Integral Records, we get his finest work so far – six tracks of liquid drum & bass that fit right in on Emma G and Glenn’s (Artificial Intelligence) legendary label, blending loads of soul with a touch of grit. The title track ‘Dark Romance’ does exactly that – weaving smooth vocals with chopped and slowed edits, layering on chimes and the patented, processed guitar plucks and strums.
With a recent release on Halogenix’s Gemini Gemini imprint, and the ‘Dark Romance’ EP on the way on Integral, we jumped on a call with the Lisbon-based artist to learn more about his persona, his artistry, and hopefully reveal a little more of the mystery…
Let’s start from the top – how did drum & bass first come into your life, and how did that eventually lead to the Archangel project?
Drum & bass first came into my life when I was about 17. I’ll never forget it, because I think with drum & bass, if it hits you the right way, it kind of never leaves. For most people I know who have gotten into, it becomes this thing for life.
So true – you’re generally locked in for good.
It all started when I went to visit my brother at university. He took me to this huge house party – one of the most epic I’ve ever been to. It was in this sort of student mansion, with hundreds of people, and it was just drum & bass all night. That was the first time I really experienced it, and I was just totally sold, right away.
That was also around the time ‘Marka’ came out – that track had a huge impact on me. I remember hearing it and thinking, “Holy. Mother. Of. God… what is this?!” After that, it was like an infection – it never left me.
When did production start?
I’d actually been making music since I was about 12 or 13. I got into computers pretty young, and the first thing I gravitated toward was music production software. I think the first proper one I used was Fruity Loops, but before that, I had this thing called Dance eJay – not sure if anyone remembers that!
I’m looking it up now – incredibly 90s-Y2K vibes.
Yeah, it was this super basic DAW from the 2000s, just packed with loops and samples. You’d basically drag and drop different loops to build a track. It was mostly trance and house stuff, really simplified, but I got so into it. I started cranking out albums and genuinely thought I was the god of music after about two weeks.
Making music became something I always did through my teenage years. I went through loads of different artist names and little projects. Then at university, I started focusing more on drum & bass.
There are some things I won’t share though – I saw a Reddit thread where people were trying to figure out who I am, which I found hilarious. I actually quite like keeping a bit of mystery around parts of my past. But what I will say is that I used to be part of a duo. After that ended, I started this new project – Archangel – because I wanted to create something from scratch, something more intentional. From the beginning, it was about building a world, or like a concept, that ran deeper than just the music.
There’s themes around religion and spirituality…
Yes, those were inspired by a moment I had when I first came to Lisbon. I visited the Palácio da Pena in Sintra – people who’ve been to Lisbon probably know it – and at the top of the palace, there’s this small chapel. I walked in and it was kind of dark inside, but sunlight was shining through this stained glass window. The way the light hit the glass, throwing colours across the room – I was totally transfixed. I remember thinking, “How the fuck has someone made something this beautiful?” And yet we never really talk about stained glass. It’s kind of overlooked.
If you’ve seen some of my artwork or visuals, you’ll know I’ve been fixated on stained glass ever since. Not just because it’s visually stunning, but because of everything it represents – the religious and philosophical ideas behind it, the craftsmanship and devotion.
That’s really where Archangel was born. I started making music with those themes in mind – drawing on religion, philosophy, and also my own musical background. I’ve played guitar since I was a kid – my dad’s a guitarist – and when I moved to Portugal, I really got into the local music, especially fado and Portuguese guitar playing. That’s something I’ve been trying to weave into my sound too. So yeah, Archangel is all of that – past influences, new surroundings, and a bit of mysteriousness thrown in there.
So you’d already had a bit of success with your previous collaborative project – or at least a proof of concept, proof of your abilities?
Yeah, it was a good trial run of the music industry.
Right – and that kind of gave you the building blocks for starting Archangel. I was reading those Reddit threads too: “Where has he come from?”, “Why is he so good straight away?” So I guess this explains that overnight success…
Yeah, I think so. I’d also been sitting on a lot of music for a long time. It’s hard to explain, but I think when you start creating – whether it’s music or anything else – you go through this phase where you’re really excited by the idea of validation. You’re sending your stuff to friends and family, saying “Hey, listen to this!”. You just want to share.
I went through that for years. But eventually, I think you mature out of it. You reach a point where you don’t really need that validation anymore – you just fall in love with the craft. That’s where I got to. Making music became more about expressing whatever I was going through – it became this constant, like a diary running in the background of my life.
So by the time Archangel started to take shape, I already had a lot of material. I began rummaging through it all and thought; it needs a home now. People need to hear it.
Guitars seem pretty central to your sound…
Yeah, absolutely. Though interestingly, I actually hold back on using guitar sometimes. When I first started out, I was writing almost everything with guitar because it’s my main instrument — but I found it really hard to make it work over drum & bass. It took me a while to figure out how to make the two gel properly.
Eventually I reached a place where I thought, Okay, this is starting to work – this feels like me. I could hear all my influences and experiences coming through. That’s when I really leaned into it and started writing loads of guitar-driven stuff.
There’s a bit of a gap in the scene for that kind of sound, so I felt like it could work – but I also had some really interesting conversations with Marco from Fokuz about this. He’s such a generous guy with his time – always up for a proper chat.
We talked about how trying to be too unique can actually work against you. It can make things harder in some ways. But for me, those guitar-led tracks are the ones I’m most proud of. They feel central to where I want to take my music – but yeah, I’m approaching it with a bit of caution. Not everyone is into it, and I get that.
I feel like I’m starting to hear more of it now though – artists like Trail, Monty, and that Toulouse scene. They’ve really embraced it.
Yeah, totally! And they do it really well. Their productions are next-level.
Are you mainly using guitar as purely guitar, or do you use it more like a MIDI controller – to play other instruments or sounds?
That’s a good question. Sometimes it is the basis for a whole track, especially because writing melodies and progressions comes most naturally to me on guitar. I know where to go on it instinctively. But honestly, a lot of the time I’m just drawing in MIDI notes on the piano roll. It’s not as romantic to say, but it’s true.
Still, when there’s actual guitar in the track, I’ll obviously play it. It’s definitely part of the songwriting process – just not every time.
And in terms of production more broadly – do you use a mix of samples and MIDI? What’s your usual approach when starting a new tune?
Yeah, it really varies. A lot of producers – like Trail and Monty, again – are super technical. Their work is so pristine and clean. I wouldn’t say I’m at that level technically, and to be honest, I haven’t really focused on the technical side that much yet.
For me, it’s always vibe and emotion first. I usually start with a theme or a feeling – often drawn from whatever’s happening in my life – and then I build around that. I might go on a sample hunt to find something that fits the mood, or I’ll write a progression first and build from there. It changes every time.
What’s probably weird is that I haven’t really learned from YouTube tutorials or Patreon breakdowns like most producers do. It’s all been self-taught. So if someone watched my process, they’d probably be like, What the fuck is this guy doing?
So it’s just you messing around in the DAW until it clicks?
Pretty much. It’s a weird, intuitive process I’ve developed over time – and it’s not based on any kind of textbook method. Like, I’m not obsessing over getting the perfect snare or whatever from the jump. I write the track based on the emotional core, and then I might go back and realise, Okay, the drums are shit, I need to fix this.
That’s something I’d love to improve though. Because when you have two producers who can both write a great song – but one has pristine technical execution – that can really set them apart. As much as I wish it was just about creativity and emotion, production is a technical craft too.
Yeah, I mean that’s why production is so hard – it’s a combo of emotion and creativity with geekiness and grinding away. Kind of rare to possess both!
Exactly. And I think the hardest thing in music production is having a sound in your head – a clear vision – but not having the technical skills to get there. That’s the most frustrating part.
But when you do get past that, and suddenly you can create what you hear in your mind without roadblocks… that’s a special place to be in. That’s when it really clicks. You feel like you can finally express yourself fully, without compromise.
Who would you say are your biggest influences – both inside and outside of drum & bass?
Within drum & bass, I’d say Integral Records have had a massive influence on me. So to now have an EP coming out with them… I still can’t believe it. I’ve followed the label religiously – it’s shaped my sound and most of the drum & bass I listen to is through them.
There are others, of course – Calibre, obviously, who I think is a major influence for almost every liquid producer, and also Halogenix. I really love the darker side of things too.
Outside of drum & bass is where it gets interesting. I think sometimes the genre can fall into patterns – people start reproducing what already exists. But when artists pull in influences from outside, that’s where the magic happens.
For me, there’s this duo – I think they’re called the Gutierrez Brothers – two Mexican brothers who make ambient and instrumental guitar music. Kind of similar in vibe to Khruangbin, if you know them, but with more of a Mexican and Latin guitar influence. It’s super emotional, easy to listen to, but still carries real weight.
And then there’s Gustavo Santaolalla – he composed the music for The Last of Us. He uses guitar in such a raw and emotional way. Even the way he plucks a string – it can be metallic or slightly off, but it’s all intentional, and it just cuts straight to your heart. That level of emotional depth in such minimal playing is something I really admire. I’d love to figure out how to channel something like that into my own music.
Sometimes I imagine playing at something like Warehouse Project and opening with a stripped-back ambient guitar piece that makes everyone pause, like, What is this? And then drop the breaks in after that – that would be the dream.
Do you try to directly sample these influences, or are you more inspired by their vibe and try to recreate it?
Bit of both, to be honest. I do sample a lot – although I try not to give away what I’ve sampled. I’ll leave that for the WhoSampled nerds in the future, if I’m lucky enough to get there.
Jazz plays a big role, especially in the Turning Point EP and a lot of the Fokuz releases. It’s an amazing feeling when you hear a snippet and instantly know what you can do with it – you’re thinking about tempo, break patterns… and before you know it, you’re deep in the DAW while someone’s shouting at you for zoning out.
You mentioned Integral on your influences – tell me more about how the EP came together.
That’s a funny story. I’ve always seen Integral as this unreachable goal. I held artists like Emma G and Glenn from Artificial Intelligence in really high regard – and the label doesn’t publish any contact info, so it felt impossible to reach them.
But I’d been releasing on Fokuz and had built up quite a bit of material – probably a year’s worth backed up – so I decided it was time to shoot my shot. I basically cyber-attacked them, haha – messaged everyone I could find on all platforms. Emma on Instagram and SoundCloud, Glenn, Artificial Intelligence… I definitely overthought it, because they all ended up seeing the messages. I probably only needed to send one!
Did they respond quickly?
They did! The initial stuff I sent caught their attention, and they were super nice. There was some back-and-forth – nothing was confirmed right away – but just knowing I was on their radar gave me a boost. It pushed me to make better music. I locked myself away and made something like 20 tracks, narrowed it down to 8, and sent them over.
From that, ‘Nobody Else’ was picked up first, and then ‘Reconnect’ made it onto their Seventeen& compilation. Then, out of nowhere, they came back and said, “We actually love everything. Let’s do a six-track EP.” I couldn’t believe it. I was expecting maybe two tracks to land. I ran out into the street, losing my mind.
Did you work closely with them on refining the EP?
Yeah – they’re lovely. They know what makes a great liquid tune, and their feedback is always constructive. Sometimes a track is a straight-up “yes.” Other times, it’s just small things – Glenn might suggest adjusting the structure, tweaking when vocals come in, that sort of thing.
Revisiting tracks can be tough sometimes, but because I respect them so much and I’m so hyped to be part of the label, I take it all on board. Their suggestions always elevate the music.
What’s your favourite track from the EP?
Has to be ‘Dark Romance’, which is also the title track. Writing that one was such a beautiful process – I remember dancing around my room for hours when I got the progression right. It was just one of those great days.
‘Reconnect’ is another special one. It captured exactly what I was feeling at the time. And Chapel Song – I love that too. It’s inspired by the Swerve era and has this great vibe where the samples kind of dance around the beat. They’re slightly out of tune, but in tune – you know? That’s where the magic happens.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
That’s a big one. I’ve put so much of myself into this project – the themes, the influences, the emotion. A lot of it is drawn from religion and philosophy, but I also try to bring real life into it.
For example, my track ‘Ten Steps’ starts with a field recording I made while climbing a mountain in Morocco. You can faintly hear my footsteps in the snow, and my voice saying, “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” It’s really subtle, but that kind of detail matters to me. It’s about injecting reality into the music.
That’s something I really admire about artists like Fred again.. – the way he channels real life into his work in a raw, personal way. That’s what I want to do more of: make people feel. There are plenty of subgenres of drum & bass that hit hard in the club, but I’m drawn to the deeper stuff – the kind that makes you stop and reflect.
I want people to feel something spiritual from it. I know that sounds lofty, but for me, music is the closest thing I have to religion. It’s one of the most extraordinary parts of being human – the way sound can make us feel so deeply, from just vibrations in the air. That’s magic.
Absolutely. And finally – anything else coming up?
Yes – I’ve got an EP coming out at the end of this month on Galacy, and more music lined up with Fokuz too. I’ve got a big backlog to get through.
I’m also hoping to do something else with Gemini Gemini. Halogenix is a hero of mine, and what he’s done with that label in just a few releases is amazing. It already has such a strong identity, and I’d love to be part of that.
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