Name: Subject 13
Members: David Stewart
Nationality: British
Occupation: Producer
Recent release: Subject 13 teams up with Conscious Route for his new single "Dripping Sauce" on R&S Records.
Recommendations: That's a very hard question as I love so much music and art but two artist stand out that shouldn't be ever overlooked in the culture of the arts.

First off, Miles Davis and his album Bitches Brew. A masterpiece and the greatest jazz album period. It not only transcended jazz but everything we know today … kids from the age of say 4/5 years old need to hear it as it's a timeless work of art that built a platform of spacefull creativity of the highest order. Take time out to understand and enjoy the artist and this album even if you don't like jazz.
2nd and controversy Salvador Dali: Dali inspires me to write music … I'll look at his works through paintings, books and documentaries and get inspired … it happens all the time ... No other artist has that effect on me. It may not work for others but it certainly sparks my creativity. Once again I'd advise most people to check out some form of  great art as it can only enrich you as a person … starting with Salvador Dali, of course.

If you enjoyed this interview with Subject 13 and would like to find out more about the project, visit the official Subject 13 homepage. David Stewart is also on Instagram.  



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

I started really making music around 1990 - a very long time ago ...

First I was djing around local youth centers and school discos and had an out of control habit for buying records born out of my dad's jazz collection of music which I would play whenever he was out the house.

I was fascinated by the sounds and rythmical patterns of jazz instrumentation.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

I definitely see colours when making music. So when I sequence I use the same process on screen by using certain colours for certain sounds and sections. In harmonics there are certain scales and chords and sounds that resonates with my inner soul and it's usually that what I listen to and in many cases replicate in my music.

For example C minor built around D diminished extended. Which actually puts a B in but B isn’t in C minor. This creates a beautiful jazz harmonic to it.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

My development has been both propelled and hampered by my environment

I'm introverted when it comes to making music. So I can shut the world off and allow my expression of my environment to come through into the music. Everyday is a challenge so I take a positive stance to adding those life lessons into my psyche as well as my music.

My voice is heard through my music and I just want it to be a voice of positivity to those who support my art.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

My sense of identity is that of a Black born British Caribbean east ender ... A hybrid and mixture of a few interesting cultures just like my music …

I have high principles and values that I don't compromise. So I'm proud and love who I am and what I stand for.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

The key approach to my music is enjoyment and creativity and individuality ... being unafraid to be myself expressively .

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

Originality is a very hard subjective  thing. As who's to say anything is or isn't original ? I just say be yourself and let others draw their own conclusions and opinions.

As for perfection it doesn't exist but timeless music does and I guess we'd all love to make that constantly. But I'm all about future music with traditional elements modernized.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

My most interesting tool is my massive sound library that I've built over the last 10/15 years alongside various soft synths as I'm not mad on the old analogue (Sorry hahaha).

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

My day consists of rising around 8am, showering, training, then breakfast followed by some business paper work outside of music.

Then onto my music around 3pm to whenever (Such a rock n roll life ehh haha).

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that's particularly dear to you, please?

I can't define my music process through one particular track as I'm very varied in my approach - as it could be a chord or bass or sound fx that sparks my creativity.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

I'm very much a solo producer as I find it very difficult sharing a project as I usually get a clear vision of where I want to go once I've got a idea going …

There's a couple of colabs I do as me and those producers are very much on the same page. But in general I'm solo.

That said, I do love working with live musicians and vocalists of course.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

I work very fast and produce a lot ... on a very good creative day I can create up to 5 tracks and have them finished and mixed by the next day.

I think the role of music is like art in general which is here to uplift and make people feel alive and good about themselves - whether  that be through dance or just listening.

It's our chance to bring some pleasure to the souls of people.

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

It's so true as for me being in a emotional place is where I write best ... breakups / deaths and love and romance affect the mood of my music. However painful or enjoyable that is I always try to capture those moments in sound.

So that whole joy and pain process is important for me as it probably is for most artist but not everyone embraces that.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?  

Music and science are always stuck together but the soul is the glue.

We know maths is music so I think we'll only see greater advances through technology in music and we should embrace it all but always strive to make sure the human elements of soul lay at the core of music.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

Music is unique to humans as other species on this planet unfortunately dont have the pleasure to make it … Not to say other species cant enjoy it as I'm sure they can. But music is a emotional component that allows us to feel and express in a uniquely different way and one which majorly differs from other ways of expression.

Also music is one of the great mysteries to why it can make us feel the way it does. Sure we can scientifically explain it but the very birth of its existence and how we came to actually make it is a god given mysterious thing.