Tambores En Benirras Interview | NuNorthern Soul Artist Q&A
- Phat Phil Cooper
- Feb 7
- 6 min read
We’ve always been more interested in the person behind the music than the algorithm around it.
This series is simple.
Same questions.
No fluff.
No marketing speak.
Just honest answers from the artists who make up the NuNorthern Soul world.
Where are they when they create?
What was the first record that hit them properly?
Does the groove come first or the feeling?
What are they listening to when no one’s asking?
NuNorthern Soul has never been about hype or chasing whatever’s trending this week.
It’s about music with depth, atmosphere and emotion.
Music that works at sunrise, sunset, on headphones, alone, or somewhere in between.
These Q&As give a bit more context to the records.
A glimpse into the process.
The mindset.
The small details that don’t always make it into a press release.
First up is Tambores En Benirras
Where are you currently located and what’s a typical day like for you when you’re making music?
I’ve just landed back from a busy week working in Amsterdam and I’m currently home in Barrow. I’ve just finished the third Tambores En Benirras studio album in the last month which will be released later in 2026, and it’s always good to put the final touches together in Amsterdam.
I’ve had a couple of DJ residencies there for over ten years and spend a lot of time there, especially in winter. It’s also a place I use to work on music — more the arrangements and the less glamorous parts — but I have spots where I can lock myself away and focus. Escapism is essential for me when composing. The Tambores En Benirras sound is built on escapism, and I need to physically escape to find the place where the music can begin to materialise in a coherent way.
A large part of the new album was made in Cala San Vicente in Ibiza, and much like the last record, the surroundings impart their own character into the work.
The music is very personal and I pay close attention to detail, so I need to be in the right physical and mental space to get the best from it. I make a lot of music on the move — laptop and keyboard wherever I go — so I can hole up and get ideas down.
Inspiration comes from escapism, changes in culture, climate and people. That shapes the music and gives the emotion I’m trying to capture its own flavour and accent. I’ll find or create sounds that express the mood, then develop them as the track evolves, always keeping the original feeling and surroundings as the foundation.
Later down the line I’ll use more traditional studio spaces to work on the mix. My dream studio is no longer, but I have a few choice pieces left and they always play a part.
Do you remember the first piece of music that genuinely stopped you in your tracks?
There were probably a few moments. Hearing Sam Cooke’s voice for the first time was definitely one — that started a long relationship with soul-based music.
Seeing Jimi Hendrix on black-and-white TV making insane sounds come out of his guitar (using his mouth) caused a rethink too. Another lightbulb moment was noticing Brian Eno’s name on so many of my cousin’s records and realising it wasn’t just the musicians making this amazing thing called music work so well.
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time — without using genre labels?
Across the three (two already released and the third to come later this year) Tambores En Benirras albums I’ve covered a lot of sonic ground, but there are core characteristics. The music is multilayered and detailed, it develops over time, and draws inspiration from classical and progressive arrangements. It can be deeply emotional, blending electronic textures with traditional keys, woodwind and brass.
I like to present each track — and each album — as a journey, with detours, peaks, troughs and plateaus along the way. There’s always energy in the tracks, but I like that energy to turn inward. Each album keeps the core Tambores elements while taking a left turn somewhere. The new record does exactly that.
What usually comes first for you: a feeling, a rhythm, or a melody?
The feeling is everything. I need to be immersed in it before anything else can happen. That’s the hardest part.
I try to isolate myself physically and mentally from everything — TV, internet, people, life, even music — until I reach a place where I can sit inside a feeling. From there, the chords and sounds begin to emerge.
It’s slow, draining and intense. For Tambores En Benirras, rhythm often comes last, if at all. It’s not really dance music — I tend to build groove into the structure rather than relying on drums.
Whether the feeling is dark or positive, the process is the same. You strip everything away, start from nothing, and rebuild. The destruction is the hard part; the rebuilding is where the magic happens.
It takes a lot out of me physically and mentally, but it’s been worth it.
Being blind adds another layer of challenge. It makes achieving what I want technically far more difficult, but that challenge is part of the process. You have to feel emotion in its rawest form to create something that moves others. In that sense, my disability gives me something to push against.
What draws you to the NuNorthern Soul world, and how does it align with how you approach music?
Phil represents much of what I love about music. I trust his taste completely — whether in his DJ sets or the music the label releases.
NuNorthern Soul feels like an extension of him. There’s an esoteric edge to it. It’s not for everyone, and I’m drawn to things that aren’t for everyone.
There’s humility there. The music doesn’t shout for attention — it simply does what it does, and does it exceptionally well. That combination is rare.
For me, there isn’t a better sonic representation of Ibiza and its spirit than what comes out on NuNorthern Soul. Even if the label were based elsewhere, it would carry the same ethos.
Is there a particular time of day, place, or state of mind where your music feels most at home?
I think I make music for people who are alone — or at least alone while listening. It’s contemplative and personal, and it needs full attention.
The fringes of the day feel right — early dawn or dusk — when light and mood are shifting. These last two albums were composed in tranquil, isolated parts of Ibiza, influenced by those daily transitions.
It’s not background music. It’s more headphones on and strap in. Preferably semi-horizontal, with or without a mild intoxicant of choice.
What are you listening to at the moment that might surprise people?
Currently on rotation is my friend Danny Keen’s first solo album, Cake and Solstice. He lives in Amsterdam and we met through mutual friends. It’s a mix of prog rock, ambient, cosmic guitar and modern psych.
I’ve also been listening to a couple of soundtracks on my daily walks — The Testament of Ann Lee by Daniel Blumberg
and Train Dreams by Bryce Dessner.
I’ve got a pile of music waiting until the album dust settles, including quite a bit of Japanese trip hop. I’ve also been revisiting old Edgar Winter Group videos online — highly recommended.
When someone finishes listening to your music, what do you hope lingers with them?
I make contemplative music, and contemplation can lead to reassessment, realisation or acceptance.
People often say the music takes them on a journey. That’s the intention. The journey matters more than the conclusion. I hope listeners can relate their own lives to the ups, downs and plateaus within it.
There’s also hidden detail that reveals itself over repeated listens.
I’ve been through a difficult personal winter, and music kept me grounded. I’d like to think my work can help others stay grounded during challenging times.
The first album carried melancholy with hope. That thread runs through all the Tambores music. The third album holds onto that hope — perhaps even brings it further forward. Hope is always a good thing to leave behind.
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