Roots Artefact Interview I NuNorthern Soul Artist Q&A
- Phat Phil Cooper
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Roots Artefact returns to NuNorthern Soul with Rocking Boat EP, a six-track collection of Balearic dub, warm downtempo rhythms, coastal textures and spacious, effects-heavy production.
The project comes from Estonian producer Saimon, founder of Strictly Dub Records and Seafront International, who first appeared on NuNorthern Soul with Different Perspective. A year on, Rocking Boat EP continues that journey, blending his deep love of dub and reggae culture with sun-soaked instrumentation, crisp drum work, steady basslines and atmospheric sound design.
From the slow-motion title track “Rocking Boat” through to the funkier, floor-ready closing cut “Seafront Blues”, the EP sits comfortably in that NuNorthern Soul space between dubwise weight, Balearic warmth and everyday soundtrack music.
To mark the release, we caught up with Saimon to talk Tallinn, King Tubby, basslines, studio routines and how Roots Artefact found its way into the NuNorthern Soul world.
Where are you in the world right now, and what does a typical day look like when you’re making music?
I’m in Tallinn, Estonia — my hometown. A typical music production day usually starts around 11:00–12:00. When I sit down at my home studio setup, I like to have all my morning duties out of the way so nothing interrupts me while I’m making or mixing music.
If I head to a studio — for example, to record instrumental lines where the acoustics are better — that’s usually around 2:00–3:00 in the afternoon, leaving the rest of the day and evening free for studio work. That would be my perfect music day. Sometimes it’s just 15 minutes in the evening to write down an idea. Other times it’s two or three hours at the weekend to finish an older project. It mostly depends on the situation.
Do you remember the first piece of music that genuinely stopped you in your tracks?
King Tubby – “Iyahta”, from the album Dub From The Roots.
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time — without using genre labels?
Something raw and unpolished, built around a stable bassline, crisp drumbeats, and thoughtful melodies, enhanced with effects like filters, delay, and reverb.
What usually comes first for you: a feeling, a rhythm, or a melody?
It usually starts with a bassline melody, followed by the drumbeat. Melodies are secondary and come later, once a strong drum and bass foundation is in place.
What draws you to the NuNorthern Soul world, and how does it align with how you approach music?
I think it’s the way NuNorthern Soul represents its work online. The label is very active and constantly releases music that fits into everyday life — almost like an “everyday soundtrack”.
Another important factor for me is that George Solar is an artist on the label. I discovered NuNorthern Soul through the Los Rayos del Sol EP, but at the time I never imagined I’d step into a downtempo or Balearic production mindset, or that Phil Cooper would sign my tracks to his record label.
Is there a particular time of day, place, or state of mind where your music feels most at home?
This is a tough question, because I write music from images in my head. It could be a small flashback from a recent holiday, or a walk through the city suburbs. I hope my music can become a soundtrack for a whole day for someone — I’ll let the listener decide.
What are you listening to at the moment that might surprise people?
As a reggae lover, I listen to a lot of reggae and try to discover releases I haven’t heard before. I also listen to many other genres, like Latin, jazz, funk, and of course trip-hop and downtempo. Right now, I’m listening to Willie Bobo – “Spanish Grease”.
When someone finishes listening to your music, what do you hope lingers with them?
I hope it leaves a pleasant feeling — even if the listener forgets the tracks later.
Roots Artefact – Rocking Boat EP is out now on NuNorthern Soul.
Listen / buy : https://nunorthernsoul.lsnto.me/nuns078
Alongside the release of Rocking Boat EP, Roots Artefact has also delivered a new mix for the NuNorthern Soul All Stars series.
This time, Saimon goes back to the source with a strictly reggae and dub selection pulled from his own dusty vinyl shelves. Across 90 minutes, he moves through favourite versions, instrumentals and songs from the very late 1960s through to the 1980s, keeping things easy, deep and full of space.
The mix touches on roots, dubwise pressure, rub-a-dub versions, UK roots, beautiful vocal moments and a light dose of effects. Rather than going too heavy, Roots Artefact keeps the mood warm, meditative and grounded — a vinyl-only journey through the records that helped shape his move from reggae and dub culture into the wider Balearic and downtempo world.
A perfect companion to Rocking Boat EP, and a deeper look into the musical foundations behind the Roots Artefact sound.
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