Q+A: SAL DULU

Producer Sal Dulu based in Dublin, Ireland, takes us on a journey through his debut album, Xompulse. Dulu, with features from Starhh, Fly Anakin, and Koncept Jack$on, brings us a dream-filled downtempo hip-hop album with a touch of the late-night ambience sound. Each track tells a story of its own; both personable and broad, allowing you to develop your own interpretations of it. We had the opportunity to ask Sal Dulu via email questions about his space-filled, dreamy debut, his early inspirations, and what his new fans should know about him.

Photo: Fergal Styles

Can we get an introduction to who you are? 

I’m an electronic music producer from Dublin, and I’ve just released my debut album Xompulse.

When did you officially know you wanted to produce music?

I basically knew that I wanted to pursue music as soon as I started playing guitar. I started learning at around 11 and I became really committed to it. I practiced all day and was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix and John Frusciante. In hindsight, I feel fortunate that I got into music quite young and that I stuck with it. Over time I started dabbling with other instruments and then I eventually started getting into production at around 20 and that's when I began the transition into electronic/hip-hop music.

Growing up in Ireland, what kind of music were you exposed to as a child?

My parents always had 60’s rock playing in the house and in the car so I was exposed to a lot of that sort of stuff growing up. Bands like the Rolling Stones, The Doors, and people like Van Morrison and Bob Dylan were always playing during my formative years which had a big influence on me musically. I hung out with my older cousins a lot growing up and they would always have MTV on, so I was also listening to a lot of 90’s guitar music.

Speaking of Ireland, we never get a chance to hear about the hip-hop scene around there. Currently, the UK's Drill scene is making big waves, but I have to ask, does Ireland have a certain sound or scene that you think people should check out? 

Yeah, there's a lot of buzz in Ireland at the moment, with new hip-hop acts coming up all the time, which is exciting. I moved abroad in 2014 and only returned to Dublin last year so I’m not that qualified to talk about the scene at length, but it's great to see it constantly evolving.

You just released your debut album Xompulse, can tell me where you came up with the idea of that title?

“Xompulse,” the title track was the first song I made for the album, so the album title spawned from that. It’s a made-up word that I guess I based off the word Compulsion. Xompulse, basically means to overcome adversity through music and creativity.

What was the process behind making Xompulse?

I think it took around a year to make the album. I worked on it mainly at night and throughout the early morning hours. My life was pretty chaotic during the making of it as when I am fully focused on making music, I tend to neglect other aspects of my life, so my sleeping pattern went out of whack and I was nocturnal for a good few months. It was a slow and gradual process with highs and lows, but I got there in the end.

Was there a certain theme or certain style you were going for while making your debut album?

I wanted to make an album free from genre constraints, fusing together different elements of ambient, classical, and electronic hip-hop. The album is essentially a reflection of the past with the songs representing different memories.

Is there anything you think your newer fans should know when listening to your music?

It's an experimental album and stylistically varied so it might need a few listens to get into it.