Musician Murlo on creating worlds

Murlo talks to CR about storytelling, balancing music production and visual art, and the mythical references behind his last album, Dolos

An artist can mean something different depending on who you ask. For some, it’s a person who wields a paintbrush; for others, it’s a recording artist. For many, it’s anyone who creates, no matter the discipline. There’s no ambiguity where Murlo concerned – he’s all of these.

Murlo was always creative growing up, which paved the way to him studying art at university as well as picking up DJing and music production. Now based in the East Midlands in the UK, he is equal parts visual artist and music producer, splitting his time depending on “whatever really catches my attention first”. Working in both disciplines along with doing live performances and running his label, Coil Records, daily life is something of a balancing act for Murlo, who packed in nine hours of drawing each day during the months leading up to his new AV shows.

Alongside his musical journey, Murlo’s visuals have evolved from static images to animations – a skill he’s recently picked up again – and last year he held a solo exhibition through Red Bull, which delved deeper into his artistic practice. “That was a moment where I kind of really jumped in headfirst,” he tells us. Earlier this year, he unveiled his multidisciplinary project Dolos, which took the form of a 15-track album, a series of artworks, and a graphic novel. Together, they weave an enticing narrative that opens a door into his world – one that’s forever expanding.

As he continues to tease new releases on Coil, we caught up with the artist to find out more about his creative process, constructing his vision through various mediums, and finding time to do it all.