Manchester producer Calvin Whittaker has spent years refining his craft across various aliases, but Viclan marks a deliberate shift into broader, more exploratory territory.
Blending industrial techno, breakbeat energy and electro-funk textures, the project has quickly found a natural home on the legendary R&S Records. With his latest release “Checking In”, a driving, mechanical cut paired with a rework of Casual Violence’s “Briefly Sexual”, Whittaker continues to carve out a sound that is both physical and forward-thinking.
Here, he discusses the origins of the Viclan alias, his creative process, the Manchester and Detroit influences that orbit his music and where he sees the project heading next.
Viclan is a relatively new alias for you. What did you feel this alias could express that Siege or CWS didn’t?
At the time, I had become bored of the stuff I was writing in the studio and wanted to do something different. Initially it was just about making music for myself, whilst trying to incorporate elements from a variety of styles and sub genres that have influenced me, such as Breakbeat, DnB, House, Techno, Electro and Hip Hop to name a few.
I feel this new project allows me to be more creative and musically diverse, whereas the releases under Siege and CWS were primarily just Techno.
How much of Viclan is rooted in Manchester vs. Detroit vs. your own personal sonic universe?
I was born and raised in Manchester, so it’s been a big influence on me musically. The Detroit sound is just one of many styles that have inspired me. The majority of Viclan is rooted in my own personal sonic universe.
How did the connection with R&S Records first come about?
I got a bunch of tracks finished and wanted to send them out, but I literally had no idea which labels to send them to. That’s when I thought of R&S. I sent a demo to one of the A&R team, who then sent it on to the owner Renaat.
R&S has a serious legacy in techno and electro. Did that history shape your mindset going into these releases?
My mindset is to try creating something that is different from the usual. Knowing R&S is a label that releases a diverse range of music and is open to experimentation helped the process.
On “Self Manifest,” there’s a noticeable Detroit DNA fused with industrial funk and breakbeat elements. What drew you to that hybrid?
The tracks I’ve had released so far are what id describe as a fusion of Techno and Breakbeat. I always try to inject some funk into my productions, along with a machine type feel. The Detroit feel of ” Self Manifest ” came later by chance after playing about with the stabs. I liked the slight melodic feel it gave the track.
What Detroit artists do you draw inspiration from?
The usual suspects, Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, Underground Resistance.
“Checking In” feels mechanical and relentless, was momentum the central theme from the start?
For me, the track straddles between Industrial Techno and breakbeat, with the vocals adding a hip hop, street type feel. That was the theme I had in my head with that track.
You reworked Casual Violence’s “Briefly Sexual” for the B-side. What attracted you to that track and how did you approach reimagining it?
Steve is a long-time close friend of mine, we used to DJ and produce together under the name ” Solitude Suite “. It came about by chance really, but I’ve always loved the original track and thought it would be cool to do a new revamped version aimed firmly for the floor.
The press description mentions “mechanical precision” and “taut rhythmic construction.” Do you intentionally design rigidity into your music or does it emerge from your workflow?
A bit of both. Production wise, my style has been described in the past as tight and rhythmic, so it’s intentional in that aspect.
Do you think industrial and electro aesthetics are making their way back into the techno mainstream or have they simply always been present underground?
No not at all, they’ve always been present underground, and for me that’s where they belong. I’ve no interest in anything mainstream.
Where do you see the Viclan project evolving from here?
I’m a DJ first and foremost, that’s my 1st love. I originally got into production and making tracks to help with the Djing so I’m hoping to get back out there and get some bookings. I’ve got some other big releases coming out this year and an album due out soon.
Do you anticipate Viclan becoming a long-term body of work or a specific chapter?
Long term, there’s no other aliases now, just Viclan. All my energy is going into this project from now on.
Any dream collaborators, remixers or labels you’d love to do?
I’m a big fan of Ben Pest, so a collab or a track remixed by him would be cool!
Label wise there’s quite a few I’d love to release on, Ilian Tape, Tresor, Token and Blueprint to name a few!
Your tracks have a very physical, metallic quality. What are your go-to tools or techniques for creating that industrial texture?
No specific bits of equipment really, just experimenting running stuff through various plug-ins whilst recording and seeing what I can come up with. I also like to record and use field recordings.
What role does hardware vs. software play in the Viclan project?
They both play their part, though I’m primarily using software at the moment with a few bits of hardware.
Calvin Whittaker aka Viclan
Do you test tracks in a room before finishing them? if yes how does that feedback change the final version?
Once I have a track I think is finished, I will generally listen to it numerous times on various sound sources before coming back to it the next day with fresh ears. If I’m still happy with what I hear, it’s done. But most of the time I’ll end up tweaking bits or taking things out, then repeating the process until I’m eventually happy with it.
Reworking Casual Violence, how did you decide what to preserve from the original and what to dismantle?
I was actually in the middle of writing a track and I got stuck trying to find a new element. I already had the parts for Briefly Sexual from years ago, so just by chance I started playing about with the vocal and it fitted well with the track so I decided to use it. That’s the point it became a remix and I included 2 other synth parts from the original to complete.
Viclan – Checking In is out now on R&S Records.
