Get the latest gossip

Barry Can’t Swim Has Already Achieved His Dreams — What Comes Next Is Less Obvious

Scottish electronic producer Barry Can't Swim discusses his second album, 'Loner', out July 11 via Ninja Tune.

He went into Covid relatively unknown, but emerged with a sizable audience streaming his productions, which delivers some of the thrills of house music — brisk tempos, predictable and pleasurable cycles of build-and-release — in tight little packages that also make them appealing to listeners who don’t frequent the genre. “Kimbara,” released in April 2024, samples one of the most famous salsa records of all time, trading in the intricate rhythms of Celia Cruz ’s original “Quimbara” with Johnny Pacheco for the eternal comfort of four-on-the-floor. (He does tour with musicians though — a ferocious live-drummer, a synth wizard and four string players to add “depth and richness and warmth.”) But as a successful producer performing at bigger shows and events that appeal to a crowd that may not know much about dance music — he’s got more than a dozen festivals lined up this summer, including Lollapalooza, Glastonbury and All Points East — he is now subject to a different kind of pressure.

Get the Android app