Introducing: The Null Club

Best known for his work with Gilla Band, Alan Duggan is stepping into the spotlight with his debut solo EP-an electrifying fusion of noise, techno, experimental hip-hop, and post-punk. Following the buzz around his debut single Slip Angle featuring Valentine Caulfield of Mandy, Indiana, Alan’s upcoming self-titled EP, out April 4th, sees him pushing sonic boundaries alongside collaborators like Faris Badwan (The Horrors).

Created in his home and studio in Dublin, this project marks a turning point for Alan-a raw, DIY exploration of sound, built from vintage synths, drum machines, and layered textures. Independently released on a hand-stamped 12” white label, the EP embodies both creative control and an uncompromising vision.

With a run of intimate live shows lined up across Ireland and England, Alan is set to bring this sonic experiment to life, armed with an arsenal of synths, pedals, and noise machines. This is a project born out of passion, curiosity, and the thrill of artistic reinvention—and it’s only the beginning.

1.   "Frameshift" started as an instrumental before E L U C I D came on board. How did that collaboration come about, and how did his contribution shape the final track?

I had worked with ELUCID on his last album Revelator. I produced the track RFID. He had reached out to Gilla Band to say hey and I jumped at the opportunity to work with him. I’m a massive fan! I sent a few track his way. With Frameshift, I sent this to him very late in the day with regards to this EP. It was already mixed and mastered. The track has basically always been the same structure. but it never felt complete as an instrumental. When ELUCID did his verse over the second half, I felt that it really brought the whole track to another level.

2.   Your debut EP blends noise, techno, experimental hip-hop, and post-punk. What drew you to explore these genres outside of Gilla Band, and how does this project differ creatively for you?

I guess with Gilla Band we do touch on a lot of those genres, but maybe not in a clear way. With The Null Club though, I was able to lean into those genres in a more deliberate way. Like hip hop has always been an influence on Gilla Band - particularly in terms of heady heavy handed production. But with this EP, working with an artist like ELUCID allowed me to lean into elements of the genre that I couldn’t before. Creatively, the main difference was creating all the elements of the tracks minus the vocals by myself. But the process is actually quite similar. With Gilla Band we usually get a beat going and layer different instruments and sounds on top. This is basically how I worked with this EP. Just using old drum machines and synths and layering up sounds.

3.   You’ve worked with artists like Valentine Caulfield, E L U C I D, and Faris Badwan on this EP. How did you choose your collaborators, and what did they bring to the project?

All of this happened very naturally. The opportunity to work with these artists came up because a lot of them reached out to Gilla Band. With Val, I reached out to her directly, but we had met at a show before and had some upcoming tour dates booked together so it all felt very familiar. I think they all bring something very different to the project. They’re all very different artists, operating in different genres, so the sensibilities that they bring can feel quite distinctive. It was very educational working with them. Feel like I learned a lot.

4.   You’ve taken a hands-on approach, from production and instrumentation to releasing the EP independently with your wife. How important was it for you to have full creative control over this release?

Extremely important. I honestly wouldn’t be able to work in a situation where I didn’t have full control over what the final masters were. I am all up for collaborating and I really like taking advice on board from people I trust. I think that is really important! But I could never work with a label that said “you have to make music like this”. That world is just something I’m not interested in.

5.   Your live performances promise to rework the tracks using synths, noise machines, and looping techniques. What can audiences expect from your solo shows, and how do you translate your studio work into a live experience?

I imagine it will be fairly loud, intense, and noisy. But anyone who has been to see Gilla Band probably wouldn’t be too surprised by that. I am mainly aiming to rework those tracks in a way that feels natural and live. It’s kind of like remixing the tracks on the fly. I’ll have elements of the recordings as samples and will be manipulating those sounds. There will be an improvisational element to the whole thing. I’m definitely taking inspiration from live techno set ups from artists like Surgeon.