Earlier this year, London electronic artist Rudi Zygadlo made his grand return with a new project, taking on a different, and much more guitar-focused sound. 'Selotape', his first single under this new direction, offers a bold, quick-fire introduction with its big pounding drums, vamping poly synth and crunchy guitar lines, not to mention the anthemic vocal refrain that sticks much like the song title. With the release of 'The Ditch', his second single this year which is described as 'a sly, tragicomic romp', we catch up with Rudi to find out more about the track and its video, plus what he's been up to in this strange period of lockdown.

On The Ditch and its accompanying video
The song is about making love in a ditch, making music during the plague, making hay while it rains, wearing rose-tinted glasses in the eye of the tempest and daydreaming about Bruno Mars' Gucci shoes. The video features semaphore artist Donald Trump, a gasping University Challenge contestant, a variety of fearsome backing singers and, towering high above them all, the great Mars himself.

On his first single Selotape
When I wrote 'Selotape', it felt like I'd done something naughty. As soon as I'd finished it I wanted to get it out there, before I had time to second guess it. Its short, immediate, irreverent and loud and seemed like the appropriate place to start. How did people react? To my face, no one disliked it. I suspect some of those who hadn't heard from me for a while may have been unpleasantly surprised.

On the connection between his new material and his older releases
I think it connects in spirit if not sound pallet. I've always wanted my music to be mischievous, unexpected and florid. 'The Ditch' is kinda traditional in many ways but it's definitely got my veins running through it.

On current projects and future plans
There is a full length. It's really wild. That should see the light of day in the autumn sometime. I have scored a feature film by Oscar winner Timmy Yip with my friend George Ramsay. We are in a private band together. I am writing a sitcom with my friend Reza Flynn which is somewhere in the realm of pre-production.

On what he's been doing during this current period of lockdown
Making music videos, reading books, drinking wine, washing infrequently, walking in wormwood scrubs, calling everybody in my phone book twice, thrice, chicken soup with rice, watching Mastermind, Masterchef, Only Connect, Uni Chal, making a dent in a film list.

On his plans post-lockdown
I want to play some shows please.

'The Ditch' is out now. Watch the video and follow Rudi Zygadlo on Facebook.