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Music Interviews

Rivilin
Music InterviewsMusic News

Rivilin

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
 
I’m currently based in Brisbane, Australia. Where the music scene has been up and down for the past couple of years,
but currently in the genre of underground rap, the scene in Brisbane has consistently been growing, always incredibly friendly and supportive of one another.
 
How did you first start playing music?
 
I dropped out of a prestigious school and transferred to a music one, this allowed me to gain a rough knowledge of the music industry
and make connections with other people who were into the same type of things as me. I first started playing music when I was in high school,
I bought an expensive microphone I didn’t know how to use and started making vocal covers of my favorite songs.
this lead into me starting a band of my own and doing my best at performing and songwriting.
 
What’s been happening recently?
 
Honestly, not a lot. I’ve just been preparing for my album release on the 21st of Feb and helping out other local artists record, mix and master. and
getting ready for two gigs I have coming up. The first is on the 7th of Feb where I will be supporting the artist Wicca Phase Springs Eternal
with my friends sfweeb, xenochrist and 33scrap. The other on the 23rd of Feb for the release of my upcoming album Ratrose,
with the support of my group CWC and other local artists such as Pale$age and sfweeb again.
 
Your new single ‘Neuroscience’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
 
At the end of 2018 I flipped my car on the top of a mountain, I wanted to express the difficulties of recovering from trauma and losing friends along the way
my main inspiration for the sound is a mix between early Linkin Park, A Lot Like Bird and underground rap such Bones, Sybyr, Night Lovell and Lil Peep.
There are many other inspirations I take from but that would be the main source of influence for the direction I’m taking with my music.
 
How did you go about writing Neuroscience?

I was struggling with the recent trauma of everything that happened last year, so I just locked myself in my room and started to produce and write music.
Most of my songs are more like journal entries with where I was at in that stage of life.
 
Where and when did you recording/produce and who with?
 
I started the song around march last year in my home studio, putting all the sounds together. Everything I’ve recorded on this album including neuroscience has been done by myself
recording, mixing, mastering and even the album art.
 
What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce?
 
I use Ableton, as well as a few keyboards and guitars. I mainly enjoy warping the sounds I make and I find Ableton allows the easiest manipulation of sound files.
I really do like adding found sounds and soundscapes into songs as well, I enjoy trying to capture a place that you can imagine when you’re listening to the songs.
 
Who did you work with?
 
 In terms of creating the actual track, no one. I made everything on my own without any outside influence.
 
You have an upcoming album release on the way, please tell us about this album and what we can expect:
 
The album releases on the 21st of Feb, with the majority of it being dark, none of it covers anything positive. as I stated above the songs on this album are similar to journal entries
they cover the mental state I was in when recording, which honestly I wasn’t in a good place. The songs outline themes of depression, anxiety, loss of loved ones and paranoia.
If you enjoy the dark themes of the first two Linkin Park albums, but with more of a rap vibe, you most likely will like this.
I have three features on the album, Pale$age, and Zabvza which are both local Brisbane artists I’ve performed with, I definitely recommend checking them out if you like dark and gloomy rap,
the other Tr!pp, I don’t know that well personally, but I’ve been working with his crew in America for the past year on a few songs, super supportive dude, I definitely back him as well.
 
Who are you listening to at the moment?

A lot of different stuff to be honest.
 
Regurgitator – Eduardo and Rodriguez Wage War on T-Wrecks
Limp Bizkit – Significant Other
Killstation – The Two of Us Are Dying
Oliver Francis – The Adventures of Oliver Francis
Make Them Suffer – Old Souls
Brennan Savage – Tragedy 
Sybyr – Charleyhorse
and a bunch of bones
What do you like to do away from music?
I play a lot of video games with friends and watch movies.
I spend a lot of my free time either hanging with friends, recording local artists or just producing.
 
What’s planned for 2020?
 
I’m currently in the works of working on the next album after this one and hopefully getting an Australian wide tour
around mid-June to September finally booked. Honestly, most of the plans are just to record, write, have fun and travel with friends.
 
Favourite food and place to hangout?
 
Dumplings and Arizona Ice tea, nothing gets better than that.
Favorite place to hang has to be my friend Pale$ages house, get a few other people over and all we do is chill and play
old ps1 horror games like Silent Hill and Dino Crisis.
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What is your name and role in Heartlake?  Our roles vary between members and expertise, Noah usually spends his time on stage looking at his nicely crafted pedal board, Giac chooses to hit drums as a form of communication following speech therapy in his younger years (true story), Luca tends to play a couple notes on the bass with beer in hand, and Liam is a walking megaphone, whilst struggling with singing/playing coordination.  Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? We’re based in the Northern Beaches, Sydney where there’s plenty young talented bands on the rise, and ones that have established themselves worldwide from the beaches that we all look up to for example Ocean Alley and Lime Cordiale who we supported for a couple shows on their dirt cheap tour in Dee Why 2018.  How did Heartlake form? It all started with Giac, Luca (brothers) and Noah who’ve known each other for many years and shared the same love for music and enjoyed playing Sweet Child O’ Mine on repeat, which led to asking Liam who played football with Luca to front the band about a year in at the end of 2017 and actually beginning to craft an original sound. Your new single ’Watching over you’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting? We had a number of different songs to choose from when deciding which would be the best to hit people’s ears first. We wanted to capture something that got into the hook fast to hopefully grab your attention, and something simple that can be remembered whilst exploring ways to build the instrumentation with a number of different effects to capture a demanding sound. We all have our own individual tastes and ways of playing and writing so therefore we carry a bunch of different influences whether you may hear them in the song or not. Some of these artists include The Wombats, RHCP, Lime Cordiale, Sticky Fingers, Kings of Leon, the 1975.  How did you go about writing watching over you? Liam had come up with a verse guitar part and melody, but we needed something that would bring this together and build into a song. So we built the chorus around the bass hook which we felt created a solid statement and platform into making the general flow of the song clearer. When developing the song in the studio, our aim was to caption an insight into our sound for those listening for the first time and wanting to explore us further.  How did you go about achieving the sound? We wanted to create a sense of punchiness and drive, which we achieved through the layering of guitars and vocals in the chorus, and locking in a bass and drum groove which we could build a song around, while creating interest with the use of delays and modulation for example throughout the verses and bridge. We’ve always had a lot of fun with effects when songwriting, and a lot of these sounds from our initial ideas were developed in the studio and we’d like to credit our producer for making that work.  Where did you record? We recorded our single ‘Watching over you’ at a home based studio called ‘Jaminajar Music Production’ in Narrabeen with Paul Najar. We got the opportunity to record here when we one the Beaches ‘Northern Composure’ which has been a sick platform to get going for younger bands on the rise. What programs/instruments did you use during the recording/production process? We recording bass guitar and acoustic drums simultaneously in the same room, and following that we mic’d up guitar amps and processing most of our effects through a number of different plugins.  Who did you record with? We recorded with Paul Najar, who has been great for us through his experience and professional manner in the studio really helped focus us and record the best possible version of our song. We’re so stoked with what he’s helped us achieve and we’re excited to get our music our out into the world. We hope you love it as much as we do. Please explain how you approached the recording process: We spent about a day tracking the drums and bass in the studio, this part was the most challenging as this is when we really critiqued the song and made sure we were doing what we wanted to do with the song and made small final adjustments with Paul, our producer. Giac probably had about 10 different takes on the kit as we were still experimenting with structure while recording. We moved onto guitars next and took a while exploring different sounds, and synths and vocals last once the rest of the song was laid down. Who are you listening to at the moment? We’re all different in our personal music tastes which is like a piece of the puzzle to our sound, currently we’re enjoying Tame Impala’s new stuff, the 1975, Lime Cordiale, the Weeknd, Mac Miller’s new album (Rest in Peace), Yungblud, Hockey Dad, Tora and Sticky Fingers ‘Yours to Keep’ album.  What do you like to do away from music? We’ve all got our different interests, from the surf, to the gym, enjoying footy season, eating, drawing and painting, having a couple (which usually leads to 10) beers on a fine Saturday night, the list goes on.  What’s planned for 2020? We’ve got a busy year ahead of us. We plan to get as many gigs under our belt as we can and get our name out there and release more music following Watching Over You, two of our members graduated high school last year so we’re gonna give it our all this year and see where it takes us. Favourite food and place to hangout? Favourite food is definitely burgers. We’ve been on a mission to find the tastiest burger around and can confirm that Bar Luca in the city is something else, the Blame Canada is the burger to beat (this is not sponsored). We keep ourselves entertained with anything that’s put in front of us, and enjoy taking the mick out of each other once every few minutes wherever we go.  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartlakeband/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlake_/
Music InterviewsMusic News

Heartlake

by the partae
written by the partae

What is your name and role in Heartlake? 

Our roles vary between members and expertise, Noah usually spends his time on stage looking at his nicely crafted pedal board, Giac chooses to hit drums as a form of communication following speech therapy in his younger years (true story), Luca tends to play a couple notes on the bass with beer in hand, and Liam is a walking megaphone, whilst struggling with singing/playing coordination. 

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

We’re based in the Northern Beaches, Sydney where there’s plenty young talented bands on the rise, and ones that have established themselves worldwide from the beaches that we all look up to for example Ocean Alley and Lime Cordiale who we supported for a couple shows on their dirt cheap tour in Dee Why 2018. 

How did Heartlake form?

It all started with Giac, Luca (brothers) and Noah who’ve known each other for many years and shared the same love for music and enjoyed playing Sweet Child O’ Mine on repeat, which led to asking Liam who played football with Luca to front the band about a year in at the end of 2017 and actually beginning to craft an original sound.

Your new single ’Watching over you’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

We had a number of different songs to choose from when deciding which would be the best to hit people’s ears first. We wanted to capture something that got into the hook fast to hopefully grab your attention, and something simple that can be remembered whilst exploring ways to build the instrumentation with a number of different effects to capture a demanding sound. We all have our own individual tastes and ways of playing and writing so therefore we carry a bunch of different influences whether you may hear them in the song or not. Some of these artists include The Wombats, RHCP, Lime Cordiale, Sticky Fingers, Kings of Leon, the 1975. 

How did you go about writing watching over you?

Liam had come up with a verse guitar part and melody, but we needed something that would bring this together and build into a song. So we built the chorus around the bass hook which we felt created a solid statement and platform into making the general flow of the song clearer. When developing the song in the studio, our aim was to caption an insight into our sound for those listening for the first time and wanting to explore us further. 

How did you go about achieving the sound?

We wanted to create a sense of punchiness and drive, which we achieved through the layering of guitars and vocals in the chorus, and locking in a bass and drum groove which we could build a song around, while creating interest with the use of delays and modulation for example throughout the verses and bridge. We’ve always had a lot of fun with effects when songwriting, and a lot of these sounds from our initial ideas were developed in the studio and we’d like to credit our producer for making that work. 

Where did you record?

We recorded our single ‘Watching over you’ at a home based studio called ‘Jaminajar Music Production’ in Narrabeen with Paul Najar. We got the opportunity to record here when we one the Beaches ‘Northern Composure’ which has been a sick platform to get going for younger bands on the rise.

What programs/instruments did you use during the recording/production process?

We recording bass guitar and acoustic drums simultaneously in the same room, and following that we mic’d up guitar amps and processing most of our effects through a number of different plugins. 

Who did you record with?

We recorded with Paul Najar, who has been great for us through his experience and professional manner in the studio really helped focus us and record the best possible version of our song. We’re so stoked with what he’s helped us achieve and we’re excited to get our music our out into the world. We hope you love it as much as we do.

Please explain how you approached the recording process:

We spent about a day tracking the drums and bass in the studio, this part was the most challenging as this is when we really critiqued the song and made sure we were doing what we wanted to do with the song and made small final adjustments with Paul, our producer. Giac probably had about 10 different takes on the kit as we were still experimenting with structure while recording. We moved onto guitars next and took a while exploring different sounds, and synths and vocals last once the rest of the song was laid down.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

We’re all different in our personal music tastes which is like a piece of the puzzle to our sound, currently we’re enjoying Tame Impala’s new stuff, the 1975, Lime Cordiale, the Weeknd, Mac Miller’s new album (Rest in Peace), Yungblud, Hockey Dad, Tora and Sticky Fingers ‘Yours to Keep’ album. 

What do you like to do away from music?

We’ve all got our different interests, from the surf, to the gym, enjoying footy season, eating, drawing and painting, having a couple (which usually leads to 10) beers on a fine Saturday night, the list goes on. 

What’s planned for 2020?

We’ve got a busy year ahead of us. We plan to get as many gigs under our belt as we can and get our name out there and release more music following Watching Over You, two of our members graduated high school last year so we’re gonna give it our all this year and see where it takes us.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Favourite food is definitely burgers. We’ve been on a mission to find the tastiest burger around and can confirm that Bar Luca in the city is something else, the Blame Canada is the burger to beat (this is not sponsored). We keep ourselves entertained with anything that’s put in front of us, and enjoy taking the mick out of each other once every few minutes wherever we go. 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartlakeband/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlake_/

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What’s been happening recently? In between shows and our usual day to day lives, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes preparing for a multitude of things, this single being one of them. We’re all keen to rip into 2020 and releasing this single is just the beginning for us.  Your new single ‘Wherever You Go’ is out on the 24th of Jan 2020, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track? I think Will was listening to a fair bit of ‘Royal Blood’ at the time he wrote ‘Wherever You Go’, and that’s where the big bass and lack of guitar in the verses came from.  In terms of drums, I think the idea was really just, “keep it simple, keep it tight”, and that definitely worked for me. The bass and drum combo in the verses is what hooked me when I heard the first mix, and it still does whenever I hear it today.  How did you go about writing Wherever You Go? This track kinda fell together pretty quick, I seem to recall. Once we had established the basic structure of the verse, everything else just flowed on and clicked together. We definitely spent a bit of time fine tuning the details, but for us ‘Wherever You Go’ was really easy to connect with, and we had no problems laying it down. Where and when did you record/produce? ‘Wherever You Go’ was recorded with a bunch of other tracks, including our last single ‘Too Much’, in May 2019. We all spent a few days at the local ‘Housefox Studios’, and took our time getting everything sounding just right for these tracks, and we’re quite proud of how they all turned out.  Who did you work with during the recording/production process? As usual, the three of us bounced ideas off one another until we found the perfect mix to suit the song, but a big influence for us was Lachlan West. He helped us out majorly for our first two EP’s, and we didn’t want anyone else to be behind the desk when we walked into the studio this time around. He has an insane amount of knowledge and skills with all the equipment, and also its just a bonus that he’s an awesome as fuck drummer and mad legend. How did you approach the recording for this single? As I mentioned before, we recorded a few other tracks in the same session at the studio, but we made sure we weren’t biting off more than we could chew. We took our time setting up, and made sure every little detail sounded perfect before moving onto the next thing. Being a relatively straight forward song drumming-wise, it was a pretty simple process to lay down the track and then spend a bit more time focussing on the guitars, vocals and all the other little things.  What programs/instruments did you use? The drums on the track are played on a custom kit, based off a Pearl Reference Pure, and a variety of tasty sounding cymbals from Zildjian, Bosphorus and Meinl. We messed around with a few different sizes of snares and toms, but we ultimately landed on the usual 14 inch snare and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.  In terms of production, Lachy is the production wizard, so the ball is very much in his court. All that stuff doesn’t really make sense to me, I think he uses Protools. Who are you listening to at the moment? For the last few weeks I’ve had ‘The Vanns’ on repeat non-stop, especially their ‘Through The Wall’ album. I really cant seem to get enough of it, which is the best feeling to me. If I haven’t been listing to that, then I’ve been blasting some ‘Middle Kids’ as well which is always a safe bet. What is the average day like for you? For me, most days consist of work until about 4pm. I manage to listen to quite a bit of music while I’m there so I’ve always got my ear out for what’s on the radio/what’s up next on the playlist. After work is usually a quick swim at the beach and/or a bit of time playing drums. I try and get behind the kit every few days, and recently I’ve been investing a bit more time in my technique, instead of just thrashing away like a maniac. If its not one of those things, I usually hang out with Will and Dan for a few hours and we just chill out, have a few drinks and have a laugh.  Do you collaborate with other musicians? As a band we haven’t collaborated with anyone yet, or that I know of. However if any opportunity of the sort came about, I would be keen to pursue it and see where it takes us.  Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety? Yeah for sure. I cant speak for everyone when I say this, but I’m sure most performers have had some wobbly knees before a show or two, I think its just natural. Obviously as time goes on and you become more comfortable doing what you’re doing, the nerves will go away. But I have definitely been anxious before a big gig, but they’re the nights that tend to be the best shows we play, so its always worth it.  Any advice for aspiring musicians? Persevere! It sounds simple but it really is important. We’d all love to play our music and “make it” overnight. But the reality is that rarely happens in this day and age. However, if you’re good at what you do and you continue to put the effort into your practice/gigs/recording then you will 100% start seeing some results, you’ve just got to persist. What’s planned for 2020? A whole bunch of stuff, to put it simply.  Without revealing too much, I can safely say you will hear more new tunes, and you will see us playing more shows around the country and locally.  Stay tuned, we’ve got some cool stuff coming.
Music InterviewsMusic News

Inklines

by the partae
written by the partae

What’s been happening recently?

In between shows and our usual day to day lives, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes preparing for a multitude of things, this single being one of them. We’re all keen to rip into 2020 and releasing this single is just the beginning for us. 

Your new single ‘Wherever You Go’ is out on the 24th of Jan 2020, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?

I think Will was listening to a fair bit of ‘Royal Blood’ at the time he wrote ‘Wherever You Go’, and that’s where the big bass and lack of guitar in the verses came from. 

In terms of drums, I think the idea was really just, “keep it simple, keep it tight”, and that definitely worked for me. The bass and drum combo in the verses is what hooked me when I heard the first mix, and it still does whenever I hear it today. 

How did you go about writing Wherever You Go?

This track kinda fell together pretty quick, I seem to recall. Once we had established the basic structure of the verse, everything else just flowed on and clicked together. We definitely spent a bit of time fine tuning the details, but for us ‘Wherever You Go’ was really easy to connect with, and we had no problems laying it down.

Where and when did you record/produce?

‘Wherever You Go’ was recorded with a bunch of other tracks, including our last single ‘Too Much’, in May 2019. We all spent a few days at the local ‘Housefox Studios’, and took our time getting everything sounding just right for these tracks, and we’re quite proud of how they all turned out. 

Who did you work with during the recording/production process?

As usual, the three of us bounced ideas off one another until we found the perfect mix to suit the song, but a big influence for us was Lachlan West. He helped us out majorly for our first two EP’s, and we didn’t want anyone else to be behind the desk when we walked into the studio this time around. He has an insane amount of knowledge and skills with all the equipment, and also its just a bonus that he’s an awesome as fuck drummer and mad legend.

How did you approach the recording for this single?

As I mentioned before, we recorded a few other tracks in the same session at the studio, but we made sure we weren’t biting off more than we could chew. We took our time setting up, and made sure every little detail sounded perfect before moving onto the next thing. Being a relatively straight forward song drumming-wise, it was a pretty simple process to lay down the track and then spend a bit more time focussing on the guitars, vocals and all the other little things. 

What programs/instruments did you use?

The drums on the track are played on a custom kit, based off a Pearl Reference Pure, and a variety of tasty sounding cymbals from Zildjian, Bosphorus and Meinl. We messed around with a few different sizes of snares and toms, but we ultimately landed on the usual 14 inch snare and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. 

In terms of production, Lachy is the production wizard, so the ball is very much in his court. All that stuff doesn’t really make sense to me, I think he uses Protools.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

For the last few weeks I’ve had ‘The Vanns’ on repeat non-stop, especially their ‘Through The Wall’ album. I really cant seem to get enough of it, which is the best feeling to me. If I haven’t been listing to that, then I’ve been blasting some ‘Middle Kids’ as well which is always a safe bet.

What is the average day like for you?

For me, most days consist of work until about 4pm. I manage to listen to quite a bit of music while I’m there so I’ve always got my ear out for what’s on the radio/what’s up next on the playlist. After work is usually a quick swim at the beach and/or a bit of time playing drums. I try and get behind the kit every few days, and recently I’ve been investing a bit more time in my technique, instead of just thrashing away like a maniac. If its not one of those things, I usually hang out with Will and Dan for a few hours and we just chill out, have a few drinks and have a laugh. 

Do you collaborate with other musicians?

As a band we haven’t collaborated with anyone yet, or that I know of. However if any opportunity of the sort came about, I would be keen to pursue it and see where it takes us. 

Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?

Yeah for sure. I cant speak for everyone when I say this, but I’m sure most performers have had some wobbly knees before a show or two, I think its just natural. Obviously as time goes on and you become more comfortable doing what you’re doing, the nerves will go away. But I have definitely been anxious before a big gig, but they’re the nights that tend to be the best shows we play, so its always worth it. 

Any advice for aspiring musicians?

Persevere! It sounds simple but it really is important. We’d all love to play our music and “make it” overnight. But the reality is that rarely happens in this day and age. However, if you’re good at what you do and you continue to put the effort into your practice/gigs/recording then you will 100% start seeing some results, you’ve just got to persist.

What’s planned for 2020?

A whole bunch of stuff, to put it simply. 

Without revealing too much, I can safely say you will hear more new tunes, and you will see us playing more shows around the country and locally. 

Stay tuned, we’ve got some cool stuff coming.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/inklinesband

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You've had a gnarly 12 months, what's happened and what's been happening? Its been crazy! 2019 was hectic - I think I played about 200 shows :o  I released an EP and a single with Zoe Badwi, and I did a tour around Bali, Fiji and Oz the last two months of 2019! It was hectic.  Where are you at the moment? Currently I’m in Tasmania! Playing a show in Burnie Oz Day Eve! My new single just got released! YEEHAW! We're frothin on your new single 'Take It In' what influenced the sound and songwriting? Thanks man! Im super proud of it! About a year ago I stumbled across this dude Max Glyde. Absolute freak. The moment I heard is shit I wanted to make something with him. 12 months later we have a single and about 7 beats stacked up! I think his classy feel and my funk work super well together! Where and how did you go about writing/producing Take It In? We made the beat in a studio at his uni in Box Hill, and to be honest the crux of it came together in about an hour. Was pre crazy. We both work with Velvet Bloom so we got her in a week later and she smashed the top line. From there, we finessed it for 4-5 months after that.  What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce? Me and Max both use Ableton. And me and max both heavily use Massive and Sylenth for sounds! As well as Max on live guitar! How did you approach the recording/production process? Unless a vocal is sent to me, I pretty much always start with making a beat which is what Max and I did, then you approach a vocalist and re structure and do stuff from there! Who did you work with if anybody? Max Glyde (collab), Velvet Bloom (vocals), Lachie Milne (Mixing), Panorama Mastering (Mastering).  What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of Take It In? Rewarding for me was the dynamic me and max have in the studio. We just click and its so good. It was challenging finishing the last 10% of it. Really challenging. Most of it was there but we took several sessions to be completely happy with it!  How has your live show progressed over the last few years? My DJ set I feel has just become more versatile and I think as a performer I’ve become more confident in what I’m doing. Im also playing more and more originals which is great. I am definitely working towards my live show though with a full band. Watch this space :P  What have the fans been like live? They love it - and its great cause they vary so much depending on where you play. Blessed to be here.  Who are you listening to at the moment? Max Glyde, Tentendo, Dombresky, Blush’ko, heaps of slower stuff and Yoga music when I’m trying to sleep haha. What's planned for the next few months and 2020 as a whole? Definitely playing shows, but more importantly releasing music and making heaps of it. I have about 4 singles ready and raring and I want them all out this year ideally. 2020 for me is really honing in on the production side of things.  I hear that you've got a fun lil show coming up with The Partae, what can we expect? You must’ve heard correctly ;) Intimacy, funk, fun and a heap of taking it in ;)  FB - http://bit.ly/2zIHvtn Insta - http://bit.ly/2iXnYeZ
Music InterviewsMusic News

Morning Maxwell Interview

by the partae
written by the partae

You’ve had a gnarly 12 months, what’s happened and what’s been happening?

Its been crazy! 2019 was hectic – I think I played about 200 shows 😮

I released an EP and a single with Zoe Badwi, and I did a tour around Bali, Fiji and Oz the last two months of 2019! It was hectic.

Where are you at the moment?

Currently I’m in Tasmania! Playing a show in Burnie Oz Day Eve! My new single just got released! YEEHAW!

We’re frothin on your new single ‘Take It In’ what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Thanks man! Im super proud of it! About a year ago I stumbled across this dude Max Glyde. Absolute freak. The moment I heard is shit I wanted to make something with him. 12 months later we have a single and about 7 beats stacked up! I think his classy feel and my funk work super well together!

Where and how did you go about writing/producing Take It In?

We made the beat in a studio at his uni in Box Hill, and to be honest the crux of it came together in about an hour. Was pre crazy. We both work with Velvet Bloom so we got her in a week later and she smashed the top line. From there, we finessed it for 4-5 months after that.

What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce?

Me and Max both use Ableton. And me and max both heavily use Massive and Sylenth for sounds! As well as Max on live guitar!

How did you approach the recording/production process?

Unless a vocal is sent to me, I pretty much always start with making a beat which is what Max and I did, then you approach a vocalist and re structure and do stuff from there!

Who did you work with if anybody?

Max Glyde (collab), Velvet Bloom (vocals), Lachie Milne (Mixing), Panorama Mastering (Mastering).

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of Take It In?

Rewarding for me was the dynamic me and max have in the studio. We just click and its so good. It was challenging finishing the last 10% of it. Really challenging. Most of it was there but we took several sessions to be completely happy with it!

How has your live show progressed over the last few years?

My DJ set I feel has just become more versatile and I think as a performer I’ve become more confident in what I’m doing. Im also playing more and more originals which is great. I am definitely working towards my live show though with a full band. Watch this space 😛

What have the fans been like live?

They love it – and its great cause they vary so much depending on where you play. Blessed to be here.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Max Glyde, Tentendo, Dombresky, Blush’ko, heaps of slower stuff and Yoga music when I’m trying to sleep haha.

What’s planned for the next few months and 2020 as a whole?

Definitely playing shows, but more importantly releasing music and making heaps of it. I have about 4 singles ready and raring and I want them all out this year ideally. 2020 for me is really honing in on the production side of things.

I hear that you’ve got a fun lil show coming up with The Partae, what can we expect?

You must’ve heard correctly 😉 Intimacy, funk, fun and a heap of taking it in 😉

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Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I was born and raised in London and am currently still based here. Its a city that has given birth to so many cultural movements as well as adopting many others and making it our own. The jazz scene in the UK has exploded in the last few years, often crossing into hip hop, grime and rock and I feel that has definitely influenced my sound.   How did you first start playing music,producing rapping? I started playing piano when I was at primary school but I would say I got really into it when I was in my teens after hearing the likes of Bill Evans and Chick Corea and that seemed to spark something. I'd dabbled in a bit of production but it wasn't until I was chilling with lots of producers when I went to study music in Leeds that I got more and more into it. I'd also been writing bars from around 15 or 16 but never really took it seriously until me and Lausse were freestyling at a house party and he insisted that I come over to his home studio and record a tune and thats kind of where it all began.. You've just released - self produced  'Life's A Bitch, I Just Need An Early Night' through College Music Records and it has been gaining some traction, receiving  just under half a million streams on Spotify alone since the release, what influenced the sound and songwriting? I'd gone through a lot of self-discovery and personal change over the few years leading up to that project so I think conceptually a lot of it focuses on self-development and growth. I didn't really have a pre-planned or set way I wanted the project to play out, but the themes and ideas seemed to just develop as I found threads through the stuff I was writing. I think in terms of the actual sound I'll always be deep routed in jazz especially the more emotive styles of Bill Evans or Dexter Gordon etc.. and I've always been into all the hip hop greats as well I think if you want to be doing this thing you have to know your history and study the greats/people that came before you. The same goes for when you're learning the tradition of jazz i guess! I was always hugely into the UK hip hop scene as a young teenager like Klashnekoff, Jehst and Taskforce and I think elements of that sound finds its way into the music often. But I'm trying to aim for music that has depth of narrative and musical complexity, whilst still fully saying true to who I am and where I come from. How did you go about writing the music? The writing process is kinda different for each song - some I had a really clear idea of how I wanted the whole thing to sound from the get go and some I had the beat and then just saw what came out lyrically, often chopping and changing stuff all the time. How did you approach the production/recording? I recorded the entire project between about 3 or 4 different bedrooms across the UK..haha! Some of it I recorded it at my mums house in London, some of it was recorded in my old house in Leeds, some of it at friends houses in Leeds. Had all kinds of makeshift stuff going on including taping a duvet around some opened cupboard doors to get rid of some the room sound when recording vocals..I feel like theres something quite charming about the DIY thing and I'm probably going to record the next project in a similar way. I also find working in my own comfortable space is a bit more creatively freeing than in a more clinical studio.  What programs/instruments did you use? The recording process was really fun - I recorded most of it in Leeds with people I went to music college with so was a very collaborative project on the musical front. I wanted to do more than just having samples and the same drum loop the whole way through. In terms of live instruments on the project I recorded keys + piano, drums, guitar, bass, trumpet, tenor and alto sax and violin and I try and include as much of that in the live show as I can. I wanted to cross over more traditional programmed drums layered with real drums as well as having some of the other live instruments layered with more electronic synths etc.  How did you come to release with College Music Records and how has the experience been working with College Music Records? I met Jonny from College Music at a gig when I was supporting Joe Armon-Jones in Leeds once, but we only had a brief chat. After that I heard about what he had been up to with CM and I was keen to get involved in some way. I had the project nearly finished and wanted to approach him to ask if he'd want to put any of the tracks on the CM spotify playlists. We went for a pint and he was keen to put the project out under their label which they were beginning to expand. Its been cool cos it feels like we're both at an early stage of what we're trying to do so even though they're a label, it feels grassroots and DIY.  Please tell us about the video that you have accompanying  'Life's A Bitch, I Just Need An Early Night' where did you film? Who with? How the concept came about? The video that I am releasing is for 'See U In The Morning' which is the lead single off Life's A Bitch. It's quite an introspective song - like a lot of the album - and I definitely wanted to convey that through the video. I wanted to portray a scene where you've been partying all night to run away from the darkest recesses of your mind but once it gets to about 5/6am you can't run anymore and it all hits you at once. I teamed up with an old friend of mine Simon Aukes Stolland who recently D.O.P'd 'Blue Story' which released in late 2019, and was one of the highest grossing films in its genre. Aside from his work being top quality he's a really solid guy to work with, very on the ball and open to trying things out and generally really helpful and sound. I also had Alex aka Verbz The Gaffer who did an amazing job in bringing the vision to life. Big ups to PK who's always there helping with the ideas and general vibes for these things too.  The headline release show for 'Life's A Bitch, I Just Need An Early Night' at Notting Hill Arts club was a sell-out show in which you were accompanied by a full 9-piece band and included support from Enny, Eerf Evil and Joe beard.   How did the band come together and how was this experience? The release show was a huge success and managed to sell out completely, which was a bit of a surprise for me. The album had only been out for about 3 weeks and I've never put an event on in my life so was a bit nervous about numbers etc. But with a small team we managed to spread the word and it got far and wide so big love to everyone who was involved with that. The live band are a mixture of musicians I've been playing with for the last 3 or 4 years or so who are all currently based in Leeds. I wanted to stay true to the sound of the record whilst also bringing a completely new dimension to the live show to make it engaging in its own way and I think we just about managed to do that! The live setup consists of only live instruments including drums, bass, guitar, 2 keyboards (sometimes I rap + play keys at the same time, others just rap, others just play keys), trumpet, violin and BVs.  Joe Beard, Enny and Eerf Evil absolutely killed it and helped warm up the crowd and I'm truly grateful to know and be working with them.  I hear your main collaborator is fellow rapper and producer Lausse The Cat and we that you often collaborate with B-ahwe who is a singer/songwriter. You work under a collective name of Velvet Blues, how did this all come about? We all met in Leeds while studying music and spent a lot of time working together on Lausse's first project entitled 'The Girl, The Cat and The Tree'. Around that time me and B-ahwe started writing our own music and it kind of grew from there. Velvet Blues is still quite a young concept but I guess its a collective-type thing and we'll see where it goes! I believe you're much stronger as a unit of individuals all backing each other in this game.  You're heavily involved with Root 73 which is a community grass roots studio space in Hackney in London. I hear that you're are in the final stages of finishing off a collaborative album with about 30 artists and producers, how has the recording process taken place and what have you found most rewarding and challenging through out the process? Yeah man the guys at Root are all amazing people. I met them when I moved back to London from Leeds and because I hadn't been back for a few years I wasn't really sure where to find a group of people doing similar things to what I was doing. But they were really welcoming and encouraging and I'm humbled to be a part of whats going on there. We have a collaborative album coming out this year called the silhouettes project - the idea was to pair different producers and artists, most of which had never worked together before and to see what they came up with. The result is a community focused, ultra diverse album showcasing individual artists and producers within the Root 73 community. I've really enjoyed being inspired by what the people around me have been making and all the different characters I've met throughout the process and there will be much more to come in the future.  Do you have any singles coming out soon? I'm currently working on my next project, as well as some standalone singles to follow up Life's A Bitch but ill be able to give a bit more info on that as time goes on. Who are you listening to at the moment? Listening wise I've found myself returning to the same things, especially Good Kid, M.a.a.d City and To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar - I always find there is always something new I discover every listen both lyrically and musically. I've also been listening to a lot of Steve Lacy and some King Krule as well as some 60s/70s Brazilian music like João Donato and João Gilberto which I think will find its way into my next project.  Favourite food and place to hangout? All I need is a good full english brekky any time of day and a cheap pint in Spoons. 
Music InterviewsMusic News

Nix Northwest

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
I was born and raised in London and am currently still based here. Its a city that has given birth to so many cultural movements as well as adopting many others and making it our own. The jazz scene in the UK has exploded in the last few years, often crossing into hip hop, grime and rock and I feel that has definitely influenced my sound.

How did you first start playing music,producing rapping?
I started playing piano when I was at primary school but I would say I got really into it when I was in my teens after hearing the likes of Bill Evans and Chick Corea and that seemed to spark something. I’d dabbled in a bit of production but it wasn’t until I was chilling with lots of producers when I went to study music in Leeds that I got more and more into it. I’d also been writing bars from around 15 or 16 but never really took it seriously until me and Lausse were freestyling at a house party and he insisted that I come over to his home studio and record a tune and thats kind of where it all began..

You’ve just released – self produced  ‘Life’s A Bitch, I Just Need An Early Night’ through College Music Records and it has been gaining some traction, receiving  just under half a million streams on Spotify alone since the release, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
I’d gone through a lot of self-discovery and personal change over the few years leading up to that project so I think conceptually a lot of it focuses on self-development and growth. I didn’t really have a pre-planned or set way I wanted the project to play out, but the themes and ideas seemed to just develop as I found threads through the stuff I was writing. I think in terms of the actual sound I’ll always be deep routed in jazz especially the more emotive styles of Bill Evans or Dexter Gordon etc.. and I’ve always been into all the hip hop greats as well I think if you want to be doing this thing you have to know your history and study the greats/people that came before you. The same goes for when you’re learning the tradition of jazz i guess! I was always hugely into the UK hip hop scene as a young teenager like Klashnekoff, Jehst and Taskforce and I think elements of that sound finds its way into the music often. But I’m trying to aim for music that has depth of narrative and musical complexity, whilst still fully saying true to who I am and where I come from.

How did you go about writing the music?
The writing process is kinda different for each song – some I had a really clear idea of how I wanted the whole thing to sound from the get go and some I had the beat and then just saw what came out lyrically, often chopping and changing stuff all the time.

How did you approach the production/recording?
I recorded the entire project between about 3 or 4 different bedrooms across the UK..haha! Some of it I recorded it at my mums house in London, some of it was recorded in my old house in Leeds, some of it at friends houses in Leeds. Had all kinds of makeshift stuff going on including taping a duvet around some opened cupboard doors to get rid of some the room sound when recording vocals..I feel like theres something quite charming about the DIY thing and I’m probably going to record the next project in a similar way. I also find working in my own comfortable space is a bit more creatively freeing than in a more clinical studio.

What programs/instruments did you use?
The recording process was really fun – I recorded most of it in Leeds with people I went to music college with so was a very collaborative project on the musical front. I wanted to do more than just having samples and the same drum loop the whole way through. In terms of live instruments on the project I recorded keys + piano, drums, guitar, bass, trumpet, tenor and alto sax and violin and I try and include as much of that in the live show as I can. I wanted to cross over more traditional programmed drums layered with real drums as well as having some of the other live instruments layered with more electronic synths etc.

How did you come to release with College Music Records and how has the experience been working with College Music Records?
I met Jonny from College Music at a gig when I was supporting Joe Armon-Jones in Leeds once, but we only had a brief chat. After that I heard about what he had been up to with CM and I was keen to get involved in some way. I had the project nearly finished and wanted to approach him to ask if he’d want to put any of the tracks on the CM spotify playlists. We went for a pint and he was keen to put the project out under their label which they were beginning to expand. Its been cool cos it feels like we’re both at an early stage of what we’re trying to do so even though they’re a label, it feels grassroots and DIY.

Please tell us about the video that you have accompanying  ‘Life’s A Bitch, I Just Need An Early Night’ where did you film? Who with? How the concept came about?
The video that I am releasing is for ‘See U In The Morning’ which is the lead single off Life’s A Bitch. It’s quite an introspective song – like a lot of the album – and I definitely wanted to convey that through the video. I wanted to portray a scene where you’ve been partying all night to run away from the darkest recesses of your mind but once it gets to about 5/6am you can’t run anymore and it all hits you at once. I teamed up with an old friend of mine Simon Aukes Stolland who recently D.O.P’d ‘Blue Story’ which released in late 2019, and was one of the highest grossing films in its genre. Aside from his work being top quality he’s a really solid guy to work with, very on the ball and open to trying things out and generally really helpful and sound. I also had Alex aka Verbz The Gaffer who did an amazing job in bringing the vision to life. Big ups to PK who’s always there helping with the ideas and general vibes for these things too.

The headline release show for ‘Life’s A Bitch, I Just Need An Early Night’ at Notting Hill Arts club was a sell-out show in which you were accompanied by a full 9-piece band and included support from Enny, Eerf Evil and Joe beard.   How did the band come together and how was this experience?
The release show was a huge success and managed to sell out completely, which was a bit of a surprise for me. The album had only been out for about 3 weeks and I’ve never put an event on in my life so was a bit nervous about numbers etc. But with a small team we managed to spread the word and it got far and wide so big love to everyone who was involved with that. The live band are a mixture of musicians I’ve been playing with for the last 3 or 4 years or so who are all currently based in Leeds. I wanted to stay true to the sound of the record whilst also bringing a completely new dimension to the live show to make it engaging in its own way and I think we just about managed to do that! The live setup consists of only live instruments including drums, bass, guitar, 2 keyboards (sometimes I rap + play keys at the same time, others just rap, others just play keys), trumpet, violin and BVs.  Joe Beard, Enny and Eerf Evil absolutely killed it and helped warm up the crowd and I’m truly grateful to know and be working with them.

I hear your main collaborator is fellow rapper and producer Lausse The Cat and we that you often collaborate with B-ahwe who is a singer/songwriter. You work under a collective name of Velvet Blues, how did this all come about?
We all met in Leeds while studying music and spent a lot of time working together on Lausse’s first project entitled ‘The Girl, The Cat and The Tree’. Around that time me and B-ahwe started writing our own music and it kind of grew from there. Velvet Blues is still quite a young concept but I guess its a collective-type thing and we’ll see where it goes! I believe you’re much stronger as a unit of individuals all backing each other in this game.

You’re heavily involved with Root 73 which is a community grass roots studio space in Hackney in London. I hear that you’re are in the final stages of finishing off a collaborative album with about 30 artists and producers, how has the recording process taken place and what have you found most rewarding and challenging through out the process?
Yeah man the guys at Root are all amazing people. I met them when I moved back to London from Leeds and because I hadn’t been back for a few years I wasn’t really sure where to find a group of people doing similar things to what I was doing. But they were really welcoming and encouraging and I’m humbled to be a part of whats going on there. We have a collaborative album coming out this year called the silhouettes project – the idea was to pair different producers and artists, most of which had never worked together before and to see what they came up with. The result is a community focused, ultra diverse album showcasing individual artists and producers within the Root 73 community. I’ve really enjoyed being inspired by what the people around me have been making and all the different characters I’ve met throughout the process and there will be much more to come in the future.

Do you have any singles coming out soon?

I’m currently working on my next project, as well as some standalone singles to follow up Life’s A Bitch but ill be able to give a bit more info on that as time goes on.

Who are you listening to at the moment?
Listening wise I’ve found myself returning to the same things, especially Good Kid, M.a.a.d City and To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar – I always find there is always something new I discover every listen both lyrically and musically. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Steve Lacy and some King Krule as well as some 60s/70s Brazilian music like João Donato and João Gilberto which I think will find its way into my next project.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

All I need is a good full english brekky any time of day and a cheap pint in Spoons.

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What is your name and role within King of Foxes? Hi, I'm Olivia Street, and I'm the songwriter, singer, and guitarist in King of Foxes.  Where are you currently based? We're in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  How did King of Foxes form? King of Foxes is my solo project, but I'm lucky enough to work with some great musicians who contribute so much. I have some players based in Toronto and some in Edmonton, so the band is a little bit different depending on where you see us play! The first King of Foxes album came out in 2016, and we just re-released our second album, Salt & Honey, on vinyl this year. Your new single 'No Wrong' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?  This was such a fun track to record, because it's definitely a departure from our usual sound. I had the opportunity to work with a producer named Beatchild when I was doing a residency at the National Music Centre in Calgary last year. We collaborated on "No Wrong," and I love the direction it went in – it's definitely electro-pop, but it has a vintage quality to the sounds in it. I love that this song became what it needed to be organically, but that the original essence and intention are so present in it. Please talk us through the creative and collaborative process: During that residency in Calgary, I did a lot of writing by myself in my hotel room in the evenings. No distractions: a Jazzmaster, a notebook, and a bottle of wine (and a king size bed, all to myself!) For this particular song, I had a clear vision of the melody, lyrics, and chord progression, but it initially had a folky vibe. I knew I wanted to take in a more contemporary direction. Byram (aka. Beatchild) has such a gentle energy and way of working; it felt like a natural progression to add the electropop elements. Now the song feels like it belongs to the 21st century. How did you go about writing 'No Wrong'? Lyrics, to me, are the fascia in the body of a song: the essential connective tissue that weaves everything together. Sometimes I'll hang on to a thought for years before it becomes a lyric, turning it over in my mind and trying to figure out why this piece of information is important. When I'm in the writing process, I do a lot of free-writing and object writing, as exercises to distill my abstract thoughts into imagery. The "thought nugget" of this song came from a vision I had when I was pregnant with my son. I had what can only be described as an out of body experience, where I saw that the baby inside of me was protected and unconditionally loved, by me... And that I, too, was unconditionally loved, by some higher power – my "light body" was holding me and caring for me, just like my body was doing for this tiny baby. The image I saw reminded me of Russian dolls.. so my entry point into this song was trying to describe the tiniest Russian doll, small enough to be swallowed, "like a pill." Where and when did you record and who with? We recorded this partially at the National Music Centre in Calgary and partially at Beatchild's studio in Toronto. His studio space is inside the Coalition Music building. (Coalition is a label that's home to some heavy hitting Canadian artists... I am a huge Our Lady Peace fan, and when I walk around in that building, looking at their pictures on the walls, I feel like a total fangirl!) How did you approach the recording process? With no expectations other than to explore where we could go with it.   Who did you work with during the recording/production process? In addition to Beatchild, Brandon Baker of Electric Religious, came out to Toronto with me and laid down some of the textural guitar parts.  Who are you listening to at the moment? Ariel Posen, Groenland, Don Vail, Zaki Ibrahim What do you like to do away from music? I spend time with my 4-year-old son and our yellow lab. I read a lot. I do yoga. I drink martinis. I buy more T-shirts than I probably need. I'm also a sweatpants connoisseur.    What's planned for 2020? We have festival dates lined up, and we'll be doing some pocket tours around Alberta. I'm currently writing songs for a new album (can't stop, won't stop!) Favourite food and place to hangout?  I've been working my way through a Costco-size box of chocolate truffles someone left at my house around Christmas... I don't have a sweet tooth, but I do have a soft spot for dark chocolate with a little sprinkle of sea salt on it. (Café Brio, in Victoria BC makes the world's best chocolate truffle, btw. It's also one of my favourite places to hang out when I'm on the coast.) We did a lot of travelling last year, and honestly right now my favourite place to hang out is my own home.  Website: www.kingoffoxesband.com Socials: @kingoffoxesband on all platforms
Music InterviewsMusic News

King of Foxes 

by the partae
written by the partae

What is your name and role within King of Foxes?

 

Hi, I’m Olivia Street, and I’m the songwriter, singer, and guitarist in King of Foxes.
 

Where are you currently based?

 

We’re in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
 

How did King of Foxes form?

 

King of Foxes is my solo project, but I’m lucky enough to work with some great musicians who contribute so much. I have some players based in Toronto and some in Edmonton, so the band is a little bit different depending on where you see us play! The first King of Foxes album came out in 2016, and we just re-released our second album, Salt & Honey, on vinyl this year.
 

Your new single ‘No Wrong’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?

 

 This was such a fun track to record, because it’s definitely a departure from our usual sound. I had the opportunity to work with a producer named Beatchild when I was doing a residency at the National Music Centre in Calgary last year. We collaborated on “No Wrong,” and I love the direction it went in – it’s definitely electro-pop, but it has a vintage quality to the sounds in it. I love that this song became what it needed to be organically, but that the original essence and intention are so present in it.
 

Please talk us through the creative and collaborative process:

 

During that residency in Calgary, I did a lot of writing by myself in my hotel room in the evenings. No distractions: a Jazzmaster, a notebook, and a bottle of wine (and a king size bed, all to myself!) For this particular song, I had a clear vision of the melody, lyrics, and chord progression, but it initially had a folky vibe. I knew I wanted to take in a more contemporary direction. Byram (aka. Beatchild) has such a gentle energy and way of working; it felt like a natural progression to add the electropop elements. Now the song feels like it belongs to the 21st century.
 

How did you go about writing ‘No Wrong’?

 

Lyrics, to me, are the fascia in the body of a song: the essential connective tissue that weaves everything together. Sometimes I’ll hang on to a thought for years before it becomes a lyric, turning it over in my mind and trying to figure out why this piece of information is important. When I’m in the writing process, I do a lot of free-writing and object writing, as exercises to distill my abstract thoughts into imagery. The “thought nugget” of this song came from a vision I had when I was pregnant with my son. I had what can only be described as an out of body experience, where I saw that the baby inside of me was protected and unconditionally loved, by me… And that I, too, was unconditionally loved, by some higher power – my “light body” was holding me and caring for me, just like my body was doing for this tiny baby. The image I saw reminded me of Russian dolls.. so my entry point into this song was trying to describe the tiniest Russian doll, small enough to be swallowed, “like a pill.”

Where and when did you record and who with?

 

We recorded this partially at the National Music Centre in Calgary and partially at Beatchild’s studio in Toronto. His studio space is inside the Coalition Music building. (Coalition is a label that’s home to some heavy hitting Canadian artists… I am a huge Our Lady Peace fan, and when I walk around in that building, looking at their pictures on the walls, I feel like a total fangirl!)
 

How did you approach the recording process?

 

With no expectations other than to explore where we could go with it.
 

Who did you work with during the recording/production process?

 

In addition to Beatchild, Brandon Baker of Electric Religious, came out to Toronto with me and laid down some of the textural guitar parts.
 

Who are you listening to at the moment?

 

 

What do you like to do away from music?

 

I spend time with my 4-year-old son and our yellow lab. I read a lot. I do yoga. I drink martinis. I buy more T-shirts than I probably need. I’m also a sweatpants connoisseur.

What’s planned for 2020?

 

We have festival dates lined up, and we’ll be doing some pocket tours around Alberta. I’m currently writing songs for a new album (can’t stop, won’t stop!)
 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I’ve been working my way through a Costco-size box of chocolate truffles someone left at my house around Christmas… I don’t have a sweet tooth, but I do have a soft spot for dark chocolate with a little sprinkle of sea salt on it. (Café Brio, in Victoria BC makes the world’s best chocolate truffle, btw. It’s also one of my favourite places to hang out when I’m on the coast.) We did a lot of travelling last year, and honestly right now my favourite place to hang out is my own home.

Socials: @kingoffoxesband on all platforms
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Bep Kororoti & Akin - Love is the only way
Music Interviews

Bep Kororoti & Akin – Love is the only way

by the partae
written by the partae

Bep Kororoti & Akin debut on Modern Obscure Music with four Afro influenced tracks. Bep Kororoti released a self-titled mini album on Hivern Discs’ more experimental HVNX sub-label in 2016, but he is better known for making music as Kresy. Here, Kororoti is joined by Akin, who provides vocals and saxophone on this EP. Epomuyeñ is dancefloor cut with striking percussion and strong vocals, whilst Eruobodo is a sax dominated track. Ijotiya channels the spirit of Fela and Afrobeat over a spinning bassline, whilst Love is the only way has a deep spiritual vibe and a powerful vocal. The EP will be out late February, preorder is available from our Bandcamp page.

 


Tracklist
A1 Bep Kororoti & Akin – Epomuyeñ
A2 Bep Kororoti & Akin – Eruobodo
B1 Bep Kororoti & Akin – Ijotiya
B2 Bep Kororoti & Akin – Love is the only way
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Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I currently live in the college town of Auburn, AL, where we have a small but dedicated community of electronic music fans. There are several local DJ’s, including myself, who hold residencies and throw events for the EDM community, while also hosting a slew of new and established artists. How did you first start playing music? With both my parents being musicians, I started playing at an early age; first learning how to drum, then learning guitar, and finally piano. I participated in the music programs at my school for several years playing percussion, and once I even got to perform at Carnegie Hall. What's been happening recently? Things have been pretty crazy lately. Getting my EP picked up by none other than Gramatik has definitely helped expose my music to a lot of people, and I’ve been steadily booking shows for 2020 as a result. Between performing and visiting family for the holidays, I’ve been trying to find time to sit down and work on some new material. Your new EP 'Manufactured Moments' is out now via Lowtemp, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP? With this EP I really wanted to explore the sounds of 60’s-70’s psychedelia and create something that instilled a feeling of antiquated grooviness, presented in the form of modern nuero-hop beats. I take a lot of influence from the bass music community (obviously), but also from older psychedelic soul records and bands. I tried to bridge the gap between the two. How did you go about writing the music? I spent a little over a month preparing for this album by digging through old records and cutting samples that would serve as the building blocks of the tracks. During this time I also created a plethora of sounds using synthesis and cut samples of those as well. Once I felt I had all the building blocks, I spent a month straight working in the studio 9-5, creating ideas for beats. I generated around 10 initial rough ideas and then chose my favorite four to complete, and these four are what you hear on the EP. Where and when did you record/produce? I produced the entirety of the record in my home studio in Auburn. I prefer to begin working as early as possible so I can have all day to complete an idea. A good session often went into the early hours of the next morning. What programs/instruments did you use? I produce my music in Ableton and self-recorded the majority of the guitar heard in the EP. The electronic sounds were created using Serum and Operator (both are software synthesizers in Ableton) and a handful of analogue synthesizers. How did you approach the recording/production process? For this EP, I really wanted to take an organized and planned approach to the writing process with a lot of self-imposed deadlines. I find that when I just work based on how I’m feeling, a lot of tracks tend to get stuck in limbo and are never finished. For this EP I made a pretty meticulous plan for how I would go about writing, with deadlines for each phase of the process so I wouldn’t get bogged down with indecision. I think the results really speak volumes. As to me, this definitely feels like my best and most cohesive work to date. How did you come to release Manufactured Moments via Lowtemp? I have been working with Adam Stehr (Gramatik’s touring guitarist) for the past few years on guitar and music in general. Adam is extremely talented and knowledgeable. I’m very grateful to be able to learn from him. When I asked him to help me with the mixes for a few of my tracks, he ended up forwarding them to Denis (Gramatik). Apparently Denis dug the tunes, and he offered me to release on Lowtemp shortly after hearing the EP. It’s a huge honor to be featured on the label of someone I have listened to and looked up to for so long, and I’m extremely grateful to Adam for making it happen. He was even kind enough to lay down some guitar which can be heard on “Candlelight." What do you like to do away from music? My biggest hobby away from music is probably reading, I love books. Additionally I love film and video games. Anything with a story. Beyond that I enjoy creating digital art, either for my music or just for fun, and being outside with my dog. Who are you listening to at the moment? Electronic music wise i’ve really been enjoying the latest from Charlesthefirst, Of The Trees, and Jade Cicada. These guys all push the envelope when it comes to sound design but they present it in such a chill, laid-back way that I identify with heavily. Beyond electronic beats I really stay listening to albums from my favorite bands like Radiohead, Washed Out, and Tame Impala. I’m also always digging for groovy classic records and rare gems to add to my productions. What's planned for 2020? I’ve got another upcoming release this month with Wavecraft Collective (date tba) and I’m really excited to start the year off with this one because it’s an especially hard tune. I’ve also got a handful of collaborations i’ve been working on with some really talented people and I’m really excited to share them. Performance wise I think this will be my biggest year yet. I am working with the team at Electric Hawk to spread my wings as much as possible this year (pun intended) and have already booked a slew of show in new cities. Hoping for big things and a few festivals this year. Favourite food and place to hangout? Definitely Kung-Pao Chicken, especially if I made it myself. Favorite place to hangout is definitely my porch. I live on the second story and have a massive porch that overlooks downtown. Perfect place to read or work on music.
Music InterviewsMusic News

Common Creation

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

I currently live in the college town of Auburn, AL, where we have a small but dedicated community of electronic music fans. There are several local DJ’s, including myself, who hold residencies and throw events for the EDM community, while also hosting a slew of new and established artists.

How did you first start playing music?

With both my parents being musicians, I started playing at an early age; first learning how to drum, then learning guitar, and finally piano. I participated in the music programs at my school for several years playing percussion, and once I even got to perform at Carnegie Hall.

What’s been happening recently?

Things have been pretty crazy lately. Getting my EP picked up by none other than Gramatik has definitely helped expose my music to a lot of people, and I’ve been steadily booking shows for 2020 as a result. Between performing and visiting family for the holidays, I’ve been trying to find time to sit down and work on some new material.

Your new EP ‘Manufactured Moments’ is out now via Lowtemp, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP?

With this EP I really wanted to explore the sounds of 60’s-70’s psychedelia and create something that instilled a feeling of antiquated grooviness, presented in the form of modern nuero-hop beats. I take a lot of influence from the bass music community (obviously), but also from older psychedelic soul records and bands. I tried to bridge the gap between the two.

How did you go about writing the music?

I spent a little over a month preparing for this album by digging through old records and cutting samples that would serve as the building blocks of the tracks. During this time I also created a plethora of sounds using synthesis and cut samples of those as well. Once I felt I had all the building blocks, I spent a month straight working in the studio 9-5, creating ideas for beats. I generated around 10 initial rough ideas and then chose my favorite four to complete, and these four are what you hear on the EP.

Where and when did you record/produce?

I produced the entirety of the record in my home studio in Auburn. I prefer to begin working as early as possible so I can have all day to complete an idea. A good session often went into the early hours of the next morning.

What programs/instruments did you use?

I produce my music in Ableton and self-recorded the majority of the guitar heard in the EP. The electronic sounds were created using Serum and Operator (both are software synthesizers in Ableton) and a handful of analogue synthesizers.

How did you approach the recording/production process?

For this EP, I really wanted to take an organized and planned approach to the writing process with a lot of self-imposed deadlines. I find that when I just work based on how I’m feeling, a lot of tracks tend to get stuck in limbo and are never finished. For this EP I made a pretty meticulous plan for how I would go about writing, with deadlines for each phase of the process so I wouldn’t get bogged down with indecision. I think the results really speak volumes. As to me, this definitely feels like my best and most cohesive work to date.

How did you come to release Manufactured Moments via Lowtemp?

I have been working with Adam Stehr (Gramatik’s touring guitarist) for the past few years on guitar and music in general. Adam is extremely talented and knowledgeable. I’m very grateful to be able to learn from him. When I asked him to help me with the mixes for a few of my tracks, he ended up forwarding them to Denis (Gramatik). Apparently Denis dug the tunes, and he offered me to release on Lowtemp shortly after hearing the EP. It’s a huge honor to be featured on the label of someone I have listened to and looked up to for so long, and I’m extremely grateful to Adam for making it happen. He was even kind enough to lay down some guitar which can be heard on “Candlelight.”

What do you like to do away from music?

My biggest hobby away from music is probably reading, I love books. Additionally I love film and video games. Anything with a story. Beyond that I enjoy creating digital art, either for my music or just for fun, and being outside with my dog.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Electronic music wise i’ve really been enjoying the latest from Charlesthefirst, Of The Trees, and Jade Cicada. These guys all push the envelope when it comes to sound design but they present it in such a chill, laid-back way that I identify with heavily. Beyond electronic beats I really stay listening to albums from my favorite bands like Radiohead, Washed Out, and Tame Impala. I’m also always digging for groovy classic records and rare gems to add to my productions.

What’s planned for 2020?

I’ve got another upcoming release this month with Wavecraft Collective (date tba) and I’m really excited to start the year off with this one because it’s an especially hard tune. I’ve also got a handful of collaborations i’ve been working on with some really talented people and I’m really excited to share them. Performance wise I think this will be my biggest year yet. I am working with the team at Electric Hawk to spread my wings as much as possible this year (pun intended) and have already booked a slew of show in new cities. Hoping for big things and a few festivals this year.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Definitely Kung-Pao Chicken, especially if I made it myself. Favorite place to hangout is definitely my porch. I live on the second story and have a massive porch that overlooks downtown. Perfect place to read or work on music.

Common Creations socials:

 

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Music InterviewsMusic News

Reno

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

I’m currently based in Bali. There’s so many different music scenes in Bali from traditional music to the underground scene.

How did you first start singing and playing music?

I was interested in music from a young age and played my first instrument at 6years old. As a young teenager I explored all types of instruments and listened to all kinds of different music that inspired me to start writing, make music and learn how to sing.

You’ve recently landed in Australia, how’s it been so far?

Melbourne has been amazing, I’ve seen a lot of great bands, underground culture, street art and skateboarding scene. The city is so inspiring.

You’ve just released your debut 14 track album ‘The Time Is Now’ what influenced the sound and songwriting?

The influence mostly comes from the 50’s era to the 70s punk and rock and roll. My songwriting is mostly influenced from my own life experiences.

How did you go about writing the music and over what time period were the songs written?

There are both English and Indonesian songs on my album which I have written over the past few years. Some songs came to me effortlessly but others took a little longer.

Where and when did you record and who with?

I recorded my album between Jakarta and Bali with a lot of talented musicians. I finished the album with my producer Cipta Gun at his studio in Bali.

How did you approach the recording process?

Some songs were recorded live and other songs were recorded track by track between Jakarta and Bali.

What programs/instruments did you use to record/produce/master?

We used all live recorded instruments and protools to master.

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the songwriting and recording process?

The most challenging thing was probably scheduling everyone’s time to record. The most rewarding thing was being able to compose my music with so many talented people.

Where can we buy/listen to ‘The Time Is Now’?

The album is out now on all digital music platforms. The CD and merchandise is available through my website www.reno.co.id

You are from the beautiful country of Indonesia, what is the live music scene like there at the moment?

Indonesia is huge and we have more than 17,000 islands so we definitely have a broad mix of all types of live music. From traditional, electronic, punk and pop culture.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’m not listening to anything in particular at the moment but I’m always looking for all types of new music and bands to inspire me.

What’s planned for 2020?

Touring to promote my album ‘The Time is now’ and a lot of skateboarding.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

In Bali you can always catch me hanging at ‘Gimme Shelter’, ‘Twice’ bar or the skatepark. My favourite food is Babi guling, google it 🙂

Socials

https://www.instagram.com/renpratsren

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Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there? I’ve lived in Melbourne since 1991.  It has a huge and diverse music ( and art for that matter ) scene that brings in more revenue than sport and yet, as everywhere else, the people making the art aren’t making any of the money. How did you first start playing music? I started playing music when I was 15 and I persuaded my parents to get me guitar lessons after I’d saved up and procured a $14 ‘Audition’ guitar (I saw Marc Ribot playing one of these a couple of years ago!) from Kmart. I’d been inspired by a lot of the music I was hearing on the radio – T rex, Deep Purple, The Stones, basically electrified Rock ‘n’ Roll. Your latest single is out now, what influences your sound and songwriting? A mixture of the prior mentioned ‘electrified rock n roll’, experimenting with  strange beats, unusual ways for generating sound ,weird harmonies, wordplay and stuff going on around me. You have an Australian tour kicking off at the end of January, are there any shows that you are particularly looking forward to playing, if so why? I’m looking forward to the Hobart, Brisbane and Beechworth shows because they’ll be just me and no band and those shows are always more rambling and story  telling, going places I can’t take a band. I’m looking forward to all of the other shows because I’ll have a different combo of local musos and musos that I’m taking with me in each place. How do you prepare for live shows? I put together a repertoire based on what musical configuration I’m working with and what I want to present for that show. I write all he songs I might want to choose from all down over 2 spread pages of and open book – about A3 size when opened out, so that I can look down on the floor and pick any song that takes my mood. I call this ‘The Book Of Swamp’. This is what I do instead of a set list. All of the musos I work with know this and know not to expect a formalised setlist. I then think about what I’m gonna wear. If I’m on my own it stops there but if I have a combo it depends on the people. Some people just can’t be tamed and others are good sports and want to help present a show of some sort. The challenge is to make it look like we didn’t all just meet at a bust stop…ha ha maybe that could be a look in itself. I always go on ‘cold’, don’t meditate or do vocal exercises. Actually that’s a white lie, I have been having a shot or 2 of tequila in recent times to get into ‘the vibe’ but am getting over(or bored with) the taste of tequila.  Your book 'Nine Parts Water, One Part Sand: Kim Salmon and the Formula for Grunge' is out now, how did this book come about and what inspired Douglas to write it? Doug and I hit it off straight away and he’d ask me about some aspect of my past before, after or during a lesson and that would just set me off into some ‘rock story’. I think after a while that got him interested to know if any of these stories had been compiled anywhere and of course they hadn’t. He plucked up the courage and asked me one night if he could write my biography and given the absence of such a thing, and given that I’d attempted it but never had the time, I said yes! You worked along side your guitar student/biographer 'Douglas Galbrath' how did the idea/concept come about to work together? You mean in my band? Obviously Doug is a fairly enterprising fellow. I knew he was already a drummer. He’d taken it on himself to try and be the booker at the local pub and booked some of me and my friends bands in there as well as his own. I saw he was a good drummer and even worked with him playing at his daughter’s schools bazaar, which he also booked bands for.  How did the story telling, story writing between the both of you take place and over what period? He’d invite me to brunch start recording and do what he did at the lessons. He got me talking. Basically he prompted me with a question and off I’d go. What did you find most rewarding and challenging through out the process? For me the most rewarding thing has been to see the threads that I’ve given Doug, get woven into a story. It seems something quite apart from me even though I recognise it all. The most challenging part was to know where the line between being a bit circumspect and censoring oneself was. Obviously I don’t want to fall out with people but there’s also a need for honesty. This is however just a story and not an exposé so there’s a balance to be struck. Any advice for anyone wanting to writing a book? Don’t know if I’m the person to give that advice yet. Maybe wait till I’ve written MY book. Where can we buy/read 'Nine Parts Water, One Part Sand: Kim Salmon and the Formula for Grunge' ? Ha Ha! In all discerning bookstores….but more importantly….and also in the highly likely event that all discerning bookstores don’t have my book in stock (because they’ve sold out ha ha),  at my upcoming shows where I’ll be selling the book and my 2 new singles and more… Who are you listening to at the moment? Bonzo Dog Doodah Band It was Neil Innes’s tragic death that dragged me into yet another You Tube vortex. What do you like to do away from music and writing? Painting and other things Please tell us about any new music that's on the way: I’m going into the studio with Tony Thewlis in 3 days to put the finishing touches on a brand new Scientists album. What's planned for 2020? Touring said Scientists album in the USA  Favourite food and place to hangout? Well right now it’s the roast that I’m about to cook and my fave place will be here when I’m eating it, because I’m HUNGRY.
Music InterviewsMusic News

Kim Salmon

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

I’ve lived in Melbourne since 1991. 

It has a huge and diverse music ( and art for that matter ) scene that brings in more revenue than sport and yet, as everywhere else, the people making the art aren’t making any of the money.

How did you first start playing music?

I started playing music when I was 15 and I persuaded my parents to get me guitar lessons after I’d saved up and procured a $14 ‘Audition’ guitar (I saw Marc Ribot playing one of these a couple of years ago!) from Kmart. I’d been inspired by a lot of the music I was hearing on the radio – T rex, Deep Purple, The Stones, basically electrified Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Your latest single is out now, what influences your sound and songwriting?

A mixture of the prior mentioned ‘electrified rock n roll’, experimenting with  strange beats, unusual ways for generating sound ,weird harmonies, wordplay and stuff going on around me.

You have an Australian tour kicking off at the end of January, are there any shows that you are particularly looking forward to playing, if so why?

I’m looking forward to the Hobart, Brisbane and Beechworth shows because they’ll be just me and no band and those shows are always more rambling and story  telling, going places I can’t take a band. I’m looking forward to all of the other shows because I’ll have a different combo of local musos and musos that I’m taking with me in each place.

How do you prepare for live shows?

I put together a repertoire based on what musical configuration I’m working with and what I want to present for that show. I write all he songs I might want to choose from all down over 2 spread pages of and open book – about A3 size when opened out, so that I can look down on the floor and pick any song that takes my mood. I call this ‘The Book Of Swamp’. This is what I do instead of a set list. All of the musos I work with know this and know not to expect a formalised setlist.

I then think about what I’m gonna wear. If I’m on my own it stops there but if I have a combo it depends on the people. Some people just can’t be tamed and others are good sports and want to help present a show of some sort. The challenge is to make it look like we didn’t all just meet at a bust stop…ha ha maybe that could be a look in itself.

I always go on ‘cold’, don’t meditate or do vocal exercises. Actually that’s a white lie, I have been having a shot or 2 of tequila in recent times to get into ‘the vibe’ but am getting over(or bored with) the taste of tequila. 

Your book ‘Nine Parts Water, One Part Sand: Kim Salmon and the Formula for Grunge’ is out now, how did this book come about and what inspired Douglas to write it?

Doug and I hit it off straight away and he’d ask me about some aspect of my past before, after or during a lesson and that would just set me off into some ‘rock story’. I think after a while that got him interested to know if any of these stories had been compiled anywhere and of course they hadn’t. He plucked up the courage and asked me one night if he could write my biography and given the absence of such a thing, and given that I’d attempted it but never had the time, I said yes!

You worked along side your guitar student/biographer ‘Douglas Galbrath’ how did the idea/concept come about to work together?

You mean in my band? Obviously Doug is a fairly enterprising fellow. I knew he was already a drummer. He’d taken it on himself to try and be the booker at the local pub and booked some of me and my friends bands in there as well as his own. I saw he was a good drummer and even worked with him playing at his daughter’s schools bazaar, which he also booked bands for.

How did the story telling, story writing between the both of you take place and over what period?

He’d invite me to brunch start recording and do what he did at the lessons. He got me talking. Basically he prompted me with a question and off I’d go.

What did you find most rewarding and challenging through out the process?

For me the most rewarding thing has been to see the threads that I’ve given Doug, get woven into a story. It seems something quite apart from me even though I recognise it all.

The most challenging part was to know where the line between being a bit circumspect and censoring oneself was. Obviously I don’t want to fall out with people but there’s also a need for honesty. This is however just a story and not an exposé so there’s a balance to be struck.

Any advice for anyone wanting to writing a book?

Don’t know if I’m the person to give that advice yet. Maybe wait till I’ve written MY book.

Where can we buy/read ‘Nine Parts Water, One Part Sand: Kim Salmon and the Formula for Grunge’ ?

Ha Ha! In all discerning bookstores….but more importantly….and also in the highly likely event that all discerning bookstores don’t have my book in stock (because they’ve sold out ha ha), 

at my upcoming shows where I’ll be selling the book and my 2 new singles and more…

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Bonzo Dog Doodah Band

It was Neil Innes’s tragic death that dragged me into yet another You Tube vortex.

What do you like to do away from music and writing?

Painting and other things

Please tell us about any new music that’s on the way:

I’m going into the studio with Tony Thewlis in 3 days to put the finishing touches on a brand new Scientists album.

What’s planned for 2020?

Touring said Scientists album in the USA 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Well right now it’s the roast that I’m about to cook and my fave place will be here when I’m eating it, because I’m HUNGRY.

TOUR DATES:

Friday 31st January 2020 – Mona, Hobart (Arvo Show) / Republic, Hobart TAS 
Saturday 1st February 2020 – Mona, Hobart TAS  
Friday 7th February 2020 – Crown & Anchor, Adelaide SA  
Saturday 8th February 2020 – Bassandean Hotel, Bassandean WA
Sunday 9th February 2020 – Grumpy’s Music Bar, Perth WA  
Friday 14th February 2020 – The Tote, Melbourne VIC  
Thursday 20th February 2020 – Smith’s, Canberra ACT 
Friday 21st February 2020 – Union, Sydney NSW
Saturday 22nd February 2020 – Junk Bar, Brisbane QLD 
Saturday 29th February 2020 – Tanswells Commercial Hotel, Beechworth VIC   

https://www.facebook.com/kim.salmon.549

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Manovski
Music InterviewsMusic News

Manovski

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

Im based in London and work out of Tileyard studios. I love it here, its one of the main music hubs in the world so there’s always a steady flow of talented people to collaborate with.

How did you first start playing music?

I first started out as a drummer in Sydney, my father and twin brother are both musicians so there was always lots of music around me growing up. The first time I was in a professional studio was when I was about 7 , my father let me to record a song with his band and that definitely left me wanting to spend more time in the studio. I was so fascinated with all the gear in the control room and the funny thing was that the engineer was running an old school analogue studio completely blind!

You have worked with many artists, what do you most enjoy about the process of working with other musicians?

Ive been lucky enough to work with a range of different artists, I think what I like most is everyday is different and everyone has their own vibe so it never gets boring. Also I feel that I’m constantly learning new things or seeing things from a different perspective and almost everyone introduces me to a new amazing artist I’ve never heard of!

How do your collaborations usually come about?

These days sessions usually come about via my management or publisher, from there I just keep working with the people I click with.

How did you come to move to London and how did you go about embedding yourself within the London music scene?

Im originally from Sydney Australia where I was friends with a fellow producer/writer by the name of Tonino Speciale for a long time. Most years at Christmas he’d come back to Australia from the UK and we would play shows together and he would tell me about how different the UK scene is compared to Sydney. So I decided to take a trip to check it out and haven’t really left. Tonino definitely played a major role in introducing me to the network of people I have around me today.

How do you approach your solo music as compared to working with others?

When I’m working with other people its usually a mixture of all our visions for the song so theres usually lots of inspiration to draw from whereas when I work on the Manovski stuff I have so much freedom to create whatever I want I usually spend a lot of time trying out different versions of the song until one really resonates with me…. This often takes a lot more time lol.

How do you usually go about writing music?

As a producer I’m usually in charge of the music side of things however I do get involved with melody and lyrics where needed. I definitely prefer writing from scratch with people in a room as apposed to making a beat for someone to write on top of. This way all elements guide each other and were not confined by a set of chords or rules.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Loud Luxury ‘Body’ has been on repeat for a while!

What or who influences your sound and songwriting?

I definitely get influenced by whats hot at the moment , especially when it comes to production. When I hear something new and fresh it pushes me to try new approaches to getting sounds.

What do you enjoy about music?

The fact that it crosses all boundaries and is something that brings us all together … doesn’t matter where you are in the world if theres a good song playing on the radio people react to it!

What have you been working on in 2018?

Ive had an amazing 2018, have done lots of writing for other artists a few of which I’m not allowed to talk about yet but am very excited about!

What do you have planned for 2019?

Theres quite a few Manovski records in the works… some very cool collaborations both in the UK and USA happening in 2019!

What do you like to do away from music?

Usually the simple things in life that don’t require much thought…. Walking the dog, cooking, Netflix!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

For food it’s a tossup between Bombay burrito and Honest burger in Islington… to hang out its at home with my wife and newborn son ‘Sonny’.

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Duendita
Music InterviewsMusic News

Duendita

by the partae
written by the partae
Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

i’m currently in Berlin. there is music from all over the world here and lots of physical spaces to occupy and share art. there are many different artists here busking, working with artificial intelligence, throwing 20 hour long house concerts… it’s a beautiful place.

 

You’ve just completed your European tour as support for JMSN, how was this experience?

very special, sacred… and affirming. i feel fed.

 

What did you find most challenging and rewarding about the tour?

the most challenging aspect of tour was learning how to depend on myself and trust in my art. sometimes i felt like i didn’t belong, but now i want to move with more conviction.

 

Your EP ‘direct line to My Creator’ is out now, where and when did you record?

direct line to My Creator was recorded over the past two years in New York City.

 

What influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP?
the project started off as demos i wrote and produced. my friend Ezra O.S.T. and i began to edit the ideas more, over a long period of time. 

i was dealing with a lot of pain from when i was younger and i think that innocent sorrow is the spirit holding the tracks together. the lyrics refer to both specific lived experiences and things i would learn in time.

 

Who did you release with?

it was independently released 🙂

 

How do you usually go about writing music?

the idea comes, teases me and i go after it. i may be practicing or setting time aside to be creative. or doing the complete opposite… on my bike, birdwatching or eating falafel. it’s a surprise.

 

How did you first start playing music?

i’ve sung since i was a child and studied choral music for a long time. sometime in middle school, i started writing poetry and songs.

 

Please tell us about the meaning behind your single ‘blue hands’ :

blue hands is about the paranoia police violence has given me.

 

You’ve just been named Soundcloud’s ‘Artist to Watch’ how did this come about and how has it affected your musical career?

Soundcloud was my first outlet for releasing music, it’s also where i’ve met most of my collaborators. i love them for that. i’m happy to be an artist to watch 🙂

 

You have also been selected in the first fifty for the UK’s biggest tastemaker festival The Great Escape, what does this mean to you?

it means… another opportunity to share and grow!

 

What do you have planned for 2019?

birdwatching, therapy, smoothies, good bud, long hikes, small gigs and studio time until festival season.

 

Besides certain religious references I hear that you write everything in lowercase, why is this the case?

hmmm… not sure. it kind of is a religious thing. just how i’d like to express myself.

 

What do you like to do away from music?

birdwatch and go dancing!

 

Favourite food and place to hangout?
i love to eat doubles when i’m in nyc… they’re a Trinidadian street food, chickpea chana between two pieces of dough, with peppers and sweet tamarind sauce … go to Jen’s Roti Shop on Flatbush Ave.
i love to hang out at Baketown 🙂
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The Gooch Palms
Music InterviewsMusic News

The Gooch Palms

by the partae
written by the partae

What is your name and role within The Gooch Palms?

Hey I’m Kat, I play drums and do some singing

You’re originally from Newcastle and now based in LA, what’s the music scene like in LA at the moment?

We moved back from LA around a year ago, it was awesome but we felt we were neglecting Australia a bit so decided to move back. We haven’t been back to the US this year but before we left the LA scene was awesome, so many great bands, there was always a local show to go to. But we’ll be heading back early next year for a big US tour around SXSW.

Who are your favourite acts from Newcastle?

Raave Tapes of course! Also loving some of the young bands right now like Milky Threads, Fritz and Surf Trash. It’s a great scene in Newcastle, all the bands are great!

How and why did you end up moving to LA?

We just decided one day to do it. We always enjoyed touring the US so we decided to sell everything we owned except our instruments and move to America. We didn’t know where we’d live, we planned on just heading over for a tour and settling where ever we found a place that we liked. But about a month before we left our friend posted about a room in his house for rent in Los Angeles and we asked if we could take it and he said yes and that was how we ended up there. It worked out great though, LA has such a welcoming scene and we had so many musician friends living there so it was a pretty smooth and super fun transition. We’ll definitely spend more time in Los Angeles in the future, might end up living back there again! Who knows!

How did the Gooch Palms form and how did you come up with the band name?

We started the band in preschool when we were about one and a half years old. The only word Leroy could say was “gooch” and the only word I could say was “palms” so that’s how we decided on the band name. All our first songs were also called Gooch Palms and we just sang about ourselves!

You’ve just finished an Australian tour with RAAVE TAPES, what did you most enjoy and also find most challenging with this tour?

It’s great touring with a support band, especially when you’re friends. It’s nice to see the same faces when you get to the venue each day. And they are so fun live. The only challenging thing was not playing more shows. That tour was only a few shows and we love playing so it would have been sweet to play a bunch more shows with them.

Your latest single Summertime dropped a few weeks ago, where and when did you record it?

We’ve recorded a new album and have released three tracks so far, Busy Bleeding, Marfa Lights and most recently Summertime. We recorded some at our house in LA last year, some at The Grove on the Central Coast with Dylan Adams and then finished it all up at Dylan’s studio in Coogee a few months ago. Now we’re just releasing singles and waiting for the perfect time to drop the album!

What influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?

Summertime was written a few days before we went into the studio at The Grove and didn’t have lyrics at the time. I went into a small office and wrote some lyrics after Leroy and I had a chat about the vibe of the song, we decided we wanted to call it Summertime and give it a summery vibe. So I just plopped down some lyrics and ran them by Leroy and we were like “yeah that will do”. Leroy was going to sing it but was struggling with the phrasing so I quickly grabbed a mic and went back to the small office and quietly sang it straight into the computer as a guide track. When I took it back Leroy and Dylan really liked the way it sounded and they thought I should sing it. We all agreed it sounded completely different to the original way we intended and almost sounded a bit French so I changed some of the lyrics to French (thanks Google Translate!!!) and learnt how to say them, I had to write it all out frenetically, and laid down the vocal. We used a really old accordion organ (don’t know if that’s what it’s called) to bring the end of the song home. Leroy played it and it was starting to heat up so he only had one opportunity to get it right. By the end of the first take the organ was smoking! But we got the take and it really added to the french vibe of the song. It was only supposed to be an album track but it turned out great so we released it as a single.

How do you usually go about writing music and lyrics and then turn them into songs?

Leroy generally writes the guitar part and then we work on a melody and then get a vibe for the song and talk about what subject matter or lyric content might go with the song and then jot down some ideas. The ideas usually change a few times but we settle on some solid lyrics and then build the music section with guitars and drums and then record it as a demo. Some demos don’t ever see the light of day but the ones that do end up being recorded properly and being released!

Who are you listening to at the moment?

We’re currently listening to a band from Sweden called Viagra Boys on repeat!

What do you like to do outside of music?

Leroy surfs, I like to go to the beach too. We like seeing other bands play and hanging out with friends. Love a cold beer down the pub and do karaoke when ever possible.

You’ll be playing at the Best Night Ever on the 29th of December on the Gold Coast along with RAAVE TAPES, DZ Deathrays, Dune Rats and a heap of other rad bands, any idea of what can we expect on the night from this killer line up?

It will be one epic show. All the bands are awesome and we’re also all friends so it will be one giant party on and off stage! We may just get a few of our pals from the other bands up for a song as well!!! But I expect it to be a very fun night!

What do you have planned for the remainder of 2018 going into 2019?

Apart from playing Best Night Ever the rest of the year is going to be pretty chill for us. We usually play NYE but have taken this year off so just planning on partying our way into 2019! We are heading back to the US early in the new year and will be hitting up Europe and of course a big Aussie tour. And dropping the new album some time in the near future!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Pizza in bed!!!

 

 

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Super Drama
Music InterviewsMusic News

Super Drama

by the partae
written by the partae
What is your name and role within Super Drama?

There’s two of us, Jon and Jerome and we both produce and dj as Super Drama.

Where are you currently based and what is the music like there?

We are based in London. East London to be precise. The music round here is very varied and there’s always people pushing the newest sounds around.

How did you first start playing music?

We both have been djing for a very long time now though started as Super Drama in August 2016. It’s been a great two years so far.

How did Super Drama form?

We had been talking about making music together for a very long time, decided to finally make a tune together and it ended up being our first track “Drama Theme” which set the tone for the beginning of Super Drama.

What have your highlights been of 2018?

There’s been a few so far, playing in different countries has been really fun, getting all of our music heard by lots of different people and then all of our mates being super into it has been the best part I reckon.

What have you been working on recently?

We have been finishing an e.p that we are really hyped for everyone to hear. Also have a new single on our label Super Drama Records really soon with a real exciting remix but it’s top secret for now.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Josh Caffé “The Adventures of Mr Freek”.

What programs/instruments do you use?

Logic Pro and a whole load of drum machines.

Who or what influences your style?

Everything and anything. Our friends definitely influence us for sure and their opinion means a lot to us.

How would you describe your music?

Techno that can go anywhere. From Italo to Ballroom to whatever.

What do you like to do away from music?

Just make the most of London and see our friends. Also world domination.

What do you have planned for 2019?

Just to keep the momentum going, play more gigs and meet new people.

When and where are you playing next?

Our next sets are New Years eve where we’re playing Little Gay Brother and then New Years day at Adonis.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

We love to go down to Chinatown and eat our body weight in rice and noodles.

 

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Iris Gold
Music InterviewsMusic News

Iris Gold

by the partae
written by the partae

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

In Copenhagen. The live Music scene is pretty diverse. So many different styles and types of Artists to check out.
Overall i would say the danes are very into anything 90’s. 90’s r&b and fashion are a Big thing, just Like the rest of the World i guess.

Please tell us about your upbringing and how it has effected your life and music:

I grew up in hippy communes and was always around a quite diverse mix of people. I gravitated towards the more 70’s phychedelic vibes and OL School hip hop, so when i started doing Music it seemed pretty logical to fuse the Two.

How did you first start playing music?

I started reciting poems and little raps from the Time i could talk.
I had a very vivid imagination and i would tell alot of funky stories about other planets i visited in my mind, and these stories later became songs.
My favorite hashtag is #planetcool which is Where i spent most my time in my stories. Its a wonderful World of loveliness Never loneliness.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

kelela, Benji flow, The Internet, kendrick lamar, afrikan boy, kojey radical, The Confect

What or who influences your sound and songwriting?

Probably my uncle who is a fantastic rapper and Who taught me How to flow nicer.
Also the Beatles, childish gambino, lauryn Hill, Anderson paak, Beck and On my latest track “keep the light On” Anita baker.

What have your highlights been of 2018?

So many! But performing at Roskilde festival was dope! So many people Going crazy and vibing together was amazing.
Doing my first ever Tour in Denmark, which was my first Tour anywhere tbh haha.
Going to Ghana and shooting my video with my homeboy manifest for “Roll it out” was life changing. I had the Best time ever!
Meeting my idol lauryn Hill and learning How to cook dal properly.

What do you have planned for 2019?

Ooh i got another single release beginning of the year and then my debut album in the middle of the year.
Alot of live shows.

What do you like to do away from music?

I looove tea. I have so much tea. Im gonna drink alot of tea over Christmas.
I even have an “iris gold – Color trip” tea, made especially for me by this very fancy tea Maker in Denmark.

What programs/instruments do you use?

Erm garage band and my pen and paper. Not very exciting boooh

When and where are you playing next?

Im doing a few tv things now towards Christmas, which i guess Will be online.
Then in january eurosonic festival in the netherlands and a mini Tour in austria and Hungary.
End of February i should have a gig i London actually.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Haaaas to be my Aunty kates restaurant “kates joint” in Copenhagen. Best food ever. From all over the World. Jamaican, Indian, thai, South african, lebaneese…

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