John Tripp Creative

Category: Interviews

  • Nostalgia 77 — An Interview With Benedic Lamdin on ″The Sleepwalking Society”

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    BY JOHN C. TRIPP

    There’s a gentle, organic and soulful spirit to Nostalgia 77’s fourth studio album “The Sleepwalking Society”. With vocalist Josa Peit giving a wistful and heartfelt voice to the band leader Benedic Lamdin’s organic compositions it’s an album that exhibits tremendous song writing and musicianship.

    Nostalgia 77 has masterfully crafted an album of introspective, personal and timeless music on “The Sleepwalking Society.” It’s a sound that delicately fits amongst various genres of jazz, folk, blues and soul, all the while being highly enjoyable and rewarding listening.

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  • Les Nubians “Nü Revolution”

    Les Nubians, consisting of Paris-born sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart, return to the world stage with the release of their third album, Nü Revolution, on April 19th via Shanachie Entertainment.


    The Grammy nominated duo fully delivers on the promise of their breakthrough efforts with a relentlessly enchanting and energized mix of R&B, hip-hop, African music and other world elements.

    “The main difference between this album and the others,” muses Hélène, “is that Nü Revolution is more uptempo. This album is a celebration of life! We wanted to bring and spread this energy, this joy in a time of uncertainty.”

    Indeed Nü Revolution may be the most impressive representation of Les Nubians’ Afropean Soul to date. Featuring special guests ranging from African music legend Manu Dibango, whose “Soul Makossa” crossover classic gets a politically charged make-over, to indie soul icon Eric Roberson, with South African pop stars Freshly Ground, Ghanian-American MC Blitz The Ambassador and Polish MC John Banzaï along for the ride. Somehow, Les Nubians manage to make the blend of so many diverse elements seem logical and organic; it flows quite naturally from their multicultural lives.

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  • Ursula Rucker Talks About “She Said”

    TALKING WITH PHILLY SOUL POETESS URSULA RUCKER ON HER FIFTH ALBUM “SHE SAID”

    As a poet and performance artist, Ursula Rucker has enchanted critics and fans across the globe with her diverse repertoire, captivating vocals and accessible poetic verse.

    Born and raised in Philadelphia, she began documenting her observations of the world when she was just a girl. A graduate of Temple University’s journalism program, Ursula kept her creative writing as a prized, personal possession until she was prepared to share with the world. In 1994, she introduced an open-mic night audience at Philadelphia’s Zanzibar Blue to the beauty and urgency of her poetry.

    Word quickly spread throughout the city of Ursula’s poetry and stage performance, which has been described as “strong, vulnerable, wounded and raging.” Producer King Britt invited her to create her first recording, the 1994 single, “Supernatural” (Ovum/Slip N Slide UK).

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  • Nu Spirit Helsinki

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    By John C. Tripp

    For a music project that began as a little fun on the side, Nu Spirit Helsinki has blossomed into a serious affair. In its three year existence, the Finnish collective of musicians, DJs, vocalists and producers have become leading members of Europe’s ‘nu jazz’ school. Getting to this level has been a growing experience. “We started out with a nice hobby, but now it’s more serious,” says Kallio, who for the moment anyway, is relaxing in the lobby of the SoHo Grande Hotel reveling in the fact that the record is complete.

    Nu Spirit Helsinki are breathing a lot easier these days, and for very good reason. The long and arduous process of releasing their debut full-length is over and the fruits are divine. After a long wait their public can finally be treated to a fully realized vision and sound that encompasses jazz, R&B, latin and electronica. But like anything that transcends expectations, the record didn’t come easy as founding member producer Tuomas Kallio tells. Sitting in the lobby of the posh SoHo Grand Hotel with co-founder DJ Ender he seems bemused at the whole process of putting together a recording of such breadth. “It took a lot of time and it wasn’t easy, at least for me. There was a lot of things we had to do twice, like the mastering. There were a lot of challenges. There were things that didn’t go right the first time,” he says.Of course, this is par for the course in the music industry. But for something that started out as a little fun on the side, Nu Spirit Helsinki has blossomed into a serious affair. In their three year existence, the Finnish collective of musicians, DJs, vocalists and producers have become leading members of Europe’s ‘nu jazz’ school, resting comfortably alongside their compatriots in the scene. Getting to this level has been a growing experience. “We started out with a nice hobby, but now it’s more serious. The professional level was very different then. We just asked friends to play on a track we did. Which is nice, but it’s not like doing songs that are on the album. But it was a good start, it was pretty fun. It’s not that fun anymore,” says Kallio.

    Working with over a dozen musicians and vocalists across the globe doesn’t make for an easy project, as Kallio will attest. “Well, the process of producing this album was really sort of chaotic. Just trying to come up with tracks. Basically, it was pretty much influenced by the contributors: the guest musicians and the guest vocalists. We sort of tried to come up with a track which fits into their style,” he said. The group’s toils don’t go unappreciated. The debut CD, on Chicago’s Guidance records, is a sublime tapestry of mood, substance and rich musicianship. It’s a milestone in the fusion of jazz with urban sensibilities and will serve as a roadmap for the future. With contributions from leading Finnish musicians and a range of vocalists and poets Nu Spirit Helsinki have bridged genres and continents.

    And Kallio is very pleased with the results. “For me itÕs a CD. ItÕs something you listen to. ItÕs for the audience, itÕs for the people. I just wanted it to sound as good as possible so it was maybe the best studio you can find in Finland where we mixed the album. We have a studio where we recorded most of the stuff but we went to a really top studio to mix. In terms of influences on the album, the way it sounds the influences are more in the US for us. The Philly sound and the roots R&B like DÕAngelo and so forth. The sound is something that I really love. The techniques, using analogue tape is very different from this electronica in Europe.”

    It’s a long way from their first 12″ recording, the deep house favorite ‘Take it Back’, which breathed some fresh air on dancefloors worldwide in 1999. That was followed up by the afro-beat and Latin groove of “Makoomba Breaks” and an EP, “Montana Roha Jazz”, that furthered their credibility as jazz artists schooled in the clubscene. For those seeking the floor-raising rhythm workouts of those singles the CD may come as a surprise. Things have been toned down considerably on the full-length with a much more polished, modal-jazz-meets-urban-flavor permeating. Think Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” or the atmospheric jazz of Weather Report and Lalo Schifrin set to a modern tone and one gets the idea of the turf they’re treading.

    Considering the well-developed Helsinki jazz scene and the fact that Nu Spirit Helsinki members include some of the country’s top jazz musicians it’s no wonder they’ve come up with something great. “I think the thing that makes this unique is the quality of musicianship we had access to,” says Kallio. “There’s not many electronica artists that can work with such a level of musicians. Like Teppo Mäkynen our drummer and Jukka Eskola our trumpeter: they are the number one guys in the whole country,” he says.

    It’s this unheralded musicianship that distinguishes Nu Spirit Helsinki. You can wax all you want about electronics replacing instruments but it’d be a near-impossible challenge to meet the quality of this recording with beats, loops and samples. “We have collected many different people and everybody brought some influence,” explains Kallio. “We wanted to do something unique. I have a musician background so for me it is important to be able to play the music live. The situation is so unique; it’s a great feeling when it works.”

    If Nu Spirit Helsinki were simply another live jazz outfit there wouldn’t be all that much to get excited about. It’s by blending that live element with a big nod to DJ culture that the group have distinguished themselves. There’s a strong DJ vibe present in their music without being derivative, i.e. house oriented. And while Kallio represents the more schooled side of the collective, cofounder Hannui Nieman (DJ Ender) represents the club side. With DJing roots that span the history of club culture as we know it, Nieman has contributed to both the Helsinki underground scene and the collective. He founded the city’s legendary Club Deep, and his tastes in funk, jazz and Latin music have played a big part in shaping the Nu Spirit sound. Nieman is one of Helsinki’s most prolific DJs, with residency at Kerma and regular gigs across Europe.

    Three other DJs round out the collective’s core team—Lil’ Tony, Eppu and Kasio. “We have a sort of music Mafia under our control,” says Nieman. “Two of our guys are running clubs there. They’re the main clubs for eclectic dance music. Lil’ Tony’s place, Soda, is quite a place. Everyone knows it and for that kind of music you don’t see such a fancy club in Europe. In London you get the very fancy places for the mainstream but for this kind of music it’s more like smaller joints.” It’s this club network that keep Nu Spirit Collective attached to the rest of Europe’s scene and give them a base. “It’s really important for us to have this home,” say Nieman.

    Their other home is their Chicago-based label, Guidance records, a leading purveyor of new urban music. Nu Spirit’s relationship with Guidance has been long-standing and fruitful. And, aspiring musicians take note, it all started with a demo. “We just sent out some demos of the house stuff we started with. And Nigel Hayes, the UK based DJ sent some to Guidance. It was actually the first label that wanted to sign us and they offered right away, ‘let’s do some singles and an album,” says Kallio. And thus was born a fruitful relationship we can all be thankful for.

    Official website: nuspirit.com

    Guidance Records: 33rpm.com

  • Nick Luscombe Flo-Motion

    It has been four years since ground-breaking DJ Nick Luscombe began hosting the Sunday evening XFM radio show, “Flo-Motion” a focus for cutting edge electronic music from around the world. His programme and DJ sets, including a residency at London’s ICA and appearances at Big Chill, vary from minimal house and techno to textural grooves. In addition to DJing Luscombe also runs the London- and Tokyo-based record label Bambola.

    Flo-Motion is a focus for atmospheric and leftfield club sounds across a wide musical spectrum including deep house, jazz, dub and techno. Airing for more than four years it has gained a loyal and increasing listenership from London, the UK and around the world via its webcast. Flo-Motion has since spawned its own regular club nights at respected venues such as London’s Cargo, 93 Ft East and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Guests at these nights have included Manitoba, Murcof, Pilote, Seelenluft and Tom Middleton. Luscombe is also a regular DJ/presenter on a number of in-flight radio channels including Swiss International, British Midland and Singapore Airlines.

    During the last few years Luscombe has DJd at various parties and regular nights in London, Europe and Japan. Equally at home playing to large outdoor crowds (such as during his DJ support for Royksopp on the main stage of last year’s Big Chill), or at smaller more leftfield club events, Nick’s DJ sets manage to totally lift an audience with his mix of deep house, techno, drum and bass and jazz.

    Luscombe has compiled and produced a number of albums of modern electronica including the popular “Flo-Motion” CD and has recently created the Bambola Recordings imprint. Nick also writes music articles for various British and Japanese magazines, and is increasing asked to contribute record sleeve comments and sleeve notes.

    MundoVibes: What were your early musical influences? How have your tastes in music evolved?

    Nick Luscombe: When I was very young I would enjoy playing my parent’s records – mainly 60’s pop 7″ singles.The record that had the biggest effect on me at the time was “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell. Those strings just got me hooked!

    When I was old enough to buy my own records the very first single I bought was “From Here to Eternity” by Giorgio Moroder. I still have it, and still like it! I went on to develop a taste in all things electronic, whilst also getting into records such as Love’s “Forever Changes”, the Byrds and the Velvet Underground. As I grew older my musical horizons kept on growing wider to take in jazz, drum n bass and funk.

    MV: At what point did you become interested in radio and how did you become involved?

    NL: I always loved radio, and would avidly tape my favourite shows from a young age. I started working in radio for the BBC as a sound engineer, whilst at the same time being in bands and djing. I had no idea that one day I would actually be presenting radio! I started by presenting a show for one of Swissair’s audio channels, playing a fusion of electronic downtempo sounds, jazz and techno. After a few years I was given the opportunity to do the same show for the London based FM station XFM. My show, Flo-Motion, has been on air live every Sunday for the past 4 years.

    MV: What are some of the radio shows or radio hosts that have influenced you?

    NL: Without doubt John Peel was my biggest influence. He totally opened up my mind at quite a yound age. before that, when I was very young, I loved the sound of the BBC Radio 2 Orchestra – the lushest strings playing pop songs of the day.

    MV: What is your opinion of radio today — what is its role now as new technologies have emerged?

    NL: I think radio has become a very powerful and positive force, generally for good. It’s future looks very good I think, and can only be better for the moves into new technology like Digital radio and via the internet. There is still a lot to be said for people to actually programme and present music shows – it’s kind of an old fashioned concept, in the age of i-tunes, but I think it’s that human touch that will always draw people in.

    MV: Your radio program, Flo-Motion, is known for its open-minded approach to programming. What is the philosophy that ties the music together?

    NL: I am so lucky to be able to have chosen all the music that I play on the show since it started back in 2000. As my musical directions have developed and subtly changed since the beginning, the radio show has had to go with it! I think because my tastes are so wide ranging that it helps for an open minded policy to the show’s programming.

    MV: What types of music do you program for Flo-Motion and how do you find it?

    NL: The music on Flo-Motion varies from Detriot techno to jazz, from broken beats to more experimental forms of club music. I find a lot through the internet, going to record shops and via my letter box!

    MV: There are a lot of DJs that could never be radio progammers. What makes a good radio show?

    NL: For me a good radio show is one that draws you in, giving a totally immersive audio experience, with real human qualities like humour and warmth.

    MV: Does having any international listenership via the web change how you program music?

    NL: I always assume that there is just one listener and that he or she could be anywhere on the planet! It doesn’t affect what I program at all, but mostly the music on the shows is very international anyway.

    MV: How do you forsee radio in the future?

    NL: I think it will become more important thanks to technology. Digital radio is starting to pick up strongly in the UK which means that so called specialist shows like Flo-Motion are nationally available. That will cause other networks to compete with similar programming, which would in turn help to further support artists and labels working in that particular field.

    MV: What is your approach to DJing in a club environment, as opposed to radio?

    NL: I try to combine some of the elements of the radio show in my club DJ sets, but tend to focus more on music that makes people dance, so will play a lot more latin, jazz funk, disco and occasionally, a little grime and drum n bass too too!!

    MV: Are there any types of music that you avoid — that we will never hear you spin?

    NL: Hmmm….. possibly I won’t be playing Heavy Metal, although I did see some pretty amazing Death Metal act in Norway earlier this year that was amazing!! (so you never know!!)

    MV: Do you feel that people are more open-minded in their listening habits today or are their very narrow in what they listen to?

    NL: Generally people are very open minded I think, much more than before. I think this is partly due to the availablity and ease of sourcing all kinds of music, with things like internet shopping for example.

    MV: How do people react to the music that you play?

    NL: It’s very encouraging for me that when I do get feedback from listeners that it is pretty much always positive! I guess if people don’t like it, they don’t listen…..

    MV: Do you feel that you have a responsibility as a DJ and radio programmer to push the limits and open people’s ears to new sounds?

    NL: Yes for sure. But gradually and with subtlety. I like the idea of playing new music in an environment of familiar sounds rather than a sonic assault! Again it’s about being drawn in and being taken to places that you weren’t expecting you’d like.

    MV: How do you select the music for your compilations? Please tell us about the compilations you have worked on so far.

    NL: I have selected for 4 compilations so far. One was a compilation of Japanese club music for Swissair called “Desination Tokyo”. This involved spending a week in Tokyo and Kyoto, meeting with labels and artists and then sitting down with hundreds of CDs on my return, and sifting to find the bext tracks! The next was another Japanese collection for my label Bambola Recordings. I used the same methods to choose tracks. I have also released Flo-Motion Volume 1 via Kudos Records, and The Sky Diaries on Exceptional, which was a mix CD featuring the music from the now deleted 12″ series.

    I am currently working on Flo-Motion Volume 2, to be released April 2005.

    MV: What are some of the trends in music that are most interesting to you?

    NL: I love the fact that the live element is very important again. I love the way that electronic music makers have become much more about live shows with full bands.

    MV: What do you enjoy most about programming music? What are the greatest challenges?

    NL: It’s amazing to me to be able to hear so much great music on a daily basis. I feel very honoured to be in that position. The challenge is to try and listen to everything I get sent – I don’t wanna miss that classic, great track hidden away as track 5 on an unmarked CD-R!!!

    MV: What plans do you have for future projects?

    NL: Lot’s more records coming out on my Bambola Recordings label in 2005 from Maki Mannami, Isa and Lopp vs Sista Widey.

    Working on Flo-Motion Volume 2 as I mentioned. Also producing and recording with my band which I wanna see playing gigs in 2005!

    XFM Flo-motion Sundays 9pm to Midnight in London on 104.9FM, throughout the UK via Sky Digital 864 and worldwide on the internet at http://www.xfm.co.uk.

  • Patricia Marx: Pure Brazilian Soul

    Patricia Marx Talks About Brazilian Musical Traditions

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    BY ROSE PARFITT

    In Brazil they love their music; it’s in the blood and in the bones. But this bug is contagious, rather than hereditary: no one, it seems, is spared. Everybody loves Brazilian music – jazz musicians, classical musicians, rock stars, pop stars, DJs, producers, kids, cats, everyone; it is venerated, imitated and rejoiced in by old and young, rich and poor, black and white alike. By everyone who’s ever felt it get them directly where the ribs meet the stomach, setting ice and earrings jangling while some joyful sweat trickles down between the shoulder blades.

    Most unusual of all, and in strange contrast to classical music, in Brazil respect for traditional sounds and rhythms is immense, even in the most innovative of its newest artists. Of these, Patricia Marx is a case in point. A child-star of Michael Jackson-esque proportions by the time she was ten, she is one of Brazil’s biggest selling female vocalists – no small thing in a country that gave us Asturd Gilberto, Elza Soares, Marisa Monte, Elizabeth Carduso. But for someone of such determined creativity, traditional sounds like samba, chorinho and bossa nova were something not only to be embraced but expanded and extended.

    It was this impulse that brought her to London in 2000 to collaborate with 4Hero on their LP Creating Patterns. “It was amazing working with them [4Hero], both Marc and Dego with their own musical styles and just as people too,” she says. “Being involved with their work, which is so cutting edge, was a real inspiration. It gave me a much deeper vision of what music can be today, in the sense of independence from the rule and conventional forms of musicality. It was a blessing.”

    Marx is now signed to the massive Trama Music/Sambaloco Records – home to drum’n’bass revolutionaries Marky and Patife, as well as Drumagik, Mad Zoo and Fernanda Porto. Living between London and Sao Paulo with her husband, Trama boss and veteran Brazilian dance producer Bruno E, her musical versatility spans time and space like no one else’s. She has collaborated with Brazil’s greatest artists and as well as its most innovative electronic pioneers, and with her wide open mind and inimitable style she has rocked the worlds of traditional Brazilian music and international dance culture simultaneously, gaining ever-increasing respect from both sides of the equation.

    Patricia Marx has just completed a European tour promoting Nova Vida, another monumental Brazilian dance compilation from Trama to follow last year’s Sambaloco Drum’n’Bass Classics. She is now back in Sao Paulo working on a new solo album, the first since 2002’s intense and beautiful Respirar, which will be released at the end of this year featuring new collaborations with 4Hero, the legendary Ed Motta and many others.

    Mundovibes caught up with her before the second leg of the Nova Vida tour at Say Samba! – Edinburgh’s highly-charged live Latin session at Cabaret Voltaire.

    Why do you think traditional Brazilian music translates so well into modern, electronic musical forms like drum’n’bass, house and broken beat?
    Brazil has always resonated around the world – this dates back to the 50s and 60s; from bossa nova up to the present day, the acoustic rhythms and instruments of Brazilian music have influenced very modern as well as very traditional music. And not just in rhythmic terms but in harmonic terms as well. The rhythms of samba and chorinho (classical samba from the 1920s and 1930s) were studied by so many musicians and producers globally. What is really fascinating is that all this material has been recycled for many, many years. And as a Brazilian artist, I feel that this is all valid as it just feeds back into the depth and richness of our culture. I would never wish for things to stay static.

    How has your music been received in the UK? Has the reaction been good when you have performed live? How different are the crowds over here from the crowds in Brazil?
    The reaction has been very good, amazing in fact. I have had great feedback from the public over here. I do adapt my show according to the environment, I have played in huge clubs as well as smaller venues, sometimes it’s about people letting go and dancing, in other places I create a calmer, intimate vibe. I have learnt that each show is a new experience and has its own charm. As any performer and DJ knows, it’s crucial to be sensitive to the atmosphere of each venue and to be in tune with the public. I think the main difference between audiences in the UK and Brazil is that here in the UK there is a more aware dancefloor culture. In the UK you can go straight out and buy the latest remix – there is more immediate access to that kind of information and material. In Brazil you have to search it out more, access to new material and club material is more limited, there is less of an active market for singles, remixes and so on. So the impression I have is that here people pick up on new tunes much more quickly, without necessarily having to rely on radio for information.

    How would you describe your music? What inspires you most when you are making it?
    My music is a fusion of everything I love and that I’ve listened to ever since I was a kid, black music, bossa nova, jazz, and electronic music which I’ve been into since the early 90s. Since then many other influences came into play as well. I got very into music of so many different styles and origins and that gave me a much wider perspective, so I can’t just single out one or two influences. The year 2000 was a real turning point for me musically – I was invited to record a track with 4Hero and I came to London. When I heard the other tracks on their album for the first time in the studio, I was completely transfixed. It just blew my mind. I felt liberated and I knew I wanted to make something that would defy any commercial compromise.

    What are you working on at the moment? Who are you collaborating with? Does it have a different vibe or message from your last album – and if so, in what way?
    I am working on my new album which will be released at the end of the year. I am writing, arranging and producing tracks for that album, so the sound will be different from the previous record. It’s about finding and generating my identity through digital and musical expression. I am working with various producers such as 4Hero who I am delighted to have worked with on three tracks, and Brazilian soulman Ed Motta, as well as producer and musician Bruno E [Sambaloco and Nova Vida Records] and I am talking with various other producers and musicians about working together … so watch this space.

    Will you be performing some of your new material in Edinburgh?
    Yes I may drop some new tracks into my set.

    Of all the tracks you are going to perform, which is your favourite? Why?
    We’re going to do a stripped down, intimate set. I’ll be playing some of the remixes of tracks from my album ‘Respirar’ [Breathe] produced by Bruno E, Mad Zoo and Makako’s Project.

    Who have you most enjoyed collaborating with?
    I like working with different producers. Each has their own style and charm. To me it’s always a pleasure to collaborate and create music.

    What does the future hold?
    I aim to finish my new album in Brazil by July, and then come back to the UK to rehearse with my band for another European tour later this year.

    Is this your first visit to Scotland?
    This is the second time I’ve been to perform in Scotland. I played there last year on a tour with other artists from my label Trama: Jair Oliveira, Max de Castro and Wilson Simoninha. It was a wonderful show and I am looking forward to coming back to play in Scotland.

  • Belleruche

    Three Londoners met in the market one fateful day: Kathrin deBoer (vocals), Ricky Fabulous (guitar) and DJ Modest (decks) struck up a conversation and soon realized they had similar musical tastes. Ricky and Modest, who played experimental turntable and guitar sets in London bars, auditioned deBoer over a cup of tea and Belleruche was born. Now with numerous singles, three albums and non-stop touring behind them, Belleruche are well-established in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and are poised to take on America.

    Things began humbly enough for the band. Initially, they released a handful of extremely limited 7” records on their own Hippoflex label, including the ‘Four Songs EP’. These individually numbered 45’s (with hand-printed sleeves) quickly sold out in the UK’s independent record stores and attracted a cult following in the UK and Europe.

    With the buzz generated by these singles, in 2007 Belleruche signed to Tru Thoughts Recordings and their debut album ‘Turntable Soul Music’ was released in July of that year to great enthusiasm from fans and the media alike, garnering admiring reviews both at home and abroad. Belleruche’s second, more bluesy sophomore album “The Express” thrilled its fanbase while also bringing them to the wider world’s attention and garnering many listeners. The first single “Anything You Want (Not That)” was awarded the coveted Single Of The Week spot on iTunes and the album hit Number One in the iTunes electronic album chart.

    With their third full length now reaching audiences new and old, ‘270 Stories’ sees the trio hitting their stride with style, tying together all that is distinctive about their off-kilter mix-up of scratchy beats, bluesy guitar and soulful, honeycomb vocals that we know and love, with the unmistakable vibe of a band pushing forward without pretension, letting their ideas roam free and lead them to a new place. In their own words it is “layered, tougher, more aggressive and possibly at the same time more introspective” than their previous, highly acclaimed, long players.

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  • Ursula Rucker Interview

    Ursula Rucker Speaks with MundoVibe’s John C. Tripp on Her Fifth Recording, “She Said”

    As a poet and performance artist, Ursula Rucker has enchanted critics and fans across the globe with her diverse repertoire, captivating vocals and accessible poetic verse. Her fifth live studio album, She Said, is an organic live recording with a full band showcasing Ursula’s diverse and complex artistry across many styles. This is Ursula’s first recording to feature a live in the studio session and focuses on Ursula’s well-honed skill and prowess as an improv vocalist. MundoVibe.com’s John C. Tripp interviewed Ursula from her Philly base.

    Ursula Rucker “She Said” is available at iTunes

  • Soul of Philly: Lady Alma

    A Mundovibe exclusive interview with Silhouette Brown vocalist Lady Alma

    Lady Alma performs with Mark de Clive Lowe
    Lady Alma performs with Mark de Clive Lowe

    After half a decade, Silhouette Brown – the original production and songwriting team of vocalist Bembe Segue, Kaidi Tatham (Agent K / Bugz In The Attic) and Dego (2000black / 4hero / dkd) – return with their aptly titled sophomore album, two. Silhouette Brown’s second LP two features the unmistakable vocal sounds of Philadelphia’s Lady Alma who has appeared on countless club classics from Sylk130′s “When the Funk Hits The Fan” to Soul Dahmma’s “Happy” and 4hero’s “Hold it Down”. Soaring with a distinctive soulful voice from start to finish, showing all her versatility and warm spirit, Lady Alma delivers two into a relaxed head-nod-soul experience.

    Alma’s distinctive soulful voice brings a vivacious energy to the various sounds introduced in the album. With two, Silhouette Brown guides us toward a new dimension of modern soul music with a distinctively London-esque flair. It conveys a touch of melancholy in tone through contemplative yet hopeful lyrics and just enough groove for those looking for that “je ne sais quoi” in their regular dosage of Jazz and Nu soul.

    “Get With It” is a hip-hop song featuring Brand Nubian’s Sadat X, which talks about uniting and progressing. “Leave A Note” talks about suicide, while “Hear Them Often Say” is about having faith. Another instant hit is the collaboration with M.D Akwasi on “Strawberries in Vinegar,” which is a guaranteed boogie anthem. Silhouette Brown’s extremely skillful production team pushes a warm, sumptuous melody, which delivers groove in a way only they know how. This group of extra-ordinary artists created two, which is the musical product of their skills and talents.

    Listen to the full interview here. Full transcript below:
    Mundovibe Interview with Lady Alma of Silhouette Brown by mundovibe

    Mundovibe: It’s an honor to speak to you, I give you big respect. I’ve been a fan of y0ur contributions going way back to, of course, King Britt and I’m a big fan of the EP you did with Mark de Clive-Lowe and your work with 4 Hero. Big respect.

    Lady Alma: Thank you very much.

    MV: So, let’s go right into this new Silhouette Brown and my first question is, how you became the vocalist on this recording.

    LA: Well, I’m friends with all three of the creators of Silhouette Brown, which is “Dego” McFarlane, Kaidi Tatham and Bembe Segue and I knew about the first Silhouette Brown. I’m a fan of those three cats so I was already in on it, but I did not know that I was going to be a part of Silhouette Brown until the later part of 2008 when Dego started talking about it. We stated recording in February of 2009 and now here we go.

    MV: Yeah, well it’s exciting because you’ve got a history with those guys and, of course, ‘Hold It Down’ was such a phenomenal track so this is kind of a bearing the full fruit of that collaboration I would say.

    LA: Yeah, I think so. I’ve had the opportunity of performing with Kaidi and Bembe on stage and working with Dego in the studio. So, for me it was an honor for it to happen. That they even considered me as pulling it off: it’s five years in the making so I’m very honored to be the one on the next installment.

    MV: So, how do you describe Silhouette Brown?

    LA: Definitely different from the first installment. Dego is now living here in the States, so it’s a little more States friendly. He and Kaidi are very complex with their drum patterns and what they lay down and I think him being here kind of Americanized the sound of Silhouette Brown to make it more American friendly. More boombap beats and more just laid-back, grown folk &B tracks with some heavy contemporary gospel influence chords played by both Dego and Kaidi. So, it’s definitely different from the first installment.

    MV: And, of course, five years ago was kind of the peak of the “broken beat” sound, so they’ve clearly evolved and matured and I’m sure you have to.

    LA: Oh, yes. It was such a challenge doing this album. But I appreciate the growth of my craft from it.

    MV: Well, you come from a long, long background — I watched the documentary on your career, which stretches all the way to being a child. That’s phenomenal. I know that you came up with the church choir but wow did you end up with your style that you have now?

    LA: I would like to say how it evolved to where it is now: it definitely has to do with the church but more, even more that my mom had me in music school, going for music/academics with GAP, which was my day school. And she also had me in after school activities at Settlement so, even though my background was classical it kind of helped me to mesh so many different genres of music that I was learning to develop the style that I have now. I’ve always sang, from age 3 all the way up to now. So, I think just being around different entertainers, my friends that are also in the music business. Being influenced by all of this different music that I’ve been exposed to, whether it’s been personal or professional I just think that everybody has had a part in making my sound what it is now.

    MV: And how much of that is part of the whole “Philly Soul” kind of thing?

    LA: Oh, I would say it has to be at least 60 percent. I have a lot of friends in the business like my cousin is Jaguar Wright and I’ve watched her perform. And Asia from Kindred and even Jazmine Sullivan. Marsha Ambrosius from Floetry and all these ladies and even some guys and even the old classics like

    Diana Reeves and Dinah Washington and Martha Reeves: all of those cats are what has brought my sound to the forefront as Lady Alma. I’ve been influenced by a lot of vocalists and I try to take a little piece of something from each one, and not try to copy. They’re successful in their own right so noone wants another one. If anything you should be able to take something and evolve it and I think that’s what has happened. But I thank all of those people, even the producers that I’ve worked with, I’ve noticed that the notes that I choose become more complex because they’re complex. Everybody influences me.

    MV: You hooked up with King Britt and you attribute him to launching your career to some degree.

    LA: I’m very proud of King, King is like my brother number one. And it started out as an admirer to the admiree. You know, he was a DJ at Silk City. I just used to enjoy the music with the live element they had. My and my girlfriend, who was actually my partner in the early Sylk 130 recordings, used to go out on those Monday and Saturday nights and I would get so moved by the music that was spinning because it was at a time where top 40 music was really taking over and you wished you could get a little bit of the grown folk music that you were brought up on. So, that’s what these cats used to spin — not only that but I’m a lover of house music. So, that’s how it came to be, just kept going out and one day me and Tandy was just in the middle of the club singing and they couldn’t believe it.King heard us over the top of all this stuff and was like, ‘Oh my God I’ve gotta work with those girls.’ And Tandy knew King already prior to us working so I was introduced to him and from there it’s where it is now. And I do attribute and I have to say if it wasn’t for God first, bringing me to Tandy and her bringing me to the club to meet King I probably would be at my regular 9-5 helping doctors fit patients for lenses.

    Silhouette Brown release 2

    MV: You definitely like to collaborate with people: how did that process work with Silhouette Brown?

    LA: Well, I was only working with one person as far as the music production part of it. But I had worked before I worked with all of those cats prior to this project, in some form. So, it wasn’t too difficult.

    MV: Were the lyrics your collaboration?

    LA: Nooo, the only thing you are getting from me is vocal arrangement. A lot of the lyrial content was written by Bembe or Dego. That’s why I said earlier that it was a challenge, because I didn’t write any of the lyrics and to bring what they heard, as far as to them what they’re interpretation of their songs would be for me to give them what they want, that was a big challenge. Good thing I personally do know them and know how they like things and what they would do as the artist. Like, when Dego was being Dego the artist I know what he wants. When Kaidi, as madd as he is with all that talent, I know what he likes to hear from just working with him in the studio. And then being onstage with Bembe, I know where she goes. She’s so uninhibited, she can take a song with no lyrics and you’ll think it’s lyrics the way she does things. So, I tried to like put myself in those positions and then bring Alma, the sound that they want. That was such a challenge but I grew so because I allowed myself to just rest in my vocals and let someone do something else.

    MV: That would be very challenging I would imagine. Especially, there’s some pretty heavy — it’s kind of emotional, some of the lyrics. Some heavy, adult topics in there.

    LA: Yeah, it is. And it’s funny actually, I’m not ashamed, there’s a few songs where you’d have thought I wrote them because they really were personal tunes. Actually two of the songs, and I’m getting a little choked up right now, but ‘Casualties of Honey’. Well, I broke up with my boyfriend about the time that we started recording and ‘Leave a Note’. I had contemplated last year of leaving a note, and that can be on record I’m not ashamed, I’m doing much better right now. I think the mere fact of just finishing this group of work has helped me to heal a whole a lot. And I also seek through my pastor at church for spiritual guidance now. A couple of songs there are verrry personal so if they sound as if I wrote them or some sort or I’ve experienced them it’s because I have.

    MV: Well, you definitely did put that into the songs because you interpreted them very well and I listen very closely to the lyrics, one which grabbed me was ‘I want to dream forever and rest my head in a pool of red’. That’s heavy stuff and we all go through these moments where were just wondering, especially these days. But I don’t want to get all heavy here because it’s really uplifting music.

    LA: Oh, yeah. Because on the flip side, I got my healing from this album. The good part is that I was healed through this body of music and lyrical content that has substance. And it really caused me to just reflect on my life and if I had, even going through all my down stuff, if I had a chance to live my life differently or do it again I’d do it the same way.

    MV: I listened to all of the tracks, I didn’t get to listen to the full length of them because it’s not out yet, but it was really resonating, it really sounded great. Now I understand why it has a different flavor to it because as you said, it’s more accessible to American ears. Now, how are you going to interpret this live?

    LA: Oh yeah, we’re getting ready to start rehearsals and I’m so, so excited. My personal keyboard player who plays in my band has been pulled into the Silhouette Brown family and I know that Dego is going to get Kaidi over for some of the shows so he’ll be playing as well. So, I’m really excited because all three of those cats are sick, madd musicians and I know just those three right there is enoght that it will be mind blowing. It will be new and different because as a collective group we haven’t worked together in that sense. So, the first couple of shows might be rough but after that please. Actually I think from the first show to the last show it’s going to be something new every time.

    MV: And you’re know for just taking over and giving everybody that uplift and your live show is supposed to be phenomenal. Tell me about some of the recent live work you’ve done.

    LA: Actually, I just got back from LA. A girlfriend of mine, Felicia (the Poetess) Morris, her dad has been in radio for 45 years and that is a milestone because if you last 45 minutes you’re doing well. But they had a benefit concert for him at the Congo Room, which is Sheila E’s club, and my girlfriend works for Jamie Fox on his radio station the Foxhole. I was performing last Monday at the Congo Room and Jamie Fox came up and sang with me. I got to meet and see Mr. Stevie Wonder, Lenny Williams, some great, great talent. It was really a good event. Before then I would have to say, I did something local and I did a gig at S.O.B.’s in New York for my friend Manchild Black, he has a party called Soul Ascension and I did it with DJ Mr. V and it was dope because it ended my whole trip, I’d been in Atlanta with DJ Kemit. I don’t know if a lot of people know who he is but he’s the DJ for Arrested Development and who went on to work with a lot of great people who also was the resident DJ of this big party in Atlanta that happens every three months called the Fall Jazz. And he brings in some heavy cats, the whole idea of this even is you never know — people fly into Atlanta from all over for this event. Me and Kemit did a track for his album called ‘You Don’t Know’ and that’s dope. So it started in Atlanta and then I went to LA and made some connects out there and came home and then headed up to New York. And it was freezing, but the hottest night ever.

    MV: SOB’s a nice room too.

    LA: Oh, yes it is. People in New York came out and showed their love. It was freezing cold but I’m serious, there was a lot of people that came out and showed their love. In those nine days I had I would have loved to stay out in LA and attend some Grammy parties but I had work to do.

    MV: It’s good to hear that you’re playing out in different cities. A final question: do you see Silhouette Brown blowing up the spot in the States and worldwide.

    LA: I see Silhouette Brown really impacting people who have not been impacted by grown folk music. I see people being introduced to it and I see it breaking some gaps that we have. I’d like to see Silhouette Brown for a while, for a long time. I feel that it’s going to catapult me for the other things that I have in the works. And I’m forever grateful to those three for even considering and then choosing me. I see longevity for Silhouette Brown, here and worldwide.

    Silhouette Brown – We Used To Run Steady by djkurka

    Silhouette Brown – Leave A Note by crl

     

     

  • Moonstarr Interview

    By J.C. Tripp

    Any serious underground beat junkie of the past decade has heard Moonstarr’s now-classic “Dupont” as well as his long list of remixes for such labels as Compost, Sonar Kollektiv, Jazzanova, Do Right! Music. The fact is, even though his demeanor is completely low-key, Moonstarr is one busy and prolific cat. While maintaining a full-time job as a technician, he’s holding things down on the business end for his Public Transit Recordings (PTR) record label, breaking beats live on the P.A. and hunkering down with synths, drum machines, and samplers to bang out mind-melding beats for his appreciative global audience.

    Moonstarr’s “Dupont”

    Moonstarr’s musical history encompasses the entire recent history of modern urban music, stretching from hip hop to drum’n’bass to broken beat and also including some goofball humor. Citing musical influences as diverse as Underground Resistance, DJ Premier, Baden Powell, Zakhir Hussein and Sun Ra, Moonstarr’s sound has continuously evolved as he’s journeyed both literally and figuratively. His collaborations reflect his diverse influences: projects for indie soul, electronic, and jazz heavyweights such as Jazzanova, Recloose, and 4Hero. In the process, Moonstarr has gained worldwide acclaim for his music.

    Besides running Public Transit Recordings, the label he co-founded with Dialect (Mano Narayanan) in 1998, Moonstarr is busy playing shows and rocking dancefloors in Berlin to Tokyo to Puerto Rico to all points in between. His trademark live performances have graced London UK’s legendary CO-OP club night, Montreal’s MUTEK Fest, San Francisco’s BetaLounge, and the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

    In 2010 Moonstarr is back with a vengeance. After a long minute making beats for other peeps like Voice, LAL, Daedelus, DJ Kentaro, Zero DB and scoring music for film (cult hit film Next: A Primer On Urban Painting), our man heeded the calls and poured energies into his latest album, Instrumentals Forever, his second full-length release on Public Transit Recordings. To say this is a highly anticipated record is an understatement, given the worldwide rounds and critical acclaim that followed his bossabreakbeat and synth-infused debut album Dupont earlier this century. On this latest outing, Moonstarr effortlessly melds the sonic spaces between hiphop, techno and bossa-jazz with that classic Moonstarr drumbreak swing programming. Not one to shy away from being a bit cheeky, Instrumentals Forever is a slight play on words with tracks featuring vocal collaborations with bossa soul crooner Sarah Linhares, political dub soul collective LAL, Montreal hip hop luminary Lotus Jai Nitai and jazz-inflected Toronto hip hop fams Fineprint. In addition to this full length, Moonstarr release a 7″ called Farfisa 45, featuring Tony Ezzy on the Farfisa Organ. The songs pay homage to great Brazilian organists like Walter Wanderley and Ed Lincon. Featuring dirty drum breaks and samples played by Moonstarr and jazzy Farfisa Organ work by Tony Ezzy. So, if you’ve been sleeping on Moonstarr it’s time to time to tune back in: he may take his time but at 33 this cat has a few years ahead of him.

    Mundovibe spoke with Moonstarr on his past, present and future:

    MV: I’ve been listening to your music and your remixes for a number of years and you’re clearly somebody who I respect and I enjoy following. Let’s go back to the beginnings: what scene did you tap into or come out of? Give me some history on the Toronto scene.

    KM: When I was growing up I was hugely influenced by college radio. Stations like CKLN, CIUT in Toronto, even commercial radio back then was really great to listen to as a kid growing up. There was a lot of stuff going on at that time on the radio. I’m 33 so my golden years were early 90s: early hip hop but also going to raves at the same time and a really solid house scene in Toronto was going on back then. So, I was just influenced by all of these angles. Radio in particular had a huge force in determining my future, in shaping my future. Because not only the music, I was also getting into news, politics and just hearing really far out ideas and radio art, radio news and all different types of musical genres too.

    “It was really amazing to follow those guys into a whole new musical genre. They were taking all of the elements of house and techno and all of the drum programming from drum & bass and bringing that into broken beat.”

    So, it was natural for me when I started to DJ to be interested in trying to find all different types. But I kind of was limiting myself to drum’n’bass and hip hop and also techno. Those are the three main genres that I kept sticking to but there’s so many sub-genres in those musical cultures that kicked off. I was really into the drum’n’bass community in the early ‘90s: Reinforced records had a huge influence on me and then later on to follow all those producers as they started making broken beat, people like Dego and Marc Mac (4 Hero), Somatic. It was really amazing to follow those guys into a whole new musical genre. They were taking all of the elements of house and techno and all of the drum programming from drum & bass and bringing that into broken beat.

    So, in the late ‘90s my sound started to mature more and I had circulated enough demo tapes to my friends to build the confidence to release my own stuff I started a label called Public Transit Recordings. That was in 1998 and at that time too we were living in an area of Toronto that was close to the University of Toronto and I was rooming with some friends that were going to university and we were throwing parties at our house and we got tired of cleaning up after, so we decided to throw a party at a venue and we invited all our friends and all our DJ friends. It was a huge mix of genres: we had house DJs on the top floor and MC performances in the basement and we called our friends up, from the Elemental crew in Columbus (Ohio): Charles Monochrome, Arktyp and they brought this mid-Western American thing into the mix. We also started the label with that first party and we released a compilation called “Code 416” that featured some of the artists that were performing. After that we started to grow outside of Toronto by promoting ourselves through the DJs that were coming into the city. And also connecting with old friends like people are Reinforced. We would send promos and they would help distribute them around.

    MV: The community from that era was so tight and so into helping each other.

    KM: You really had to rely on other people because the internet was just coming up. In the ‘90s it was all about passing tapes and CDs around. I remember the first CD burner I bought was 400 bucks and it only burned at 8X so you’d have to start planning on Monday or Tuesday how many CDs you were going to get rid of on the weekend to all of the DJs that were coming in from out of town and start burning then. So, you really had to rely on people to help you out and it still happens today but it’s just in a different context. Today you can do a lot more yourself, in terms of online promotion. You still have to rely on other people to “retweet”, you know what I mean? But back then it was really physical, you had to hope that the five CDs that you gave to a friend in another country would be distributed to the five other people, you know? Where nowadays it’s easier to forward five retweets then five real CDs or tapes.

    MV: You essentially got into music and production as a teenager?

    KM: Yeah. I was the youngest of four so there was music in the house in the ‘80s for sure, like Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, there was always music there and I think that helped me when it came to wanting to get my own music. I remember my sisters driving to the mall to get records when I was eleven and twelve and I was buying INXS records and shit like that. So, when it came to the point where I was able to take the bus and go downtown in Toronto and go to the record stores, I was ready to start buying every single hip hop record that came out and we used to fight for records on Thursdays at this store called Play de Record in Toronto. It was the spot where everyone would get together and the newest releases would come out. There was DJs playing the music in the store and there was just a great atmosphere to grow up around and meet people. So, as a teenager I really got into it. I was driven to try and figure out how DJ Premiere chopped and sampled jazz records. I was really interested in what drum machines they were using. I’m an electronic technician, I was taking apart radios at the same time and electrocuting myself, so the technical side of the music really grabbed me. I was driven to try and figure out how they did that, and also to get my own gear as well.

    “But it just built over time, over the next two years people just got into it and then other DJs started playing it and then big name DJs started playing it, people like Rainer Truby. And DJ Spinna called up my house like out of the blue and I was like ‘who is this?’ “

    MV: Once you did those two things, figuring out how they did it and what their techniques were and got they gear, where did your signature sound come out of that, your sound?

    KM: Shit, I still try and define it today like ‘what is my sound’ but people tend to hear it in music I put out and I think it has to do with a really lo-fi aesthetic and also a DIY aesthetic, just making do with the gear that you have, whether it’s a lot of the early stuff that we did on tape so if there’s hiss or if your sampler only had 5 seconds of memory and you’re stretching it by sampling at 45 and doing all sorts of crazy shit, I think that really defines my sound and what I’m about. But also pushing the limits with that technology, I think that plays a big part in defining who I am.

    MV: It’s pretty much beat driven music wouldn’t you say? Is that the core of it?

    KM: I think so, I make a lot of other types of music too, ambient music and weird fucked up electronic music but I don’t think I’m at a point yet where I can put that stuff out on a commercial level. I might start leaking a bit more of that stuff out on a commercial scale. I might start leaking a bit more of that stuff through the new communication channels we have now like Facebook and Soundcloud. And in the past I’ve actually put those weirder tracks on demos I’ve passed around to people.Mainly,when it comes down to it, when I’m in the studio the majority of what I do is beat driven and it’s for the dancefloor, it’s for people. Because I’m a DJ at heart, I grew up DJing and I love to see my tracks in the club and being played and seeing the reactions on the dancefloor. I just enjoy that music, it’s part of who I am so it’s really easy for me to make that shit in the studio.

    MV: Nice. Tell me about your first full-length, “Dupont”. What went into that?

    KM: That was around 2000-2001 but there’s some songs on there that go back to 1996 I think. Tracks like ‘Dust’, very older tracks.I had gotten to a point where when we started the label it wasn’t about me, it was about the community that was happening at that time and it was about my friends. It was about me, I put four of my tracks on the first compilation and it’s a bit self-centered but I paid for the whole thing (laughs). But I waited a while before I actually focused on my own material and really pushed myself. So, “Dupont” was really the first big push where I could showcase my sound. It was a mix of musical genres, I wanted to highlight all the things I was into not just the one sound, the ‘dust’ sound. I was into the broken (beat) scene that was going on at the time but mixed with a bit of the techo elements. I connected with these guys in Colombus, Ohio – the Elemental Crew that I mentioned before – and there’s Dave Cooper in Toronto who introduced me to Detroit.

    And we would go to Detroit a lot and I went to Submerge and I met Mike Banks and a lot of people down there and was hugely influenced by that sound. So, it came through on “Dupont” – I wanted to showcase that. But I also wanted to keep it light hearted hence all of the funny messages I was getting on my phone. And I wanted to put Toronto on the map too. I really wanted to showcase the Toronto transit system in particular like Dupont Station and the forward thinking architecture that went behind the actual building of that station. It was a mix of ideas but I think it came together pretty well. Originally we just put it out on 12”, it was a double vinyl and the initial sales were really low, like 100 copies. But it just built over time, over the next two years people just got into it and then other DJs started playing it and then big name DJs started playing it, people like Rainer Truby. And DJ Spinna called up my house like out of the blue and I was like ‘who is this?’ you know? Weird shit started happening like that – Gilles Peterson started playing it. So, it was fun man. That record, you just made it with an idea, a concept, and hoped that it would go somewhere and it did, it helped me out a lot.

    MV: So that put you on the international map?

    KM: Yeah, at that time I was working with Dave Cooper in Toronto, who started a community-based distribution company and the idea was he was going to get all of the hottest labels in Toronto. And there were a couple other labels outside of Toronto involved too. And he was going to distribute them to other distributors. And one of the distributors that picked up on our stuff was Goya in the UK and they took a couple boxes and that helped out a lot because Goya at that time was really hot. A lot of people were checking out Goya for all the broken shit that was coming out and some people picked up on our stuff and we ended up re-pressing that record twice. I think we did probably 3,500 copies of that 12”. And it was a double 12”, there’s no way in hell we could do that these days. Nobody’s buying vinyl like that anymore. It was a lot of fun, it still is. We just cut my first 45 and I don’t know why it’s taken so long to do this but to put it on the turntable and watch it spin is an unbelievable feeling.

    MV: Vinyl’s back or what?

    KM: It’s always going to be there. It is dieing off for sure. If it’s coming back, I don’t know if there’s a big regurgence, I think it’s just people are realizing – for instance Kevin Beedle, a UK DJ does a show called Mind Fluid – I’ve been listening to his show for a while and he’s started playing more and more vinyl and he talks about ‘man, I totally forgot about how this feels’. It’s a different experience when you dig through a crate and you look at the covers and stuff. I think people in the next couple of years are going to get reacquainted with that nostalgia of vinyl.

    Moonstarr collaborator Sarah Linhares

    MV: Who do you regularly collaborate with?

    KM: I’ve been working a lot with a vocalist named Sarah Linhares in Montreal, we’re working on her full length album that’s coming out on PTR, it’s called “Messages From the Future”. I tend to collaborate with people close to me, I’m working on stuff with my girlfriend here in the studio. Stuff with friends around town , people like Tony Ezzy, he collaborated with me on my 45. So it’s pretty tightknit. I do collaborate and reach out to people over long distances, for instance Voice. I linked up with Voice, who’s from New Orleans and we ended up doing a whole record together. I didn’t produce all of the beats on her record but I kind of executive produced it and arranged other producers – people like Charles Noel who’s in New York now but whenever we can we’ll collaborate on something if we’re visiting eachother or over the net. We did called ‘Poppa Large’ that’s kind of floating around the internet. It’s a mashup of Two Man Sound, a Brazilian track that we sampled and we used Kool Keith’s ‘Poppa Large’ and put the vocals over top. So, I tend to collaborate with people close but the remixing is funny because I remember when I put out “Dupont” and maybe even earlier I called up Reinforced Records a lot in the early ‘90s and spoke to Marc Mac and Dego. I was constantly quizzing them on the gear they had and how they were chopping breaks and they gave me some crazy advice in terms of the remixing because they were doing a lot of remixes in the ‘90s and I asked them how did they get there to that point. Because remixes are a great way to generate cash to keep you going, you know? And they said ‘it just happens. People just call you up.’ It’s simply that easy, once you have your music out there people that are into your sound are going to want to feature your productions on their releases. And the remixes, you never choose to do a remix, they always ask you right? In some situations you can remix and hopefully they’ll enjoy it but the really good relationships are when people approach you and ask you to work for them. And that’s kind of how the remix thing happened for me, a lot of people just started asking me. It has slowed down a lot in the past couple of years but 2003-05 Iwas really busy.

    MV: A lot with Compost records and Do Right!, right?

    KM: Yeah, well John Kong, the guy that’s behind Do Right! Was based in Toronto and we were actually working together in the studio on some collaborative projects. I did a track called ‘Future Visions’ with him and a keyboardist, Jason Kenemy so when it came time for remixes for his label he asked me for somehelp and I hooked him up for a remix. But, yeah, I did a release on Compost, it was a 12” called ‘The Greed Remixes’ andit was a remix I did of one of my own tracks. But that really helped me out a lot, it was a really big 12” for me back then. And because they’re in Europe a lot of the DJs picked up on that in Europe. And then I got calls from Rush Hour to do a remix, Raw Fusion, Sonar Kollektiv. I did a release on Sonar Kollektiv as a result of the 12” on Compost.One thing led to the next. And by putting our names and contact info on the records it allowed a lot of people to get in touch with us – small record labels. There’s a lot of remixes that I’ve done that I need to put in a volume two because they never made it on volume one. Ianeq (‘The Light’) for instance is a remix I did for a small label in Switzerland (Mental Groove) and I did some work for Groovement in Portugal. They’re all in my discography but people might not hav heard of them or there’s only a limited release originally.

    MV: In naming some of the projects that you were involved with, it’s really international: Portugal, Berlin, Detroit, Switzerland, Montreal. What’s next?

    KM: I haven’t cracked into South America yet and the only Asian country I’ve gone into is Japan and maybe Korea, but there’s a whole other world out there that I would love to tap into and get involved with. But, in time, I’m not in a rush.

    MV: Are you solidly based in Toronto, would you ever pick up like Quantic did and go down to Colombia if you had the opportunity?

    KM: You know, when I was on the road in Japan and also in Europe I did some production work on the road but, I mean, Quantic’s ability to just pick up and move to Colombia and do a collaboration like that – it’s amazing. I have a bit of that bug in me but I actually haven’t been as financially rewarded as much as people may think, in terms of this. I still work, I still have a 9-to-5 and that’s a big chunk of my income you know? Being in North America I think a of of Europeans not have it easier but especially in England there’s so many more people per capita, there’s so many more people you can play to and there’s so many more people buying your stuff. I think it’s easier to be an underground musician in more condensed cities obviously. So, it’s kind of worked against me a bit but I’m not complaining at all it’s just the reality: I haven’t been afforded the luxury to take three months off and record in the jungle. (laughter). So, I guess my priorities are working with artists that are closer to me that need assistance. I really don’t mind helping people like Sarah, for example, get her full length together or Voice – she really needed to get put on the map and we wanted to get behind her album. So, it’s a very little effort that I can put to helping these people get up to where they should be, you know? And that’s kind of where my priorities are at.

    New Orlean’s based hiphop artist Voice

    MV: You’ve got another full-length that came out in 2009, which is “Instrumentals Forever”.

    KM: That’s again another something that maybe should have come out a couple of years earlier but I got it out nonetheless and a lot of people were really happy with it. We didn’t get to distribute it as much in North America as we would have like to but we did do some vinyl and we did a lot of CDs in Japan and Europe, so hopefully people will be able to pick it up. It’s available on iTunes too and digitally at dancetracks and juno. It’s kind of an extension of “Dupont”, it was an idea I had in my mind for a while of songs in partiulcar like ‘Broken Bossa’ and ‘Clappy’ and there’s some songs I just wanted to get out. And there were other songs that just kind of fit with the mold of the record and I wanted to give something really good for out Japanese distributor to sell becaue they did a lot of great work for us in the past. I have a new record I’m working on called “Ill Harmonics” and it features more of the techier sounds thatI’m into. Hopefully we’ll be able to get that out by the summer of this year. I also just released a mix tape of more unreleased stuff called ‘Beats From the Vaults’, I wanted to do something just to show that I’m still busy in the studio and I’m trying not to covet my beats—I’m up for sharing.

    Moonstarr’s “Instrumentals Forever”

    MV: Do you find that your base has shifted?We’ve all aged, our tastes evolve. How do you evolve and how do you relate to your people that appreciate your music?

    KM: I can definitely hear a change just in terms of my sound because of my age. I used to make beats ona Mac Plus and a Korg DSS1 – it’s like pulling teeth you know? Now I’m doing a lot of stuff with Ableton Live soothe process is completely different I’m not spending three or four hours a day on beats. I’ll do half or one hour at least. So, a lot of the kids coming up today – I don’t know if you heard about Domu but he recently quit and he talks about the fight because when you grow up listening to really forward thinking music and you feel like you’re slipping or you’re losing your edge or something it can be really hard. I’m not saying that’s why he quit but he did mention it in his blog, talking about giving up the fight. But I’m realy comfortable with what I do and if I’m not doing the crazy shit I was doing in 1996 that’s alright because Idid it and I don’t need to do it again, right? So I don’t feel really pressured to recreate things I’ve done. I really feel like I’ve set up myself for the next 10 years to do what I want to do. I think I’ve played my cards right and I feel like I’m in a new phase you know? With my next record I really want to showcase that and I’m really curious to see how people react. Once we got our comments up on the web page then I’ll be happy.

    MV: Will you be sneaking out some early tracks?

    KM: We’ll be doing some stuff in lead up to that through the regular channels. The “Beats From the Vault” is three-part series so the next mix is going to feature a lot of those tracks. We’re talking about doing an early 12” release for that album as well as some digital releases. We’re going to be giving lots of stuff away for free this year – it’s the nature of the business now. People are giving back to us so it’s working out lovely.

    MV: I’m sure that ties into getting out there and DJing. You seem to be pretty busy.

    KM: I tend to hit the road once or twice a year. I missed out on a tour that voice did in November of last year to Europe. So, I’m due for a trip back to Europe. I did a trip to the Midwest in the U.S. in 2004 and I really want to do that trip again, I want to hit Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philly, New York. I’m trying to get on the road again, that’s my modus operandi for the new year.

    MV: I had noticed that you’d done a podcast with Resident Advisor which seemed to get quite a number of responses.

    KM: Wow, I really didn’t think that it was going to be like that and in hindsight I think maybe I should have put a bit more effort into it? Not to say I didn’t put effort into it but maybe it was better that I didn’t get myself freaked out about it but that was amazing. It was really a highlight for me last year – all the feedback I got and there were some solid critiques of my mix and I really appreciated that too. It was a nice surprise for me because the tracks that I put on there are not stuff you hear every day, you know? When you play that stuff out and to have people appreciate it, that really hard broken stuff or really weird hip hop it’ always a great feeling – that the heads are still out there. The people are there and I’m always looking forward to reconnect with the heads.

    ILL Harmonics Vol.1 by Moonstarr

    ILL Harmonics Vol.1

    On this latest release, Moonstarr embarked on a series of late-night studio missions to explore the deep, moody regions of sound. Chopped breaks and dirty jazz loops are eschewed for synthesizers and drum machines to program the exploration into dark emotion and dissonance. Built upon the foundation created by steadfast pioneers like Mike Banks, Larry Heard, Shawn Rudiman, Purpose Maker and Drexcyia, and inspired by a conversation between Abacus and Marc Mac years earlier in which they discussed the need for vocals to permeate more techno music. Moonstarr continues the tradition and searches for the elusive ‘C-Minus Particles’ that disperse as quickly as they are created. On ‘Monopoly’, guest vocalist Tash sounds out a determined call for working-class justice overtop soaring synth lines, warm bass pulses and insistent rhythms. ILL Harmonics is part one in a series that will continue to travel the soundways in a complementary style to this release.

    MV CONNECTIONS

    Public Transit Recordings

    FREE MOONSTARR TRACKS

    Instrumentals ForeverMoonstarr

    from “Instrumentals Forever”

    (Public Transit Recordings)

    Climax

    “Tiger Funk (feat. LAL and Guests)”

    “Planets Collide (feat. Lotus Jai Nitai)”

    More On This Album

    FREE MOONSTARR MIX

    Moonstarr Beats from the Vault Vol 1

    All you beat heads will enjoy this one. Featuring a mashup of Moonstar’s beats from the past, present and future. Featuring tracks from Instrumentals Forever, Mathology, Montreal ILL Harmonics, guests, unreleased remixes and works in progress.