DECEMBER 2 0 1 8
ISSUE 03
JESS GLYNNE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
7 STEPS TO BAG A GIG Music from Chicago you must hear! NEO CLASSICAL GENIUS ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
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THE BEST GIFTS FOR AUDIOPHILES
PRS for Music members Dreamwife performing at PRS Presents
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BECAUSE MUSIC MATTERS
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UPFRONT
PUBLISHER Hey Music EDITOR Lesley Wright lesley@heymusic.com
EDITOR’S LETTER
NEWS EDITOR Kristan J Caryl kristan@heymusic.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Darren Haynes darren@heymusic.com IN-HOUSE CONTRIBUTORS Antoinette Smith antoinette@heymusic.com Aiez Mirza Ahmed aiez@heymusic.com CONTRIBUTORS Danny Veekens, Jim Butler, Mike O’Cull, Nick Rice and Tarak Parekh @heymusicofficial @heymusictweets @heymusicofficial @heymusicofficial www.heymusic.com LOCATION: London
Hey Mag is published by Hey Music. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. The publisher regrets that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. All credits are accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change.
The Haçienda Classical album has found a permanent home on my old but trusty iPod since its release in 2016. Full of seminal club classics reimagined into orchestral compositions, it’s as uplifting as a ride on a hot air balloon on a clear day. But listening to classical versions of old school house anthems through my earbuds or on the stereo isn’t a patch on hearing them live – something I finally, and joyously, discovered when Haçienda Classical, with original Haç DJs Graeme Park and Mike Pickering, conductor Tim Crooks, the Manchester Camerata Orchestra, Peter Hook and a string of guests rolled into Dubai Opera. I’ve been to more gigs than I can remember but there’s zero chance I’ll ever forget this one. Wrapped in the acoustic brilliance of the venue, the tunes took on an almost divine dimension – jolting every goosebump to attention, opening the endorphin floodgates and swelling my heart until it was fit to burst. As Eddie Amador’s timeless track from the late’90s so eloquently puts it: “Not everyone understands house music, it’s a spiritual thing...” From a spiritual trip down memory lane to a jaunt into the unknown, my next music adventure takes me to Mumbai, in India, to see in the New Year at a Bollywood bash with friends who live in the city. I know diddly-squat about Bollywood music but I’m looking forward to my crash course. Wherever you’re celebrating New Year be sure to have a good one – with a cracking soundtrack.
Lesley Wright HEYMUSIC.COM
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UPFRONT
CONTENTS UPFRONT
6 NEWS What’s cooking across the UK and around the world
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FEATURES
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14 IN THE EYE OF THE STORM British singer-songwriter Jess Glynne on her latest album and coping with the pressures of fame 18 GLACIAL COOL Ólafur Arnalds opens up a gateway into beautifully classical sounds 22 CITY FOCUS Five emerging acts from Chicago 26 IT’S A WRAP Gifts for the audiophile in your life 30 THIRD TIME CHARMER The Boxtones aim for the treble 34 HOW TO… Seven steps to bag your band a gig
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36 ON REPEAT Our albums of the year 40 MUSIC BY NUMBERS The Arcadia Spider 42 A PRECOCIOUS TALENT The journey of LA-based singersongwriter Kennedi 44 THE HUMAN TOUCH How Japanese hip-hop producer Shin-Ski’s music is evolving
BACKSTAGE
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46 THE MAIN EVENT The real life of an event manager
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UPFRONT AROUND THE UK
DISCOVER: Maisha There Is A Place (Brownswood, 2018) London group Maisha are one the many young and contemporary acts making jazz cool again, and November saw the release of their debut LP on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label. This is a hugely spiritual, organic and compelling album that rides on rhythmic drums and bass, with uplifting trumpets and deliciously rich melodies.
HOT OFF THE PRESS Despite constant stories of club closures and ever more draconian councils, there is good news on the horizon for London clubbers: the people behind the mighty Printworks venue are opening a new space in Greenwich in summer 2019. As well as a 3000-capacity indoor space, Magazine will boast an outdoor area that can accommodate 7000 people for fine weather 6
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festivals. The multi-million-pound venue will also host concerts, exhibitions, ceremonies, conferences and other events from its location overlooking the Thames. Work will start on the brand-new building in December and, given the big impact Printworks has made in a short space of time, it promises to be a vital new addition. See you down the front.
A SWEET NIGHTMARE
The 20th year of the much-loved Back to Mine mix series will kick off with a new entry by Nightmares on Wax. The dub, soul and world music producer is a perfect fit for a series that encourages artists to serve up the sort of sounds they’d play at an afterparty or lazy Sunday session. The Leeds-born, Ibizabased DJ, live act and party curator had a fine 2018 that saw him release his latest album Shape The Future, assemble an Essential Mix and remix greats like Moodymann. His Back to Mine mix – scheduled to drop in January – features cosy, colourful tunes from his own archive, plus hiphop act Children of Zeus and house man Soulphiction, making if perfect for intimate groove sessions.
GRIME BOOK TO BE MADE INTO TV SHOW Earlier in 2018, esteemed music writer Dan Hancox released his essential non-fiction book Inner City Pressure, which charted the rise of grime in the UK in the early naughties. In it, he considers what sociopolitical conditions gave rise to the genre, as well as detailing plenty of razor-sharp anecdotes to make for a landmark written history that draws on more than 12 years of interviews. Television rights to the book have now been picked up by Pulse Films and Paramount Television. “I think people really recognise that you can’t tell the story of grime without telling the story of the city and society around it,” said Hancox. “And likewise, if you want to understand London, its politics, poverty, riots, gentrification, frustrations, tensions and joys, there’s no better insight into the first two decades of 21st-century London than grime.” HEYMUSIC.COM
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UPFRONT AROUND THE UK
BRIGHTON MUSIC CONFERENCE REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
The UK’s annual electronic music conference is a perfect place to meet, share knowledge, expertise and help drive the scene forward. Next year the Brighton Music Conference is on the move from Brighton Dome to the British Airways i360 beachfront centre. The event runs from 24 – 27 April. The new venue also boasts the British Airways i360 Pod, the UK’s tallest ascending observation tower, and naturally organisers are planning to put the iconic structure to good use. Golden Tickets for the event will include entry to a special live panel and
networking party in the tower, 450 feet above Brighton. Brands like PRS For Music, Loopmasters, Pioneer DJ, Defected Records, Beatport, Hospital Records, R&S Records, Shogun Audio, Ultra Music and many more will take part in the talks, panels, workshops and seminars that are all scheduled for the conference. Production workshops are also planned with leading labels, as are a series of club events over the four days and a ‘demo zone’, where young producers can showcase their music to experts.
BLEEP GOES PHYSICAL Online record store Bleep. com has opened a pop-up store in Dalston, London. The shop will run until February and will also host regular in-store events with NTS Radio, Hessle Audio’s Bruce, Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder and more. Stock-wise, expect the finest collection of electronic music from grime to techno. 8
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SIR ELTON ANNOUNCES FAREWELL UK SHOWS
Back in January, Sir Elton John announced he would be touring one more time to bring his 50-year career on the road to an end. The ambitious 300-date marathon known as the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour – named in reference to his 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – will take him to five continents over three years. The reason for the grand goodbye is so he can spend more time with his children, who will be eight and 10 when it concludes.
The tour started in September 2018 in Pennsylvania and lands in the UK in November 2020, when 13 shows will take him from London to Leeds via Birmingham, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool. Sir Elton is promising the UK leg will be “incredibly special”. He added: “The UK is home and where my heart will always be.” A biopic called Rocketman is also due to hit cinema screens in May 2019.
REDISCOVER: Don Cherry Organic Music Society (Caprice, 1973) This album is the ultimate folk, afro and indigenous jazz experience. Over 80-odd minutes, trumpeter Don Cherry layers up worldly percussion, meditative chanting and myriad guitars and keys into an intoxicating soundtrack that is filled with tropical jungle imagery. It’s wonderfully adventurous and takes you to places you’ve never been.
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UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Photos_Andrew Whitton & Jenna Foxton
Idris Elba
Liam Gallagher
THE GREATEST SHOW ON SNOW Snowbombing celebrates its 20th anniversary next year with a killer line-up. Stormzy, The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim are among the acts heading to the slopes of Mayrhofen, in Austria, for the six-day festival. More than 100 acts will be playing across a string of unique venues – think popup butcher shop parties, igloo raves and enchanted forest gigs – with Andy C, Bicep, Camelphat, Craig Charles, Fleetmac Wood and Sub Focus also confirmed for next year’s event, which runs from 8 – 13 April. 10
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As well as a fit-to-burst quality line-up and 650 kilometres of piste suitable for boarders and skiers of all abilities, the organisers are promising that the 20th birthday bash will be “downright sillier than ever before”. Get involved in some chairlift speed dating, the snowlympics and Austria’s biggest fancydress street party, just for starters. Last year’s event featured the likes of Liam Gallagher, Rudimental, DJ Yoda, Idris Elba, Mistajam, Dizzee Rascal, Craig David and Big Narstie.
Photo_Douglas Kirkland
DUBAI BOUND
HERBIE HANCOCK HONOURED BY JAZZ INSTITUTION The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will be renamed in honour of Herbie Hancock from 1 January 2019. The American composer, band leader, jazz pianist and allround musical icon has been the Chairman of the Institute for the last 15 years. In his long career he has worked with legends like Donald Byrd and was a key part of the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped refine the role of a jazz rhythm section, as well as working with a dizzying array of contemporary stars such as Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg. The Grammy-winner said the honour was “tremendously humbling” and a “profound moment” for him and his family. “I’m looking forward to continuing in my role as Institute Chairman and carrying on and expanding the organisation’s important worldwide jazz education and humanitarian initiatives,” he added. “We will continue teaching the history and importance of jazz, its traditions and improvisation, along with exploring new directions and horizons for the future. Of utmost importance to the Institute and our programmes is to highlight the ethics of jazz, which are humanitarian in nature.”
Jay Kay and Jamiroquai are heading to the UAE early next year to headline Dubai Jazz Festival. The band has been touring throughout 2018 following the 2017 release of their album Automaton – their first new material in seven years. They’ll hit the stage on 21 February, after Snow Patrol rock the opening night. Alicia Keys will close the three-day event.
SUPERFLY
Spiritual beat maker and Brainfeeder boss Flying Lotus has scored and produced Yasuke, a new anime series on Netflix. It’s “based on the historical samurai of African origin who fought with Oda Nobunaga”, and follows his gory 2017 feature film Kuso, and the 2016 score of sci-fi movie Perfect. HEYMUSIC.COM
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UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
BJÖRK TO PREMIERE NEW SHOW AT THE SHED
Scheduled to open in spring 2019, new Manhattan venue The Shed is “made to commission, produce and present the full spectrum of performing arts, visual arts and pop culture”. It will feature the world premiere of multidisciplinary artist Björk’s new concert production Cornucopia as part of its opening season. While dates have yet to be released, the Icelandic icon said she was “very excited” to be involved, adding: “This winter, I will prepare my most elaborate stage concert yet, where the acoustic and digital will shake hands, encouraged by a bespoke team of collaborators.” 12
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Those collaborators include seven-piece female Icelandic flute ensemble Viibra, with media artist Tobias Gremmler imagining the digital visual design in an environment created by stage designer Chloe Lamford. The opening programme will also include Soundtrack of America, a multi-dimensional, multi-part concert series tracing the connections between styles and genres of African American music from the 17th century to the present. It will highlight “how this rich heritage – spiritual and blues, jazz and gospel, R&B, rock & roll, house, hip-hop, and trap – shines through in the thrilling work of a new generation of young artists”.
DETROIT’S TECHNO STORY SET STRAIGHT MOBY’S NEW MEMOIR
Following on from his much-loved, candid and often amusing memoir Porcelain from 2016, Moby is releasing a follow-up in June. And Then It Fell Apart documents his journey into fame, the demons and addictions that come with it, as well as funny stories involving Trump, Putin and various other characters.
The earliest story of techno is one that is well known: Detroit friends Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Eddie Fowlkes, Blake Baxter and Santonio Echols pioneered the genre and turned out a number of definitive tracks that became local hits. It wasn’t until a London label licensed the tracks for release in the UK, though, that wider attention was brought to the genre. With that, Atkins, Sauderson and May quickly started earning but everyone else was left out of the picture with no apparent knowledge of the deals that were being made. As such, Blake, Eddie and Santonio were left in the shadows, written out of the history of techno and to this day remain uncompensated. New film, God Said Give ’Em Drum Machines: The Story of Detroit Techno, by Motor City natives Jennifer Washington and Kristian Hill, tells that story and investigates how techno was the foundation of what is now a global $7.1 billion industry known as EDM. Of the film, which is due for release in 2019, the producers say: “As of 2018, there are no AfricanAmericans listed as top earning artists. It has been our personal mission to set the record straight and bring this important but overlooked part of black history to mainstream audiences.”
FESTIVAL AWARDS
Belgium’s Pukkelpop, Danish festival Roskilde and Spain’s Bilbao BBK Live have been nominated for Best Major Festival in the European Festival Awards – the annual celebration of the continent’s best music events. The Awards ceremony will take place on 16 January, in Groningen, The Netherlands. Exit Festival in Serbia (above) picked up the gong in the same category earlier this year. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE JESS GLYNNE
It’s been an incredible few years for British pop sensation Jess Glynne. The famous redhead talks to about her latest album and coping with the pressure of fame
IN THE EYE OF THE STORM The
last four years have been life changing, most of it a dream that I couldn’t have even dreamt.” So says Jess Glynne, the much-loved British singer songwriter who recently scored her second UK No.1 album with Always In Between – knocking Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born soundtrack off the top spot in the process. 14
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The follow-up to her three-times platinumselling debut album I Cry When I Laugh, the new longplayer spawned Glynne’s seventh No.1 smash I’ll Be There, which propelled Jess to the position of scoring the most UK No.1s by a British solo female artist when it rocketed to the top of the singles chart earlier this year. Follow-up tracks All I Am and Thursday have been no slouches either,
thing or another. It’s okay to cry and feel low and it’s okay to feel happy and feel strong and empowered. Each song represents a different emotion.” Faced with penning the new album following the phenomenal success of her debut longplayer, Glynne admits to trying “lots of different things” to get in the creative zone and ward off any hints of Difficult Second Album Syndrome. “I’m not going to lie, there’s always going to be pressure,” she says, “but you have to disconnect yourself from it all and immerse yourself in the music. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hype. It’s better to focus on your music and make sure you love it than worry if someone else is going to like it.
Words_Tiffany Hart/The Interview People Photo_Mario Cinquetti
“I just want to make music that feels amazing and sounds like an honest piece of material”
both breaking comfortably into the Top 10. “I’ll be honest and say that it’s broken me but it’s also made me,” says the North Londoner of her new album. Going someway to explaining its title, she adds: “The album is like a journey of emotions from strong to insecure to powerful to powerless. It’s okay to not always have an answer, it’s okay to live in the middle and not have to be one
“I went to America and wrote loads of amazing songs but I didn’t feel content with it. Both the label and I felt it wasn’t the best me.” Eventually, most of the album was recorded in the UK after Glynne moved to a house in Sussex with a crew of 10 people. “It wasn’t a studio. We just set up in all the rooms there and had the most free experience. I felt I had to not be under any pressure or be in a space that felt restricted or felt clinical. I wanted everyone to come to one place, eat good food, create when they wanted to create, be leisurely when they wanted to be and make music for what it is, rather than thinking about making a hit or a smash or whatever anyone likes to call it. “That’s not how I write music. I don’t think, ‘This needs to be a No.1’. This has to be Top 10’. I just want to make music that feels amazing and sounds like an honest piece of material.” After signing with Atlantic Records, Jess first came to prominence in 2014 as a featured artist on Clean Bandit’s Rather Be and Route 94’s My Love, both of which went HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE JESS GLYNNE
to No.1. Both tracks were nominated for BRIT Awards and Rather Be also scooped Best Dance Recording at the Grammys. Since then Glynne has appeared on tracks with Tinie Tempah and Rudimental, and collaborated on songwriting projects with Iggy Azalea, Little Mix and Rita Ora. She bagged her first No.1 solo single with Hold My Hand in early 2015. It hasn’t all been plain sailing though. In 2015 Jess had to pull out of the biggest festivals of the summer, including Glastonbury, T in the Park and the Isle of Wight Festival, as she recuperated from an operation on her vocal chords. “Having an operation on your voice is not fun. I never want to go back there so I’ve made sure my schedule will never override my health again,” says Glynne. “Flying and travelling is a lot, it’s a lot on the voice.” Recalling her operation in 2015, she remembers: “We sent my doctor my schedule and he was like, ‘This is a joke. You want to keep your voice? You won’t be having a voice if you carry on like that’. “If you’re not a singer or somebody who uses their voice like that you’re never going to know the strain that you put on it. I do understand why the label didn’t understand from that point of view at first and put all that stuff in [the schedule] because they thought it was exciting and amazing. It takes a lot to be like, ‘Guys, I’m not sure...’ Thankfully I spoke up and got checked out.” Of course, as is the way in the music industry a new album is followed by touring, and at the time of writing Glynne had just
“Having an operation on your voice is not fun. I’ve made sure my schedule will never override my health again”
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toured the length and breadth of the UK. Her Always In Between tour picks up again across Europe next March before heading stateside until May. She’ll also be joining the Spice Girls reunion tour next summer as a special guest. But this time around Glynne is putting her health – and her voice – first. “I don’t do too many shows in a row. I’m careful. I’m very aware that my voice is sensitive. Anyone who’s had a major procedure has to be careful of the wound, so I’m aware. I drink a lot of water. I do a lot of exercises. My voice is fine. I just need to look after it.” She also makes sure there’s ‘me time’ worked into her schedule. “I got so ill [from over working] I wouldn’t want to go back to it. It’s really important to allow yourself time. When you’re on the road it’s easy to get
“Since the first record, like anybody with relationships, friendships, life you go through... No-one will ever understand what it’s like going from a normal life to the life that I’ve had unless you do what I do. You go through an immense amount of ups and downs. I’ve learned a lot about myself over the years and about what I want and how I want things to be for myself. And how I don’t want them to be. “I wanna do what I wanna do. I want to focus on myself. I want to focus on the fact that I’ve started something and I want to continue that. I also want to have a calm life behind closed doors.” Asked if she’d like to follow in the footsteps of Florence and The Machine and become a female Glastonbury headliner, Jess replies modestly: “I don’t know if I’m big enough. I would love to. We’ll see if I could cope with that. I’m not sure. I would never turn that down. It would be amazing.”
carried away with everything and everyone. It’s important waking up in the morning and having your time. Going to bed at night and having your time.” That said, Jess admits she still loves to go out. “I will never deprive myself of a good time. I don’t think that’s fair. But it’s like as and when.” The majority of people Glynne worked with on her last album, like Jin Jin, Starsmith, Knox, Steve Mac, Cass Lowe and James Newman, were recalled for Always In Between, along with new faces Jae5 and Bastian. But it’s Glynne’s life lessons over the past few years that have informed the album’s songs. “There was a point when it was so crazy and I was like, ‘Woah’. You do lose yourself a little bit. Thankfully I’ve got amazing people around me who definitely pull me back in. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
GLACIAL COOL 18
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While he won’t pigeonhole himself as a classical composer, Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and producer Ólafur Arnalds certainly opens up a gateway into beautifully classical sounds for a new generation. investigates… Words_Jim Butler
The
chapter in the book detailing musical Damascene journeys from hardcore/metal to neo classical is, to the best of our knowledge, rather brief. But that’s not to say musicians that have explored one of these sonic terrains are precluded from making a name for themselves in the other. Take Icelandic artist Ólafur Arnalds, for example. The 32-year-old has, on occasion, been known to bash the sticks for hardcore bands with such defiantly unapologetic names like Fighting Shit. And yet, he’s also heralded as the auteur behind heart-swelling, impossibly serene pieces of music like his most recent album, re:member. If there is a contradiction between the two sounds – and arguably we’re searching for some sort of narrative or insight – it doesn’t seem to have affected Arnalds. When asked for a description of what it is he does so beautifully, he is endearingly modest, claiming that he doesn’t regard himself as a musician, or a composer, or a producer. “When people ask me, I usually fall back on ‘artist’. Of course, this week I might be a producer and next week I might be a composer, but in terms of my solo work, I
don’t really know if composer is the right word. I think what I do has more in common with producing.” His refusal to bow to any lazy, knee-jerk characterisation extends to the question of whether his sounds – constructed both traditionally and in an utterly modern style (loops and beats abound) – are in fact redolent of classical music and whether he is a neo classical, indie classical, contemporary classical or whateverclassical-phrase-du-jour avatar. On a number of occasions, he has said that just because he uses traditional instruments and is influenced by what is nominally known as classical music, this doesn’t actually make him part of that world. He doesn’t, he avows, have much in common with classical composers. Arnalds, who won a BAFTA for his soundtrack to popular ITV show Broadchurch, claims: “I don’t think my music is classical, but more just uses classical instrumentation, like piano and strings. There’s not much in the actual music, sounds, perception or its approach and structure that is classical. Therefore, I don’t want to say that I’m hoping to change the HEYMUSIC.COM
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course of classical music, but I’m happy if it opens doors for people to enjoy instrumental music and makes it more relatable for my generation.” Either way, his haunting sounds render such discussions, if not irrelevant, then certainly secondary. His latest album – his fourth official solo release – re:member is a magical piece of work. It brings to mind his fellow otherworldly Icelandic compatriots, Sigur Ros, and the crepuscular electronica of Jon Hopkins and Four Tet, as much as Nils Frahm, Peter Broderick, Nico Muhly, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and other neo classical figureheads. Announcing the album earlier this year, Arnalds declared re:member as his “breaking-out-of-a-shell album”, adding: “It’s me taking the raw influences that I have from all these different musical genres and not filtering them. It explores the creative process and how one can manipulate that to get out of the circle of expectations and habit.” Another landmark first with re:member is his use of a new software programme he devised with his friend Halldór Eldjárn called Stratus. In essence, Stratus transforms the traditional piano into a completely new instrument – in short, two self-playing pianos that are triggered by what Arnalds plays on his primary piano. The process has been described as creating randomized feedback and can lead to musical progressions that are unplayable in a conventional setting.
Photo_ Max Milligan
FEATURE ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
“I don’t want to say that I’m hoping to change the course of classical music but I’m happy if it opens doors for people to enjoy instrumental music”
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Arnalds’ interest in player pianos was first piqued when he toured with Ryuichi Sakamoto in 2011. The Japanese electronic pioneer used them in his shows, and over the last couple of years Arnalds and Eldjárn devised the software as a way to develop new sounds he wouldn’t otherwise think of playing. “I would also see [player pianos] in airports playing Beatles songs,” he told Too Many Blogs. “I thought this was a cool gimmick, but it also made me think that there was something more to this technology and set out to look for ways to manipulate it. I then applied this concept to a synthesiser, looking at
station’s Slow Sunday was a beguiling slice of contemporary electronica and featured a track by the band he would most like to be in: Radiohead. Is the glacial cool that he exudes in the studio a characteristic that he shares with his fellow Icelandic musicians, Sigur Ros and Björk? Florid descriptions of them in the past continually fell over themselves to link their music to its place of origin. Unsurprisingly, Arnalds is sanguine about critics using his place of birth as a metaphor for his music. “Yes, it’s easy, but it’s good that it’s easy because it gives people an image of Icelandic music. If it wasn’t so easy, they’d probably have no image. Their [Sigur Ros and Björk’s] success helped because it encouraged people to listen to me — “Oh, he’s from that place.’” So there you have it; an Icelandic polymath, who defies description but allows for bewilderingly complex narratives in any case. Best just to listen. And float downstream.
what synths can do and why pianos could not do the same, and set out to combine it.” He’s described the improvisational process as being akin to being in a jazz trio – but with robots. “You have these other players insisting, ‘I’m going to do something different’. Anything I play on my piano gets turned into rhythmical textures on the others. I then hear those and react to them in turn.” Whatever the method, the results are spellbinding. Across 12 tracks, Arnalds skates around the ambient-electronic-folksynth-pop melting pot with assured dexterity. There’s little wonder he was pinpointed by the influential British radio station, 6 Music, as one of the primary exemplars of downtempo recently – his mix for the HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE CITY FOCUS
CHIGAGO ACTS YOU NEED ON YOUR RAD Chicago is and has always been a city full of music, catering to fans of just about every genre. Here are five emerging acts from the Windy City most deserving of your attention Words_Mike O’Cull
BEV RAGE & THE DRINKS
Bev Rage and the Drinks is a pop/punk queercore rock & roll band fronted by inimitable drag vocalist Beverly Rage. The selfdescribed “queerest band in the land”, Bev and company have a new cassette/CD ready to drop called Cockeyed that should do much to put them on the regional map. The advance video for the single Limp Wrist is supremely entertaining and just one example of the creativity flying under the media radar in this town. Rock & roll is supposed to be audacious, outrageous and fun, and by that set of metrics Bev Rage and the Drinks is already a huge success. Highly recommended. bevrageandthedrinks.com 22
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FEATURE CITY FOCUS
CAT ROLFES
An engaging and talented roots rock vocalist and songwriter based in Chicago but originally from New Orleans, Cat Rolfes writes funky swamp R&B, southern rock and blues into her own take on American music and tops it all with a clear, sweet and soulful vocal style with hooks that are instantly memorable. Hwy 55 is her first full-length record and it’s one of the strongest independent releases out of Chicago in recent memory. Her stock in trade is a vintage southern soul sound built on cracking pocket drumming, cleantoned guitar, horns, piano and Hammond organ wrapped around original songs with hooks that go on for days. Opening track Momma Said is a prime example of Cat’s magic. It’s Muscle Shoals-inspired groove feels amazing and her vocals and wisdomfilled lyrics will put you in the palm of her hand. The rest of the set is just as much fun and highlights include That’s How It Goes, Was It Real and Going Home. Fans of all that is funky, bluesy and lyrical will want to hop on Hwy 55 as soon as possible. facebook.com/catrolfesmusic/
KEVIN LEE & THE KINGS
Kevin Lee & the Kings is ready to hit the bricks behind new album Sticks and Stones. The sound is straightup pop/rock packed with big guitars, indelible hooks and soaring vocal harmonies that are all wrapped around Lee’s razor-sharp songwriting. The songs deliver the kind of car-radio greatness that launches careers and tracks like On Top of the World, Tell the Truth and Nothing to Lose will do much to remind you of why you loved rock & roll in the first place. This is a bit of a Midwestern super group. Lee, himself, is a veteran solo artist with arena-sized credentials that include tours with Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet and Pearl Jam, bassist/vocalist Patti Prendergast toured internationally with Bitch and Tough Love, and guitarist/vocalist Michael Kurtz has been part of popular acts like Madfox, Bombs Away and Dark Star Records artist Half Bitten Moon. Drummer Erik Strommer, meanwhile, first made his bones on the East Coast in bands like Broken Arrows and Catfish Hunter. The four roadworthy veterans combine to make a sound that mixes the best parts of the classic rock era with 21st century energy and timeless songwriting. kevinleeonline.com 24
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JILL M. STONE
THE PRAIRIE FIRES
The Prairie Fires is a Chicago band creating a new generation of guitar-andvocal rock music that blends the rootsbased approach of greats like Petty and Mellencamp with ’90s-influenced pop songwriting inspired by bands like Gin Blossoms and The Wallflowers. Energetic, tuneful, raw and real, the band’s new release, All New Kinds of Strange, is one of the best local efforts of 2018. The band takes its name to honour its Midwestern home but also to keep focused on starting fresh no matter one’s circumstances. Fire burns the prairie down to its bare essentials and gives it a chance to recreate itself. Band members Collin Marks, Mason Hadley, Christian McCann and Dan Beasley are clearly taking advantage of this rebirthing process and have written and recorded an album of songs capable of being meaningful in an age of plastic emotions. The sound is deeply connected to the analogue world of the 20th century but is also fresh and original enough to stand on its own. Fans of loud guitars and lyrics that matter will latch onto The Prairie Fires at first listen. The band wears its emotions on its sleeve instead of indulging in the macho posturing that ruins most young rock musicians – and it makes all the difference. theprairiefires.com
A Chicago songwriter and poet who works in a soulful, dark and meditative style that is instantly alluring, Jill M. Stone doesn’t give up a lot of information about herself, preferring to let her work do the talking. Her first album, No Cure For Loneliness, is a deep and emotional journey into life’s struggles and her latest release, Taught, builds on that journey. Stone has that rare ability to fully capture the listener’s attention with quiet sounds, not bombast, and makes music perfect for the overnight hours. She is fairly new to the music scene but those in the know expect her profile to rise with the new record. Anyone who likes their songwriters on the artistic side should find Jill today. jillmstone.com
Written by independent music journalist Mike O’Cull. Check more of Mike’s work at www.mikeocull.com
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FEATURE GIFT GUIDE
IT’S A WRAP!
takes the stress out of buying for the music lover in your life with a fine selection of gifts covering a range of budgets and niche interests
Art Vinyl Play and Display 12” Record Frame
£39.99 artvinyl.com Vinyl enthusiasts are often as fanatical about the artwork on record sleeves as they are about the tunes contained within. The Play and Display Flip Frame – available in black and white – lets vinyl junkies turn their home into a personalised gallery exhibition. What’s more, record sleeves can be easily changed without removing the frame from the wall.
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Klipsch HP3 Heritage Headphones £1,012, tecobuy.co.uk An extravagant gift for someone special if they’ve been really, really good this year, these triple-vented semi-open back over-ear headphones are as technically accomplished as they are aesthetically pleasing. The solid wood earcups are complimented by the cowhide headband and magnetic removable sheepskin ear cushions, while sound is delivered by way of a pair of 52mm biodynamic drivers. Tasty.
Fender Newport Bluetooth Speaker
£190, amazon.co.uk Designed to look like the celebrated brand’s classic ’68 Custom amp, this speaker has retro grills, a fat knob for volume, treble and bass, with a chunky on/ off switch. It’s lightweight and transportable so you can take it with you round the house and garden, and next to the authentic look it packs a powerful sound that has various presets to bump up the drums or texturise the guitars as you wish. It’s nice and loud, too, which is always vital.
Personalised Mixtape Pillow
£46, uncommongoods.com Ah, remember the days when you’d make a mixtape for your crush? If that question brings gawky memories flooding back, buy a bit of nostalgia for your other half with this personalised mixtape pillow.
Door Harp
£91, uncommongoods.com A centuries old tradition in Scandinavia, door harps are mounted inside the door to a home to greet visitors with a warm welcome. Beautifully handcrafted from maple, padauk and canary wood, this ethereal harp by Californianbased maker Bob Murphy emits a trio of tranquil notes, and comes with a tuning wrench.
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FEATURE GIFT GUIDE
Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century
£21, amazon.co.uk There is so much jazz history that there will never be enough books written to cover it all. This one deserves your attention though. It offers richly detailed portraits, is steeped in authority and offers strong arguments about why the complex genre has endured and even thrived, with 2018 bringing a renewed interest in jazz from the younger generation. Origins, commercialisation, the link between jazz, hip-hop and r&b and much more are all explored in fascinating detail.
Illustrated Musical Map
£31.99 (without frame) £56.99 (framed), gettingpersonal.co.uk There are only so many records you can hang on the wall but why not switch it up with this hand drawn musical map? Many different versions are available covering everything from New York’s hip-hop heritage to London’s diverse mix of artists, venues and labels. They’re intricate pieces that will keep eyes engaged for ages.
Haynes Electro Synth Kit
£27.50, juno.co.uk Haynes have turned their attention to build-it-yourself synth kits. Each one requires some basic soldering but lovers of bands like Depeche Mode can be taken right back to that golden era by playing on the completed synth. It features a pre-assembled circuit board, four micro push-buttons, loudspeaker and battery box amongst other bits, which should keep the recipient busy.
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MasterSounds Radius 2 Black Mixer
£1350, mastersounds.co.uk Rotary mixers are used by super respected DJs like Theo Parrish and Floating Points, so come highly rated. This new range from MasterSounds is hand-built in the UK and looks great, with loads of features. These include highclass components, discrete amplifiers, easy-reading back lit VU meters, a responsive Master EQ/Isolator, a smooth natural sounding Hi-Pass Filter and Aux Send on each channel.
IE 40 PRO
More me. When the show is underway, your monitoring is crucial. It keeps you connected with the others — but above all: with yourself. We have further developed dynamic drivers that fit the smallest of spaces. Powerful monitoring sound for loud stages remains precise with solid bass whatever the sound level. Sounds like more — like much more. www.sennheiser.com/moreme
FEATURE THE BOXTONES
With a new album slated for 2019, The Boxtones – one of the UAE’s biggest bands – is ramping up for a rocking year… Words_Nick Rice
THIRD TIM
C
There
is change afoot in the ranks of the UAE’s hardest working rock band. The close-knit five-piece are bidding farewell to their Canadian bassist Patrick Thibault. The Boxtone’s benevolent dictator, guitarist and vocalist Gary Tierney says: “Pat is going back to Canada so we have a new guy arriving on 11 December to pick up where he left off. He’s called JeanLouis Wittinger and we met him in Canada. He’s been in bands for 20 years and he was really interested in coming out [to Dubai]. Pat’s been amazing, he’s been with us for seven years, but he said he wanted a quieter life so we respect his wishes and say good luck to him.” There’s no winding things down for the rest of the band though – they’re all committed to making The Boxtones work. “We’re in it 30
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for life, man,” Tierney says, adding: “We’re all family, pretty much. My sister Gill is the drummer and she’s married to Will the keyboard player, while me and the singer Louise are married and we have a 12-yearold kid, so we can’t leave, we’re in it for the rest of our lives.” This steely resolve has stood them in good stead so far. Soon after forming, the band took the bold decision to bypass the cover band career route and instead plumb for the
ME
CHARMER real dream of making a living as a bona fide rock band. The music industry is distinctive in the UAE as corporate gigs, brand alignments and sponsorships for bands comprise a major part of the music scene eco-system. Accepting this as par for the course, The Boxtones earn money with these types of collaborations and from playing some cover residencies, and then plough the funds back into their evolution as an original band. They
released debut album In the Pockets of Clowns in 2013. Since then, the band has opened for the likes of Bryan Adams, Stereophonics, Razorlight, Liam Gallagher, Biffy Clyro, Travis and Blur. As well as supporting big league performers, The Boxtones became one of only a few Middle East-based artists to be signed to a major label when they joined Universal in March 2015. Their second LP, Home, followed in 2016 and now they’re HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE THE BOXTONES
basically written about the underprivileged. focussed on a big gutsy rock sound for their We like to write anthems and for causes too. third LP next year. It’s an epic ballad we’ve been sitting on for The incoming bassist has already been about a year now. We’d like to release it on hard at work. Tierney says: “We gave him a global scale rather a list of about 350 than local so there’s a songs and said, lot of research going ‘Right mate, on you into that now, how go, learn them’. So “We’re going back to to release it and get he’s been working his our rock roots… expect positive traction for ass off trying to get more attitude” a good cause.” all the tracks down, With the bassist as well as learning due to hit the ground all of our original running in December, the band will be stuff, which is a back catalogue of around cramming in the studio hours early next 50 to 60 songs, so it’s a bit intense for him – year, aiming for the third album release by everything from Sepultura to Frank Sinatra, the spring. the whole spectrum.” Upbeat and ready for the work ahead, There might also be a new single released Tierney says: “There’s no title for the new before the year is out, but it depends on the album just yet but we’ve got about 15 songs right fit with a suitable organisation. Tierney penned down and it’s going to be a lot explains: “We’ve got a new song written with rockier than our last record. We’re going a charity in mind that’s gonna be released back to our rock roots… you can expect towards the end of the year, or maybe more attitude.” early next year. It’s called Humanity and it’s 32
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FEATURE HOW TO...
Every band has to start somewhere… The helpful people at Maa’ana Music have put together a little guide to getting a leg up on the gig ladder So you’re the best thing since One Direction/Metallica/De La Soul/The Chemical Brothers/Oasis. You’ve written some great songs and want to share them with the wider world and bask in the adoration of an actual audience – not just your mum poking her nose into the garage while you and your band are rehearsing. But how do you get those first gigs? These seven steps will help you on the way…
1 Be ready. Have your music ready and recorded and have a bio, press shots and EPK – that’s an Electronic Press Kit. You need to be able to tell promoters/venue owners what you sound like, who you are and your story. Create a list of the bars, clubs and venues where you’d like to play. With your (realistic) venue list drawn up, it’s time to go around and meet-and-greet. Get in touch with the venue in advance and ask for the relevant person to meet, the main promoter, the actual owner, etc. Head down for one of their gigs, show the venue support and bring a USB loaded with your music and your press kit. You are your best PR, so do it face-to-face.
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If you really, really can’t make it to the venue, email them or get in touch via social media. Be professional, be polite and get to the point – no waffle, just a straight up ‘Hi, we like you, maybe you’ll like us’ pitch. The bigger you get, the more your name, previous gigs and social media profile will work for you and the less you’ll have to glad-hand promoters and venues. But in the early days, you’ll have to do the majority of the heavy-lifting and ask the questions. Don’t be afraid of rejection.
Don’t ask for the moon on a stick. Yet. Be humble, be patient and be aware that you’re starting out. Your first gig might be an amazing opportunity supporting your favourite band and a record contract falls in your lap off the back of it. It’s more likely that you’ll be playing at 6pm and the sound engineer is the only one paying attention. Lower your expectations, bring a smile and enjoy the first gig however it goes.
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Work with other bands and promoters to put on your own night. Round up five bands to bring along 20 people each and you have a guaranteed crowd and support network. Grow your own series of gigs and build up brand and band awareness.
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Network, network, network. Get out and about and meet people, be excited about your band, go to other people’s gigs and support the local scene. It’s tiring, but if you’re passionate about music it shouldn’t feel like work and you’ll get to meet all the right people.
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CHECK OUT maanamusic.com To find out more about music promotion, music marketing, how to promote your music and PR services, book a chat with tobie@maanamusic.com
Know your facts and figures. Know the venue capacity, ask how many times the venue has sold out in recent times. Find out what the backline consists of and if it includes the services of a sound engineer. Inquire what rider – if any – you can request and the number of free tickets or guestlist spots on offer per artist. Get as much info as possible on the venue, the promoter and what to expect. Ask who gets the money from ticket and the bar sales, and if there is a chance to get a slice if you pull in the numbers. Then get out there and spread the word.
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FEATURE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
ON REPEAT One man’s meat is another man’s poison, as they say, and the chat in the office can get a bit heated at times over new music. These are the albums that have caused the odd fight over the stereo this year… Max Cooper
One Hundred Billion Sparks (Mesht)
With a PhD in computational biology and an interest in psychoacoustics, 3D sound design, field recordings, proper melody, ten-dimension shapes, virtual reality, data representation, and much more, Max Cooper is not your average dance musician. For his latest album though, the Belfast-born artist holed up in a remote cottage in Wales with no phone calls, no emails, no messages and no human contact for a month. One Hundred Billion Sparks is Cooper expressing “what was there after I had removed my everyday life”. As such, it’s at times haunting, claustrophobic and paranoid. Identity and Reflex wouldn’t sound out of place on twisted dancefloor at 5am, and penultimate track Lovesong is the payoff, its melancholic beauty drenched in a sense of optimism, as if purged of modern day and internal madness, the artist has emerged with a renewed sense of wonder at the world. Not the easiest listen but one that reveals hidden depths with each play. Lesley Wright, Editor
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Fatima
And Yet It’s All Love (Eglo) UK-based Swede Fatima kept fans waiting four years for a follow-up to her stunning debut album Yellow Memories, but And Yet It’s All Love was well worth the wait. Where that debut housed the singer’s caramel tones in avant-garde broken beats, jazz fusion, hip-hop and soul, this one allows her voice to take centre stage amongst slightly more paired back production. It’s a mature and complex record full of a wider range of more adventurous songs but still retains the catchiness and undeniably seductive sense of soul that makes her a modern great. Songs are stirring and involving, from the swaggering and proud Westside to the pained Somebody Else with its more languid delivery and rueful feel. Always conveying painfully real emotion, Fatima’s voice goes from minor to major with ease, and can sound playful and cheeky one moment then devastatingly somber the next. That range is what makes this such a compelling album. Fresh yet timeless and always intriguing, it’s her best album yet and one of the best of the year. Kristan J Caryl, News Editor
NAO
Saturn (Little Tokyo Recordings/ RCA Records) British singersongwriter NAO comes good with her sophomore LP Saturn. The East Londoner flawlessly navigates a galactic journey of love, loss and personal growth. The most traditionally R&B track on the album is also the standout; Make It Out Alive, featuring SiR, details the breakdown of a long-term relationship in a beautifully soulful fashion. The album is consistently atmospheric and NAO’s signature vocals flow effortlessly through pop, electronic and R&B sounds. Daniella Millership, Marketing Exec, Hey Music
Bebe Rexha Expectations (Warner Bros.)
American artist Bebe Rexha’s debut resonates with tales of love, heartache and rage – raw emotions that any young adult can relate to. The title represents our expectations of the world and the tracks dissect how these expectations are broken and what those experiences do to a person. Rexha flexes her adventurous nature, flirting with different genres and collaborating with rapper Quavo, R&B artist Tory Lanez and country’s Florida Georgia Line, but it’s her infectious pop sensibilities that win out. Knees stands out with its tale of a toxic relationship and the dark, edgy energy of I’m A Mess gets me rolling every time. Shahtaj Shahid, Marketing Intern, Hey Music HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
Bill Ryder-Jones Yawn (Domino)
At 35-years old, Bill Ryder-Jones has already been in the music business for 22 years, having started out as co-founder and lead guitarist for The Coral. His career as a solo artist began in 2011 with the cinematic masterpiece If… and on his fourth album Yawn, he continues to mine a seam of deep emotional honesty. Ryder-Jones distinguishes himself from so many of his peers with his complex melodies and brave artistic approach. “I can never write the stock little song that isn’t personal because I think people will feel short-changed,” he says, and so the album is soul-bearing, and all the more exceptional for it. The sense of world weariness in his whispery delivery is counterbalanced by the rousing wall of sound guitars and the stirring cello, through which the light gets in and elevates the album. Yawn is the sound of one of the UK’s finest musicians honing in on where it hurts and why, recognising and accepting the enigma of the mind, taking stock of his journey thus far, and creating something that will resonate with and uplift the listener. Nick Rice, Contributor
Father John Misty
God’s Favourite Customer (Sub Pop/Bella Union) Where does sincerity end and sardonicism begin in the world of Father John Misty? Critics are often perplexed by the unapologetic playfulness of Josh Tillman’s musical alter ego. But, in truth, it’s a moot point. For Tillman’s playful preacher they are one and the same thing. And nowhere is this more apparent than on Father John’s fourth album, God’s Favourite Customer. Caustic confessionals and outré observations are the hallmark here. So that means the dark humour of “pointless benders with reptilian strangers” on Please Don’t Die is balanced by the opening “Sun is rising” on first track Hangout at the Gallows. Musically, God’s Favourite Customer is another winning mix of the hard-fought melancholy of ’70s singer-songwriters such as Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson and the showbiz razzmatazz of Elton John. In an age of bewildering uncertainty characterised by the death throes of consensual politics, Father John’s sonic adventures are the perfect panacea. You don’t have to believe him or even trust him, just enjoy the ride. Jim Butler, Contributor
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Judas Priest Firepower (Epic)
This felt like a Judas Priest comeback. Firepower is their most solid album since 2008’s Nostradamus and the 2014 release Redeemer of Souls. While fans have spoken against how Rob Halford’s shrieking tone has subsided over the years, this is not entirely a bad thing given that it shows the evolution of Judas Priest’s performances over the decades. To quote Michael Mann from The Guardian discussing Firepower: “The riffs are strong, choppy, hooky and powerful: Traitor’s Gate has one that James Hetfield would have killed for.” Mann hit the nail right on the head. Firepower feels like the sort of album I would’ve enjoyed years ago when trying to understand metal and finding what style suited my personal taste. While this album shows a toned down version of Judas Priest, it’s simultaneously reminiscent of the ‘old times’ when it was all thrash and bash. I can put Firepower down in the same category as Metallica’s S&M; as in it’s them, but different. But as a thirty-something who has been a Judas Priest fan since my teenage years, I’m still me but different too. Firepower is a good change. Aiez Mirza, Graphic Designer
Clean Bandit
What Is Love? (Atlantic) Coming four years after the electronic music group’s debut album New Eyes, this long-awaited follow-up addresses “different kinds and stages of love” across 16 tracks on its deluxe edition. Featuring Demi Lovato, Solo was such a banger this summer accompanied by an awesome video dripping in amazing use of colour and clever techniques, while Baby sees Clean Bandit hook up with Marina (formerly Marina and the Diamonds) and Luis Fonsi for a super cool cut flushed with Spanish guitar and flamenco rhythms, and a video depicting a bisexual romance, once again showing the band’s support for the LGBT community. Deeves, Content and A&R Manager, Hey Music
Anderson .Paak
Oxnard (Aftermath Records) Out on his Aftermath label, Dre has put his ‘OG’ stamp on this and maybe applied a bit too much polish to .Paak’s gritty sound, but it still lives up to the hype, with J Cole, Q-Tip, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar all featured. Full of energy, 6 Summers, where .Paak throws in lyrics about Trump’s love child, stands out and Anywhere, with Snoop Dogg and the Last Artful, Dodgr deserves props too for bringing the West Coast home. Youssef Nasser, Hey Music Social Media Producer
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FEATURE MUSIC BY NUMBERS
ARCADIA SPIDER Made almost completely from repurposed materials, the Arcadia Spider is one of the most iconic festival stages in the world. The fire-breathing spider is the brainchild of Arcadia founders Pip Rush and Bert Cole, who came up with the concept in Bristol in 2008. Since then some of the world’s best DJs have played from its suspended DJ booth, as the spider has spun its mesmerising web from the fields of Glastonbury across Europe, to Miami and Taiwan. Earlier this year, the spider popped up at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London for a jaw-dropping 10th anniversary show – its first appearance in the UK capital. It rounds out its decade year with another first, making its way to mainland China to debut at the ISY festival, in Sanya, on 30 and 31 December. looks at some facts and stats behind the spider’s nuts and bolts…
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Tonnes: 50 Parts: 6,432, with 95% made from recycled materials Body built from: Helicopter tails Eyes built from: Spy plane engines Legs built from: Customs & Excise scanning units Claws built from: Log grabbers DJ booth built from: Jet engine blades Hours to assemble: 24 just for the structure. Rigging for lights and show takes another day. Manpower to assemble: 21 people to assemble, 50 to operate a standard touring show and 70 for the signature Metamorphosis show. Full Height: 50 feet Height of DJ booth: 22 feet Flame cannons: 15 Shipping containers required for travel: 5
Photo_Luke Taylor
Height of flames: 50 feet Combined height of spider and flames: 100 feet CO2 jets: 3
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FEATURE KENNEDI
A PRECOCIOUS TA L E N T At just 20, LA-based singer-songwriter Kennedi has worked with Snoop Dogg, Britney Spears, Hailee Steinfeld, Demi Lovato, Bea Miller and more. This is her journey… Words_Antionette Smith
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When did you first discover your love for music? I’ve loved music ever since I can remember. My parents used to make me read so I used to write stupid songs in my library books when I was a kid. What was your introduction to the music scene? When I was 15 I got accepted into Grammy Camp LA. It’s this awesome camp that the Grammy Foundation puts on every year for high schoolers in three different locations around the country.
in their life, and we go from there. Melody might come first or the lyrics. If I’m writing by myself I almost always start with melody. To me, that’s the easiest way. If you could work with one person for the rest of your life who would it be? Lana Del Rey is the reason I started writing songs in the first place so it’d be a dream to work with her. What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve made to get where you are today? I love my job. It’s weird to even call it a job but I feel like I sacrificed being a normal 18 - 20-year-old kid. I never really got to do the whole young adult thing. I just jumped right into working all the time. I’m surrounded by people a lot older than me and I miss hanging out with people my age.
You moved to southern California to attend California State University Long Beach but then put that on hold to pursue a career in music. What changed your mind? I never wanted to go to college, really. I only picked “I’ve written a million Long Beach so I could land terrible songs and I somewhere near couldn’t have gotten LA. Even when I was there I was to the good ones skipping class to without them” go to the studio. Seems like you made a wise move considering the artists you’ve since worked with… I’ve worked with lots of amazing artists… a bunch of cool people. Snoop was probably the craziest. He has this huge compound out in Inglewood, where all his classic cars are parked next to his Pittsburgh Steelers’ tour bus with his face on it. Once you walk in, there’s a huge Bruce Lee statue and a bunch of candy jars. He has multiple studios there, multiple games rooms, a full basketball court and a casino, and upstairs is his living quarters. Everything he says sounds crazy philosophical. I listened to him for so long. He’s the coolest guy. Tell us about your songwriting process… It depends. If I’m going into a session for an artist I normally ask them what’s going on
How do you find being a young woman in such a huge industry? When I first started writing I was really intimidated and then I met Justin Tranter [one of the most successful songwriters in pop music today], who I ended up signing to. Working with him has really shown me that I can be comfortable speaking my mind. He has a rule that he won’t do a session unless there’s at least one woman, person of colour or queer person in the room. He’s opened so many doors for me. I couldn’t ask for a better mentor. What’s next for you, music-wise? I’m finally putting out more music myself. I had a lot of growing to do as a writer so I’ve been taking my time. There’s a full EP coming and surprise collaborations. What advice would you give to young songwriters? Write as many songs as you can. I’ve written a million terrible songs and I couldn’t have gotten to the good ones without them. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE SHIN-SKI
THE HUMAN TOUCH Japanese hip-hop producer Shin-Ski reveals how his music is evolving Words_Danny Veekens
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household name in Japanese hip-hop, producer Shin-Ski describes his latest album as “a mixture of jazz, minimal, electric and hip-hop”. Born Shinsuke Taoka, Shin-Ski is part of the generation of artists – along with the likes of Force of Nature, Nomak, Uyama Hiroto and the late Nujabes – that brought the chilled, jazzy, experimental hip-hop sounds of his home country to the attention of the wider world.
as well. It’s easier for me to create sounds or songs that have images of space or technology. However, I’m interested in mixing sounds of nature into a space theme lately. It creates a different soundscape.
Lauded for his cosmic soundscapes, ShinSki explores the concepts of space, time and technology on his Virtuality longplayer, while simultaneously giving his music a more human feel.
Which artists did you listen to during the creative process of making Virtuality and how did they have an effect on the album? I was – and still am – heavily influenced by Steve Reich. To me, his is the ultimate loop music. It’s so hard to keep track of what is going on but at the same time it all sounds like a loop. The idea is very close to what I wanted to achieve on my album.
Virtuality sounds very organic and vibrant. What’s your background in music? How has your way of working changed I’m not from a musical family but I loved over the years? music and started playing instruments in When I started I was more focused on my early teens. Then I studied music at making beats for rappers with just samples. university in the USA. But I was a young It was good and mostly fun. But I realized and stupid teenager, and you know how that it was my music but at the same time it didn’t really feel like “my music”. The rappers that goes in university… Basically, I didn’t remember a thing represented me yet and I had to restart never expressed from scratch. how I really felt. So I “I believe records should started adding more be played and heard, Is there an obscure personal elements, not sit on shelves to piece of music that’s such as melodies influenced you along and chords. I took be forgotten” the way? that idea even This guy called further on Virtuality. Gadget. He put out an album with Tommy My good friend Satoshi Sugiyama, who is a Guerrero called Hoy Yen Ass’n [in 2000]. It’s professional jazz pianist, plays electric piano a mixture of abstract hip-hop and a postand piano [on the album]. All cuts are done rock sounds. I have never met anyone who by DMC World DJ finalist DJ Taiji. My friend knows about this LP. Jank, who is also a deep house producer, plays some guitars and the rest is done by What does your own record collection me. I wanted the music to have more of a look like? human feel. I love records but I don’t consider myself a The tracks are based on loops but on top collector. I have about 1500 records but I of that I added sounds that are constantly used to have close to 6000. I cut down my changing and shifting so none of the songs collection. I believe records should be on Virtuality sound looped. That creates a different type of emotion or impression within played and heard, not sit on shelves to be forgotten. So I sent a big part of my unplayed a song compared to my previous beats. collection to those who do enjoy listening and playing them. Space and technology seem to be recurring themes for you. Where does From Amsterdam, Danny Veekens is a freelance music journalist and this interest come from? founder of The Find magazine. Over the last decade, he’s published It started with my dad. He’s always been print magazines and curated a string of vinyl, cassette tape and compilation releases. into that kind of stuff. It’s now in my blood HEYMUSIC.COM
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THE MAIN EVENT George Pritchard is Events Manager and Talent Booker for Glitterbox, Defected and Classic Music Co. He works from Defected Records’ London HQ and on site at various events and festivals around the world. This takes him to Ibiza every weekend over the summer for the Glitterbox and Defected parties on the island. This is his story…
“My entry into the business was through my family’s bar/club/record shop Plastik, in San Antonio, Ibiza, which I helped run. I networked extensively across the island promoting Plastik and met a lot of the movers and shakers of the Ibiza, UK and European club scenes. “I spent time as Assistant General Manager at Ministry of Sound, London, which gave me a great insight into the inner workings of the nightlife industry, and I joined Defected in 2016 as Events and Artists Marketing Manager from a booking agency called Blueprint. I’ve since been promoted to Events Manager and Talent Booker, which is as exciting and overwhelming as it sounds. “It’s a full-throttle job that requires focus, determination and coordination. I spend Tuesday to Thursday in the office and the rest of the time travelling and staying in hotels. “The summer party season is the biggest challenge. Going to Ibiza every weekend, often interspersed with a Saturday gig in Europe or the UK, means I need to be on the ball. I also have to manage or at least oversee the people working around me in event production, tour managers and DJs, and sales and marketing. “My role includes booking the artists, programming the line-ups with Defected boss Simon Dunmore, organising artist fees, riders, travel and logistics. However, 46
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problems can arise with flight delays due to air strikes and flight cancellations. Therefore, I have to be on the case, rerouting flights, changing pick-up times and changing settimes if needs be. Reacting to situations beyond your control can be very stressful but we always get there in the end. “Being an Events Manager involves long hours in the office, followed by standing in DJ booths and back offices of clubs and operations huts at festivals. Thankfully, a lot of the hard work happens before the event. “Budding Events Managers should network as much as possible. You need to be a great communicator, so it really helps if you enjoy talking to people and collaborating on start-up projects. If you’re a wannabe party organiser learn the game on the ground by, for example, getting a PR job in Ibiza. You’ll meet all the other workers on the island and it’s like being part of a fraternity. You’ll hear the A to Z of what makes clubs, promotion and marketing work. “To make a career in clubland work, you need to be reliable and consistent, and this means finding a balance between working and partying. Prove you can be trusted and when a problem occurs rally around to help. There’s nothing more attractive to an employer than someone who can be relied upon in a crisis and who makes light work of the usual dramas relating to nightlife.”
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Image © Pierrick Guidou
New Year highlights...
Sat 19 Jan
Pantha Du Prince Conference of Trees Fri 1 Feb
Low
Sat 2 Feb, Milton Court
Irreversible Entanglements Thu 21 Feb
Tony Allen & Jeff Mills 28 Feb & 1 Mar, EartH
Late Junction Festival With Gazelle Twin, This is Not This Heat, Hen Ogledd, CURL, Chaines, O Yama O
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