LOOKOUT » Interviews

INTERVIEW: Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan)

uncle-jesse — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:01:18 +0000

Our exclusive interview with The Chef after his live performance on October 14, 2011 at Le Belmont, Montreal.

Interview: Dam-Funk & Master Blazter

uncle-jesse — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:57:00 +0000

‎Dam-Funk & Master Blazter are some of the most interesting, talented, humble, nice-guys we’ve had the pleasure of working with. This is the last interview J-1 (of Master Blazter) filmed, live at Le Belmont. R.I.P.

Interview: Lunice at LOOKOUT x Pop Montreal

uncle-jesse — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:45:58 +0000

Lunice (Photo: Ed Gumuchian / ForYourBenefit.ca)

Big welcome home to the homie Lunice, who’s just coming off a whirlwind of European and Australian dates that followed our Pop Montreal show with Araabmbuzik in September. We caught up with Lunice before his set to rap about his new EP, One Hunned, his collabo with Ango and Prison Garde: Nouveau Palais, and whats next for the local producer turned globetrotter.

Lunice catches a couple days at home before heading out on a final tour of 2011, across the U.S. & Canada in November. Hats off to Montreal’s finest young son. Get it! One Hunned.

Interview: Azealia Banks at LOOKOUT x Pop Montreal

uncle-jesse — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:22:58 +0000

Current darling of blogs and bootie-shakers alike, Azaelia Banks is on a one way ticket to the top right now. We caught up with her after she wowed the crowd with rapid fire raps at our Pop Montreal 2011 show. Away from the stage it’s clear that beneath her exuberant persona lies a remarkably humble and self-effacing character for someone so talented.

INTERVIEW: AraabMUZIK at LOOKOUT x Pop Montreal

uncle-jesse — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:04:46 +0000

AraabMUZIK. Photo: Ed Gumuchian / ForYourBenefit.ca

It’s easy to be dazzled by Araab’s outrageous skill with an MPC. Sure, the guy knows his way around the buttons and knobs, but Araab’s greatest skill is the precision with which he matches his samples to drums. There’s no other way to put it, the man is a musician’s musician. We were lucky enough to catch up with Araab after our show at Pop Montreal 2011 and spend some time with a producer who is surely only at the start of a long and successful career.

More coverage of the night in the live footage here, and photos

INTERVIEW: KINGDOM + NGUZUNGUZU

uncle-jesse — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:56:30 +0000

Kingdom + Nguzunguzu (Photo: Ed Gumuchian / ForYourBenefit.ca)

Kingdom has been around the musical block, so to speak. Over the last few years he’s put in the hours and put out a range of genre-defying and forward-thinking tracks on a number of great labels. In fact he’s even recently started his own imprint ‘Fade to Mind’. First release on Kingdom’s label? The ‘Timesup EP’ by Nguzunguzu, a duo similarly respected for pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance music. We managed to catch up with both Kingdom and Nguzunguzu before our show at Pop Montreal 2011, and the meeting of wise experience and youthful verve was as insightful off stage as their music is bumping on it.

Photos from the night over here.

Interview: Kid Sister at LOOKOUT x Pop Montreal

uncle-jesse — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:34:05 +0000

Kid Sister (Photo: Ed Gumuchian / ForYourBenefit.ca)

‘Star quality’. They say you’re either born with it or you’re not. By that definition Kid Sister must have some of the best genes in show-business right now. Not only do her beats sparkle with the pizazz we would expect from a protege of Kanye West, but off stage she has the charisma to match. Her effortless charm almost disarmed our entire crew when we caught up with her for a chat before her show at Pop Montreal 2011.

Interview: 2010 RBMA Participant Poirier

tia — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:41:01 +0000

Each year, the Red Bull Music Academy brings together a potpourri of some of the most innovative producers, vocalists, DJs and instrumentalists from all around the world—and one of them was Montreal’s very own Poirier. LOOKOUT recently got the goods on the DJ/producer’s experience during the RBMA in London, just before an exciting weekend for Poirier: Karnival v.9 at Le Belmont on Friday, JunoFest at Toronto’s Wrongbar on Saturday, and the Juno Awards on Sunday. Cheer for him on March 27th, as he is up for his second Juno; this time around his album Running High is nominated for Electronic Album of the Year. Despite all that activity, this particular interview focused on one place and one moment in history: the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London. To apply for this year’s Red Bull Music Academy in Tokyo, or for more information, click here.

London is a unique place as home to many immigrants from around the world, and more specifically, as having a strong Jamaican diaspora. How did the RBMA’s two-week-long session, and especially that exposure to the London scene, affect your music?

It had already been an influence for a long time. Since 1991, London, the UK, has deeply influenced my love of the bass coming from the sound system culture that Jamaicans brought into the UK back in the ’50s and ’60s (I highly recommend watching the BBC documentary Reggae Britannia about that specific subject). The UK urban scene, from ragga jungle to UK Garage, from Hip-Hop to UK Funky, has deep roots in the Jamaican sound system culture. Being part of the RBMA in 2010 gave me the opportunity to see that scene and be part of it. It also gave me a spot to DJ with Face-T at the Notting Hill Carnival in August 2010 at the RBMA x Major Lazer stage. Playing soca in that context was SO nice.

What RBMA lecture did you find the most inspiring?

The gold medal goes to Gabriel Roth from Daptone Records who was super honest and direct. I’ve been following what he’s been doing since day one and I really respect what he has achieved. I remember buying The Daktaris CD a long time ago. It was discounted at Archambault probably because at that time nobody knew what the hell that afrobeat CD with lions on the cover was. I love when stores don’t know when they have gold.

Mark Ronson was quite interesting, sharing some stories from the inside.

As well, seeing Steve Reich in person was something I was looking forward to.

I read that out of the sixty artists chosen for 2010′s RBMA, there were four Canadians and three of those four were from Montreal. This can’t be a coincidence, if you ask me. What is it about Montreal artists?!

What is it about Montreal, we might even say. I think Montreal gives people a nice context to think, elaborate, meet and create. The city size is perfect. Big enough to be a big city, but not too big so people have time to chill and have a quality of life. These ingredients all together give artists fresh air to expand their thoughts into reality.

I was looking through this year’s RBMA application and it was extensive, but also really thought-provoking (for instance, one question made me recall the records that bring me to tears). Do you remember the funniest or most interesting answer you gave when you applied?

I still have the scans, let me check. To the question: “Which technical set-up do you usually utilize for your musical activities?” I answered: “The best plug-ins are IDEAS.”

And later to the question: “What’s the things you can live without and why?” I answered: “Food. Water. It’s pretty obvious.”

Do you have any advice for this year’s applicants?

Do it. Be honest. No need to brag. It’s about music. It’s about the love of music. Making it, discovering it, sharing it. You don’t need to pretend you’re somebody else and if you’re trying to be somebody else for any reason, please save yourself some time and go play outside with the kids.

Interview: 2010 RBMA Participant Amenta

tia — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:25:25 +0000

Amenta, a Toronto-born vocalist with an electro-soul sound, was one of the sixty participants in 2010’s Red Bull Music Academy in London. She has collaborated with Portformat, fLako and more recently, Mau’lin on a funky project dubbed “Deeper Than The Sun.” LOOKOUT recently interviewed her by email and got a glimpse into her overflowing memories of her time in London and what her musical career is like post-RBMA. To apply for this year’s Red Bull Music Academy in Tokyo, or for more information, click here. The application phase ends April 4, 2011.

LOOKOUT: How did you decide to apply to RBMA?

Amenta: I heard about RBMA in 2007 when it was being held in Toronto. I saw Muhsinah perform and a friend Jesse Ohtake encouraged me to apply. By the end of 2008, I was reminded by another friend, My Man Henri, and thought I really need to do it this year. I attended the info session where Flying Lotus was speaking at RBMA Toronto and was further inspired by his account of his experience.

Do you have a hunch as to why you were picked over all the other applicants?

You mean they didn’t pick me for my amazing hula-hoop skills?? Well then I don’t know.

What’s your most profound memory from your time at the Academy?

There are sooo many to choose from. But the show I did with Hasan at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) comes to mind. I remember telling myself: “do not **** up.” I recall seeing my classmates at the very front screaming and cheering and I got all choked up. The audience was sooo amazing and I received a lot of love and support afterwards. It was a memorable night.

How has your experience with RBMA affected your musical career? Has it affected your sound or musical style?

It has helped me meet wonderful fellow artists. Who you know and who you vibe with is VERY important. The power of partnerships and friendships is not to be underestimated as a strong force that can drive and influence your career. I’m so thankful to know the people I have met through RBMA. There were a lot of instrumentalists in my term – this has influenced me greatly and allowed me to really dig deeper vocally and find new approaches with melodies and much more. One man in particular who helped me discover my potential is Hasan Hujairi – Oud Master. As I touched on before, our performance at the Institute of Contemporary Arts really taught me a lot about myself. As well, being a participant of RBMA looks damn good on your resume. Upon hearing that you were a participant, people who know you give you major points and people who don’t are inclined to learn more – and that’s worldwide. It’s pretty amazing.

You recently collaborated with another class of 2010 participant, Mau’lin. What’s life like post-Academy in terms of sustaining relationships?

Life is good! Most of us are pretty tight. A week will not pass without me talking to at least 5 or 6 of my 2010 classmates or term 2 homies. We roll deep . We hit each other up for vocals or drums or relationship advice. Not to give away our class secrets, but we still use our group email to connect. It’s a beautiful thing. We continue to collaborate and share ideas and/or goals for the future or simply make faces at each other on Skype. We really support each other. They are definitely family.

Do you have any advice for this year’s RBMA applicants?

Be yourself. Put as much of yourself into your application as possible. Leave an imprint. By the time you’re finished your application, RBMA people should be able to tell what you smell like. I’m not joking . Let your funk shine.

Interview: Bikini

tia — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 01:06:25 +0000

Self-described as “Salinger on MDMA,” Bikini’s poppy sound, ethereal vocals and poetry-influenced lyrics evoke an affective quality that’s heavy, but at the same time, irrefutably fun. However, while creating the EP RIPJDS, bandmates Nigel Diamond and Olivier Olivier weren’t as collaborative as their music makes you believe (at least in the physical sense). Their musical process is somewhat seasonal, with Olivier writing poetry in the summer and using his writings to compose and record the melodies in the fall. Then, in the following spring, Diamond arranges and adds to the sequences and treatments, with no further imput from Oliver.

With cover art by New York City artist Nate Lowman, an album named after one of the most famous American authors of the 20th century, and a video, “ACheerlaeder,” that borrows its visuals from Woody Allen’s Celebrity, Bikini draws inspiration from the best that culture has to offer.

Check out LOOKOUT’s recent interview with Bikini, a few days before they head to Montreal to open for Midnight Juggernauts at Le Belmont on November 27.

LOOKOUT: The “Salinger on MDMA” thing seems to have caught on, and not to mention the title of the EP, RIPJDS… What is it about Salinger that is so important to you and your music? Is the album a sort of tribute?

Bikini: It’s not like we’re trying to make the soundtrack to Franny and Zooey, it’s just more of a thing that happened this year that tore us and a lot of our friends up. Now that he’s gone, it’s like there’s not much to respect anymore, I guess that’s a good thing and bad thing. I wouldn’t say it’s a tribute, but he has definitely influenced both Nigel and I to the point that I can’t separate what’s influence and what’s originality.

In many ways, RIPJDS resists genre classifications. Michael Cranston from Impose Magazine felt the same way when describing “ACheerlaeder” earlier this year. On the blogosphere, Bikini has gotten a bunch of comparisons to the likes of Passion Pit and MGMT. As a musician, do genres, classifications and comparisons get frustrating?

No, people have to write something to describe it. We don’t think about that much though. I feel like we’re only good at one thing, one sound. I know that as time goes on and we’re exposed to new resources, we’ll change our sound, but we’ve been making this type of music since we were seventeen. It’s hard to do anything else.

Were you friends first? Was it natural for you both to come together and make music?

We became friends once we both moved away to University. It was like we both grew up a lot and liked each other’s grown-up self better than the adolescent ones. I remember the first song we really worked on was in Nigel’s tiny room at 3772 St. Laurent. We made this song called “We Can Roll” and Nigel’s roommate Justin played bass over our synth tracks – that was the first moment we realized we were going to do this.

On reading about Bikini’s musical process, I was surprised to read that the finish record isn’t sent back to Olivier. What are the benefits of making music that way?

I trust Nigel with my life.

What was it like to work with Nate Lowman? I read you were looking for something like his 2009 piece ‘Beach Bums.’ Was the final artwork everything you imagined?

Nate was amazing. I’ve always liked his work – he’s kind of just basically the best there is right now in New York City. We were just happy he was into doing it, and the final painting he made was perfect. It was amazing to be able to have something that tied everything together for the record. Nate made these Xerox’s of J.D. Salinger that we’ve used for the inside of the CD and posters. It’s all kind of one thing, the work Nate did for us, so we’ve sort of used it all.

Free download of “ACheerlaeder” over on their website and download “American Mourning” at Pitchfork.