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mog network
Back in August, I interviewed Lady Sovereign, but thanks to the mess up that was Surf Speedy, the interview was lost.
Thankfully, I saved it and can now repost it with this disclaimer. There are going to be a few inconsistancies... namely that Lady Sov's album has since been released. Also, on a personal note, I have now moved to London and seen first hand how many people here really dislike her and her music. I had an interesting conversation with one of my lecturers about it actually. He just happend to be listening to the Missy Elliot remix of her song "Love Me Or Hate Me" while I was in a meeting with him.
I went back and re-read it. It's been edited slightly, and it sort of seems like I cut her off a lot. In reality, she was a really hard interview...it took a while for her to warm up to my questions. At any rate, here is the interview again...
A couple weeks ago, I was granted the opportunity to talk to one of the music scene's newest rising stars, Lady Sovereign. Hand picked by Jay-Z to sign to Def Jam, this British teen has hard lyrics and an even harder stage persona. Calling herself "the hardest working midget in the game".
Lady Sov got the blogosphere a buzz with her EP Vertically Challenged. Fader described here as a pint-sized girl who once slapped a bouncer three times her size for not letting her father backstage at one of her shows.
When I got on the phone with Lady Sov, I was expecting a rock hard attitude. Someone who would answer my questions with blase indifference. To my surprise, she was quiet and shy, nothing like the rough edged lyrics she spits so fluidly.
I was actually really embarrassed because I was having problems with my tape recorder...I kept getting very loud feedback and while I was apologizing profusely, Lady Sov laughed and said how it reminded her of the sound system at New Yorks giant club Webster Hall. She waited patiently till I finally figured out what the problem was and fixed it and reassured me in her cool street London accent that everything was, indeed, cool.
The following is the transcribed conversation in which Lady Sov told me such things like being signed to Def Jam, chavs and why Philadelphia was sending her hate mail:
You’re in New York now and you’re performing at Summer Stage on Sunday?
Lady Sovereign: Uh huh.
Are you excited about that?
LS: Yeah! Like, you know, it’s a big deal isn’t it? Everyone’s like “Aww yeah”.. And I’m headlinin’ it.
Not too shabby. I wanted to ask you about your experience with Def Jam and first I wanted to ask you if, before you got signed, were you aware of the legacy of Def Jam?
LS: Yeah, of course. Ah…yeah…
So now that you are kind of a part of that, how do you feel? How do you see yourself fitting into that?
LS: It’s still not fully sunk in yet, and I mean, like, it’s been like a year and a bit now and it’s like, you know. Still tryin’a realize exactly what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s like… wow… I’m still… my feet are still on the ground and I just don’t realize…
So none of it has sunk in?
LS: Yeah, obviously it has a bit, but…
Cause you have your album coming out here in the fall?
LS: October…
So, how does that feel?
LS: I just want it to come out. I just want the album to come out now. You know, I’m just anxious for it.
So how do you feel being one of the few female artists that have been handpicked to Def Jam, as a female artist, how do you feel about that?
LS: See, now that, when people mention it to me that’s when I’m realize it. It’s like damn, I’m like one of the few.
Four or five maybe?
LS: Yeah, I dunno. I’m just representing for myself, you know what I mean. It feels good. It feels good.
Cause you’re also one of the leading female artists in the Grime scene in the UK…
LS: Well…
Do you see yourself as a role model for other women MCs who want to get into it?
LS: Yeah, I mean, people would like, message me on MySpace and tell me things like things like that… so you know, that’s cool… like… but I’m not perfect. (chuckles)
You don’t have to be perfect...
LS: Bah…
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The French guys known as Cassius who made that Techno song with Ghostface Killah a couple years ago ( and who started out producing for MC Solaar way back in the '80s ) return with a decidedly Pharrellian ( one of the other songs on the album actually has Pharrell on it, but this one doesn't ) slice of Electro-Funk-lite called "Rock Number One." I can only assume that this is what N.E.R.D. would sound like if Pharrell and Chad kept it synth and drum-machine based, what Phoenix would sound like if they had a female singer and hadn't tried to transform into Franz Ferdinand on their last album, or quite possibly what Steely Dan or Hall & Oates would sound like if they moved their production techniques into the 21st century. Any way you cut it, the track is from their new LP '15 Again,' which is out now on Virgin Records.
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As you might guess from the title, "Sexual Harassment" is more in the filthy Electro vein with 808s, cheesy claps, booty bass and subdued Detroit-style chants about asses aplenty. It comes courtesy of mysterious production duo Plus Device ( who are supposedly two relatively well known producers who have covered their asses with a fog-screen of anonimity ) and their new disc 'Puncture' which is out now on the Hefty label.
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Avant-garde Hip-Hop, Electronica, Techno, Drum-n-Bass and other miscelleny is the forte of UK beatmaker Mothboy. I'm not sure which one of those genres the tune "Outside" falls into myself. It's sort of clubby, but mellow and Downtempoy too, but it's not Lounge or Trip-Hop. It's gotta be some kind of soulful British club music that people listen to in dark rooms while dancing and taking drugs though. All I know is that it won me over due mainly to the sweet female vocal from guest Suzi C. It's taken from Mothboy's new Ad-Noiseam Records disc 'Deviance.'
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And finally, Lo-Fi-Fnk, another in the long line of Swedish pop bands we've profiled here at Imageyenation ( seriously, it's getting so ridiculous that me and Emeyesi were talking about moving to Sweden the other night ), brings up the rear with a fresh and bouncy injection of Gay ( and I mean that literally... maybe ) Eighties influenced Synth-Pop called "Adore." The track packs tons of juicy synths, booty-shaking beats, "throw your hands in the air and testify" keys, sweet vocals and sentimental but edgy lyrics into it's three minute and 40 second playtime. If it doesn't make you ( metaphorically ) gay I feel sorry for you. Their equally fresh debut album 'Boylife' is in stores now on the La Vida Locash/Moshi Moshi label.
There's hope that Pete will have some new material ready for us some time in 2007. But as of yet I've heard absolutley nothing about what he might be up to. His last project, and first solo LP, 'Lost,' was one of the best hip-hop records of last year.
Swedish indie-pop label Labrador Records has owned my face for most of this year. A number of their bands have found their way into my headphones and never found their way out. The newest addition to the list of Labrador signings that I just can't get out of my head is the conceptual "band" called Loveninjas.
The whole thing started off following a strict concept, playing in ninja-masks and a giant heart costume, and writing lyrics about sex, death, Japanese girls and ninjas only. They've recently ditched the heart costume, but since their brand-new album 'The Secret Of The Love Ninjas' bears a song titled "She Broke His Penis In Two" it doesn't seem like they've become any less weird.
The debut track from the album, "I Wanna Be Like Johnny C," doesn't strike me as all that weird. But it is really catchy and really emo. I mean seriously, this is what you'd expect a band called Panic! At The Disco to sound like. But they don't. Instead these guys do. It's good, and you should listen to it.
Loveninjas "I Wanna Be Like Johnny C"
British post-punks Bloc Party are set to release their sophomore LP 'Weekend in the City' on February 6, 2007. I've heard rumours that it leaked to the interweb a couple of weeks ago. But I'm apparently far less internet savvy than I like to think because I still haven't heard anything from the LP. Until now that is.
The first official track from the album, a melodic hymn replete with enormous drums and handclaps called "The Prayer," can now be heard via a neat little media player page thanks to the fine people at Vice and Atlantic records. If you're interested in a little background info on the song, and you think you can decipher lead-vocalist Kele's mushy UK accented speaking voice there's an MP3 interview clip ( right click, save as ) you can download as well.
And don't forget, 'Weekend In The City' hits store shelves February 6th on the Vice Recordings label.
As you can see, former No Doubt front-woman Gwen Stefani still looks smokin' hot, despite having recently popped out a seed with lucky bastard Gavin Rossdale. Thankfully, motherhood hasn't dulled her ability to make smokin' hot music any more than it has her smokin' hot looks either, if "Wind It Up," the new Neptunes produced single from her forthcoming sophomore solo LP 'The Sweet Escape' is any indication.
I've been psyched about the track ever since Emeyesi played it for me a while back. It caught me off guard, first due to the fact that I wasn't even aware she had another album in the works, and second because the Neptunes produced beat just plain rocks. There's just something about the samples, the ill yodeling, and the synth-bass that makes me think Gwen was paying attention to M.I.A. when the Sri Lankan wonderkind opened dates on her recent tour.
Check it out in streaming audio if nobody's played it for you yet.
Gwen Stefani "Wind It Up"
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And although the list of Gwen's collaborators on 'The Sweet Escape' includes Akon, Tony Kanal, Nellee Hooper, Sean Garrett, Swizz Beatz, Dave Stewart and Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley in addition to the Neptunes, we can be pretty sure that Pharrell and Chad contributed a couple more joints to the album other than the single. In fact, you can check out this media player to see some behind-the-scenes video of Gwen's creative process, including a section where she chooses the album's final tracklist, which includes a number of records she cut with Pharrell.
And finally, if you want a preview of the "Wind It Up" video you can even catch the first 30 seconds of the clip in streaming video at the links below.
Gwen Stefani "Wind It Up ( preview )"
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After that you only have to wait until December 5th for 'The Sweet Escape' to arrive in stores everywhere on the Interscope recordings label. The concert DVD 'Harajuku Lovers Live,' filmed during shows in her hometown of Anaheim, California by longtime collaborator Sophie Muller will be released simultaneously. Gwen will be hitting the road for a US tour in April of 2007.
Earlier today I mentioned 'Atlantis: Hymns for Disco,' the new ( or forthcoming, depending on where you live ) album from Canadian emcee, singer, producer and musician K-Os in a post about another Canadian alternative/hip-hop artist. It doesn't look like the album will be released here in the US until February, but it's been out in Canada since October, and it's one the strongest releases of the latter half of 2006. Not that you should expect any less from K-Os, as every one of his albums has been nothing short of stellar up to this point.
The lead single from the album is "Elektrik Heat," an uptempo, body rocking slab of old-school leaning, electro-drenched breakbeat science in the mold of K-Os singles past such as "B-Boy Stance" and "Superstar Pt. 0." The accompanying video clip for the track abandons the breakdancing dominated urban landscapes ( don't worry, there's still some breaking ) of the videos for those songs though in favor of suburban streets, BMX bikes, skateboards and some slick year-book themed animations. To date K-Os' videos have been just as good as his music, and the clip for "Elektrik Heat" continues that legacy. Check it out for yourself in a number of streaming formats below.
K-Os "Elektrik Heat ( The Seekwill )"
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And don't even think twice about believing the hype, go out and get yourself a copy of K-Os' 'Atlantis: Hymns for Disco,' which arrives in stores on Virgin Records here in the US in February, and is available right now on EMI in Canada.
The name Buck 65 was a fixture on underground hip-hop websites throughout the late nineties right into the early years of the new millenium. The Canadian emcee and turntablist was relatively prolific during these years, releasing a number of albums on his own and through the Anticon label which were beloved by the indie-rap elite for their avant garde but folksy take on hip-hop. Then he signed to Warner Brothers. And although there was some talk about him facing problems with his new label over his sampling practices, he seemed to fade from the consciousness of the average underground head soon after. And soon after that, those same underground heads moved on to jocking new, less "alternative" artists, like 50 Cent, Clipse, Dipset and Lil' Wayne.
He didn't stop releasing records though. In fact it seems as though he's gained a modicum of noteriety amongst fans of other musical genres and even become somewhat ubiquitous in his native Canada. A little bit of that ubiquity has even seeped into my headphones, as I haven't been able to stop playing the MSTRKRFT remix of his "Kennedy Killed The Hat" single for months. And I was also happy to hear his voice grace the closing track "Ballad Of Noah" on Canadian emcee K-Os's new album 'Atlantis: Hymns for Disco.' But I've still been forced to wonder more than a few times whether he had more solo material in the pipeline.
My pondering was put to rest this morning though when I found out he has a new digital-only EP release, called 'Dirty Work,' available for free download on his website. All five tracks can be downloaded from the "Show and Tell" page on his website in 128kbps MP3 format. I mention this because four of the tracks are also available, at a lower bitrate on his MySpace page as well. But you know which ones you should download, don't you?
I'm really digging "Days On End" and "Heather Nights," both of which are mellow and melencholy on some gruff, gin-soaked roadhouse where you go to die type of shit... no Patrick Swayze-o.
He's performing a track I produced called "The Zoom Zip," which is slated for inclusion on his forthcoming 'The Tortoise Hustle' LP, due out sometime early next year. The track was originally supposed to be called "Blizzard Rap," but the chorus was a little slow in coming together so one day I suggested he use his "zoom zip" catch-phrase for the chorus instead. Listening to that crowd response I'm glad I did.
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