RBMA: Introducing… TOKiMONSTA

Our 8th and final Red Bull Music Academy 2010 candidate interview is with indomitable TOKiMONSTA. Seemingly on a path to global beats-domination, catching the ears of many taste-makers along the way, we caught up with her for a brief exchange before she entered the Academy. Please also take a moment to check out the other seven interviews that were previously published on the site, with Lunice, Kidkanevil, ANGO, Dza, Myele Manzanza, 00Genesis and Amenta respectively. But, here she is ladies and gentlemen, TOKiMONSTA…

Jus Like Music: Who are you and where do you come from?

TOKiMONSTA: My name is Jennifer Lee, but I go by TOKiMONSTA. I’m from the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

JLM: What do you do?

T: To the best of my knowledge, I believe I make music.

JLM: And why do you do it?

T: No particular reason, I’m just drawn to it.

JLM: So, what’s new?

T: Hmmm, nothing much. You know, asides from the RBMA, several show dates, and a few upcoming releases.

JLM: What do you hope to achieve at RBMA 2010?

T: I want to walk away with new knowledge, new bonds, and a new outlook on my life in music.

JLM: What music have you been feeling lately?

T: I’ve been listening to an eclectic mix of mid to late 90s jams. Like; Aaliyah, Dr Octagon, early Timbaland, DJ Krush, Dilla, Smashing Pumpkins, Bjork.

JLM: And lastly, what’s the best advice you would give to an emerging artist?

T: Be true to yourself and don’t just try to sound like someone else. Set yourself apart and you will be noticed.

mp3: Lykke Li – Little Bit (TOKiMONSTA bootleg remix)

RBMA: Introducing… Amenta

This is the seventh in our series of Red Bull Music Academy 2010 candidate interviews and it is with the talented vocalist Amenta, who some may recognise from her work with fLako and Portformat. Don’t forget to take a few minutes to check out all the other great RBMA 2010 interviews we’ve done recently, with the likes of; Lunice, Kidkanevil, ANGO, Dza, Myele Manzanza and 00Genesis. But, today is all about Amenta…

Jus Like Music: Hello! Please tell us, who are you and where do you come from?

Amenta: Hey! I’m Amenta, I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada.

JLM: What do you do?

A: I’m a singer doing electro-soul, but I’m experimenting with a lot of different sounds at the moment. Anything from a lil’ dubstep to some electro-folk… if you can picture that!

JLM: And why exactly do you do it?

A: Sounds cliche, but music is my life. I honestly don’t think I’d be here today if it wasn’t for music. It’s absolutely my best-friend and my healer. It’s what makes sense to me.

JLM: That’s fair enough. So, what’s new?

A: Ha ha, lots! Recently got connected with UpMyAlley and I’m working on releases with fLako. Just making as much music as I can… expressing as much as I can! Currently a participant in the Red Bull Music Academy and it’s simply amazing!

JLM: Speaking of which, what do you hope to achieve at RBMA 2010?

A: I hope to learn. Fill in the blanks in certain areas of my musical knowledge. There is so much to learn… I really want to do it all – by that I mean my personal all. I want to dig deep and learn as much as I can. I hope to emerge a better, more informed artist and maybe even a better person.

JLM: What music have you been feeling lately?

A: I’m really loving Om Unit, Lone, Pixelord and Gonjasufi at the moment. Also, my fellow participants at RBMA have a lot of dope music that I’m really drawing a lot of inspiration from.

JLM: And lastly, what’s the best advice you could give to an emerging artist?

A: Focus. Focus and push hard. Have a goal and be fixated on it. Be true to whatever it is you’re doing. Be honest and sincere with your art and with yourself. Make sure at the end of the day YOU love it and it speaks to you.

mp3: Harrison Blakoldman – Dragon Boy feat. Amenta

INTERVIEW: Jackhigh / Singing Statues

Jackhigh, Singing Statues, Bnjmn, 141, half of Teebs & Jackhigh, to me, he goes by the name Ben Thomas, and 2010 is going to be quite the big year for him. Recently singed to Ghostly International, among a slew of other labels (including Rush Hour) the 22 year old beatmaestroguitarplayingenigma took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with me about his upcoming release on Ghostly International, among other things…

Jesse Futerman: When did you start making music and why? And when did you get into making electronic music, were there any particular artists that pushed you into it?

Ben Thomas: I started making my own music about the time I left school. Before that I had been playing the guitar in various bands since quite a young age, but I felt like I wanted more freedom in creating music and getting into music software enabled me to do that. I had a few friends that helped me to get to grips with the software and showed me what could be done with it. As I got more into electronic music I left the guitar behind for a few years and have only just got back into using that with the Singing Statues stuff.

JF: How would you describe the sound of Singing Statues? And is there any particular reason that you started using your guitar again, instead of just software?

BT: I’d like to think it combines the best bits of all the music I’ve done before; melodically, sonically and rhythmically. I’m really into atmospheric soundscapes, the type where you can imagine yourself in another place or time. That would be my main goal really, to evoke images in peoples’ minds. I started using the guitar again just as an extension of what I was doing before, the process of making music is still the same. Also I try to use my voice in the same way, just as another layer to the music, instead of it being at the forefront of the music.

JF: Are there any specific artists, either audio or visual, that have inspired the sound of Singing Statues?

BT: Ahhh, so many. Obviously a lot of electronic music, a lot of the minimal beats stuff over the past few years, people like Lukid and Zomby that are really pushing things forward in those realms. Also a lot of older music, Nick Drake and John Martyn spring to mind. Then there’s artists like Animal Collective and Caribou who fit somewhere in the middle of the electronic/organic stuff who I’ve been really inspired by lately. Oh, and a lot of early dream pop/shoegaze stuff like My Bloody Valentine, that “wall of sound” way of mixing has been a big influence.

JF: Not too long ago you got signed with Ghostly International, how did that come about? Could you give any information on your upcoming release in terms of sound and feeling?

BT: The label boss, Sam V, actually contacted me through MySpace early last year. I continued sending him stuff over several months and we finally penned a deal in September. The first release is going to contain stuff made from last year, but I’m always sending him new things so there may be some new additions aswell. In terms of sound and feeling, the stuff I’m working on now is probably more song-based than anything I’ve done before, with more emphasis on vocal melodies and arrangements rather than just “beats”. I also switched software a few months ago, and what I’m using now has much more of a clean sound to it, which has taken me a while to adjust, but I feel that the tracks are sounding fuller sonically.

JF: I remember you were using some fairly archaic sound software. With your switch to Logic, have you found it to help your work more so than your other software?

BT: For a while it really put a halt to my creative output, I thought I’d lost my sound, ha ha! But now I feel just as comfortable as I did using Cubase. It’s hard to explain, but once you get over the learning curve of the software, and you’re completely comfortable using it, it almost becomes a part of you and the ideas can then flow freely through you into the software, without any hindrance of technicalities.

JF: Very nice. Out of curiosity, do you have any upcoming projects or releases you would like to talk about?

BT: Apart from the Statues stuff on Ghostly, there is a Teebs & Jackhigh EP coming out on Svetlana Industries in a few weeks, which is going to feature artwork by Teebs and some really cool limited prints and tees, which I’m really excited for. Svetlana are also going to be putting out some of the unreleased Jackhigh material along with an EP I made under the name 141. Also, Rush Hour in Holland are going to be putting out some house/techno things I’ve made under the name Bnjmn, which has been mastered, but I’m unsure of release dates.

JF: Well, thank you for your time good sir, and I wish you the best with your upcoming releases!

BT: It’s been a pleasure man, big thanks for doing this! People should also be looking out for ‘your’ music in the not too distant future!

Grab the Outtakes EP by Singing Statues for FREE here.

mp3: Singing Statues – Off The Axis

RBMA: Introducing… 00Genesis

The sixth in our series of Red Bull Music Academy 2010 candidate interviews comes in the form of a cryptic exchange with the artist known as 00Genesis. Remember to go back and check the previous five interviews in this series with Lunice, Kidkanevil, ANGO, Dza and Myele Manzanza. Today, I present 00Genesis…

Jus Like Music: Who are you and where do you come from?

00Genesis: The name’s Genesis… 00Genesis, coming out of Silver Spring, Maryland.

JLM: And what is it that you do?

00G: I do many things. On any given day, you might catch me working on illustrations, drawings, paintings, graphic designs, or music/beats. My art knows no limits. Even when I cook for myself I pay attention to the minute details.

JLM: Why do you do what you do?

00G: That’s a question that can attract a deep answer. It is hard to concisely articulate my connection with art. However, one key reason why I do what I do, is because I’ve been doing it ever since I was a baby; art is a way of life now.

JLM: So, what’s new?

00G: Lots of things… lots of changes.

JLM: Ha ha, fair enough! So, what do you hope to achieve at RBMA 2010?

00G: I have a lot of ‘big’ personal goals, and visions. That being said, I’m very optimistic about RBMA, and I want to give and receive as much as I can. No limits.

JLM: What music have you been feeling lately?

00G: Textural music, past and present. A lot of WARP records these days… I’m looking forward to FlyLo’s new album… uhhh, Aphex Twin’s Ambient works… Boards of Canada’s catalogue… Too many names to list.

JLM: Lastly, what’s the best advice you could give to an emerging artist?

00G: Believe in yourself more than anyone else, and keep it pushing!

mp3: 00Genesis – Mr. Murphy

RBMA: Introducing… Myele Manzanza

Time for the fifth in our series of Red Bull Music Academy 2010 candidate interviews. This time it is Kiwi drummer and producer Myele Manzanza, who some people may have heard recently via the group Electric Wire Hustle. Don’t forget to check out the previous four interviews with Lunice, Kidkanevil, ANGO and Dza, respectively. But, here’s what happened when we caught up with Myele Manzanza…

Jus Like Music: Please tell us, who are you and where do you come from?

Myele Manzanza: My name is Myele “Manzilla” Manzanza. I’m a half Congolese, half NZ European musician currently based in Wellington, New Zealand.

JLM: What exactly do you do?

MM: I am a musician. Predominantly a drummer, but I’ve been getting my fingers into beat making and production as well over the last two years. As is the case with a lot of Wellington-based musicians, I play in a big variety of bands in lots of different musical situations with lots of different people. Some of those include; Electric Wire Hustle, Olmecha Supreme, Recloose Live, The Coffee Blaq Quartet and Sheba Williams.

JLM: Why do you do what you do?

MM: It’s what I love to do. My father is a musician, so there’s probably a bit of footstep following going on. Music is such an awesome way to convey energy or a message to people, even if it doesn’t have words. I couldn’t imagine not having it in my life. Oh, and it’s the only way I’m making any money at the moment too!

JLM: With regards to stepping up from being solely a drummer, to being a producer, how has that transition been for you?

MM: It’s been good. It’s a bit of a headspace change. When you are a musician, playing live in a band, you have to be totally in the moment. You are one part of how ever many people are in the group that are making music with you, in real time, in that moment. There is no stopping to re-edit that snare drum that lagged a little bit or quantise that synth melody you cant really play properly. Also, when playing an organic acoustic instrument, the rhythms, notes, sounds, dynamics etc. are controlled purely from your human body, as opposed to a volume nob or filter etc. So, there is a kind of life force in that. “Production”, in the beat maker sense, is different. In a live band, you are making one minute of music in one minute of time. Production could be four bars of music in four days! It’s probably more akin to painting. You have as much time as you like to work the canvas and get it exactly how you want. Spending hours on getting the bass to roll the right way, or that snare drum to crack how you want, is a whole different mentality that I’m still getting used to. It’s also a lot different in that you are making music by yourself, so there’s more personal control over the end result. I think I’m more used to collaborating in a band situation, so it ends up being more productive for me that way. But I still want to keep working up my production skills too.

JLM: So, what else is new with you?

MM: Just getting prepared for RBMA! After that I’ll be relocating to New York for a few months, and then back to Europe for the northern hemisphere summer. I put on an RBMA send off gig in Wellington with a 12-piece band. It was awesome, but trying to rehearse was like trying to herd kittens! I’ve also recently been into the mastering process of the new Coffee Blaq Quartet album. It’s the first jazz album I’ve recorded on, and that’s something I had always wanted to do.

JLM: What do you hope to achieve at RBMA 2010?

MM: Well, getting accepted is an achievement in itself, so I’m super thankful to get in this year! I want to get deeper into the production side of music. I’m sure there will be plenty of brilliant brains to pick on that tip. I wanna be as productive and get the most musically out of the lecturers and other students as I can, so I don’t anticipate going out of the studios much.

JLM: What music have you been feeling lately?

MM: I could go on for days, but I’ll just give you my recent iPod playlists; Charles Lloyd, Eric Harland and Zakir Hussein – “Sangam”, The Clonious – “Between The Dots”, Jeff “Tain” Watts – “Watts”, Jay Z – “Blueprint 3″, Robert Glasper – “Double Booked”, Karriem Riggins – “Music Kaleidoscope”.

JLM: Is it important to you that you study what your contemporaries are creating, or are you happy to just keep your head down and do your own thing?

MM: Good question. I’d have to say both. Seeing what your contemporaries are doing can give you inspiration or motivation to keep working on your craft. We just had the listening session at RBMA where we listened to all the other participants music, and it’s made me go “holy fuck! I need to put in work”. I’m in the deep end, at least in regards to beat making, and it’s motivation for me to improve. However, getting too obsessed with what other people are doing can a) distract you from what you are doing because you get too concerned about not being good enough and b) cause you to try to “fit in” with what your peers are doing to a point where you don’t really have an individual sound, and it becomes easy to lump your style into a group. For me, a balance between both is key.

JLM: Last, but not least, what’s the best advice you could give to an emerging artist?

MM: Well I guess I’m an emerging artist myself, so I can’t really say this from any platform of authority, but… if you’re going to pursue music (or any art for that matter) there is no point going halfheartedly about it, because there just isn’t enough room for mediocre artists. Most of the artists in the world don’t make a whole lot of money, so you better love what you do and know what you’re in it for. But despite that, it’s a privileged position to be in. You have the power to move people in a whole range of different ways, and that can be pretty intoxicating. But, if I was going to give you something a bit more specific, it’d be… learn the history of your craft, work on your craft really fucking hard, and be honest with yourself and to your audience.

mp3: Myele Manzanza – Big Space Intro (draft version)