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Thursday, 04 December, 2008

PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!

CAMERA-FOLK AND FILM EDITORS WANTED!

Planet Notion is looking for guys and dolls to film and edit features for its new TV channel, PNTV. Accompanying Notion to artist interviews, gigs, fashion shows, festivals and international events, you will be skilled, passionate and full of ideas about how to produce shit-hot video content. Camera-folk will be experienced and ideally have their own equipment, or at least access to equipment, while editors must be able to turn projects around quickly, and with stylistic flare. If you can both film and edit content, we would especially like to hear from you! These casual, unpaid positions would be ideal for those looking to develop their showreels, and to get the chance to travel, film major artists and top events.

Please email lucy(at)musichqmedia
(dot)com if you’re interested in getting involved, cheers!

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Annie

Her music sounds like an ‘I Love The 80s’ episode waiting to happen with some of the most enticing pop flavour since Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’. Championed by the likes of Rob Da Bank, Peaches and Scissor Sisters, meet the girl who has been embraced as a tour de force in electro disco. I can remember the first time I heard ‘The Greatest Hit’, Annie’s fantastically catchy, credible pop track. It was New Year’s Day 2001. I had just got in from the night before, turned the radio on and this song started playing with effortless vocals and a great hook. The hook being a sample from ‘Everybody’ by Madonna. This inspired pop song, originally made for fun five years ago, became an underground cult classic, recorded with the late Tore E. Kroknes (aka DJ Erot), her musical partner and boyfriend. “I think Tore would have wanted me to stay happy, and making this album was my destiny. I needed to do it for me”. Her debut album, ‘Anniemal’ was released earlier this year and has been embraced by everybody from your NME readers to club-goers on the dancefloor at Fabric and everywhere in between. It’s a magnificent combination of alternative pop, applied with suss and style. Annie is another artist to come from the musical melting pot that is Bergen (her close-knit hometown in Norway) which she shares with the likes of Royksopp, Kings of Convenience, Magnet and Ralph Myerz. She has quickly forged her own reputation for revitalising the dancefloor with impeccably poised club classics. Her first UK single release and debut chart hit, ‘Chewing Gum’, a pop masterpiece in its own right was dubbed one of the singles of last year. The album went in at No 1 in Norway and had a Norwegian Grammy nomination earlier this year. As well as promoting ‘Anniemal’, she has just compiled her first DJ Kicks mix. Often described as “the most important DJ mix series ever”, the series continues to flourish as a genre-hopping platform for a wide variety of sounds, styles and artists. Already an accomplished DJ in her own right, Annie is currently touring the world with her own ‘Anniemix’ DJ set across the world, having recently supported St Etienne in the UK and played at countless festivals. Aided by her musical companion Timo (from OP:L Bastards), the tracks on the album veer from the oddball electro of Le Bianda’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ to the misfit rock of ‘Black History Month’ by Death From Above 1979, by way of theatrical funk in the way of Mu’s ‘Paris Hilton’. How did you select the tracks for your DJ Kicks album? “It was a bit complicated because I like so much different music. I was at first thinking do either pure rock or electro but I decided to do something different and just pick out 17 of my favourite songs. Songs that people probably haven’t heard before and also that they haven’t heard for years like Bow Wow Wow”. Would you say this mix is representative of your DJ set? “Definitely. I’m always playing different songs because I tend to get bored easily (laughs) so don’t want to be playing the same old songs all the time”. Annie fans will be pleased to hear there are two new tracks from the lady herself featured (‘Gimme your Money’ and ‘The Wedding’). “’The Wedding’ was actually recorded when we did ‘Anniemal’. We were recording the single ‘Heartbeat’ and got bored, so were thinking hmm, let’s do something new and completely different. They are both my ‘Material Girl’ songs – they are both about power, money, and the boring side of people. Different from my album, I guess”. How would you describe your music for people who haven’t heard it before? “My own music? Electronic pop music. I guess that’s how you’d say it in a traditional, boring way. It’s very hard for me because when I am writing the music, I always get inspired by this and that. I always find it difficult to describe what I am actually doing myself!” Who would you say inspires you? “Tom Tom Club, Human League, old New York disco like Larry Levant. At the moment, I really like the Goldfrapp album (‘Supernature’) and listen to it all the time”. What was it like being personally invited to support St Etienne? “Really nice. I’m a big fan of them myself. It was cool for me to have the chance to open for them. Had a great crowd reaction. Was actually surprised to see the place was packed when I started my set!” Do you enjoy playing live and DJing or is it just something you have to do as promotion? “I enjoy playing live more and more. I actually only started playing in February this year so don’t feel like a professional yet. It’s starting to be something I really enjoy. Djing, for me, is like a party. I like both but in different ways”. How do you feel about your crossover appeal? “I think it’s very exciting to see how things are going. In Norway, I seem to be appealing to a much younger audience – like girls of seven years old. In other places, it seems to be more like the indie kids who like my music. It’s exciting for me to see that crossover. I don’t think I have an idea in my mind of who to appeal to but I do have some great fans”. You sampled one of Madonna’s tracks on ‘The Greatest Hit’. Are you a fan? “I’m a very big Madonna fan. My favourite song of hers must be ‘Into the Groove’. I think it’s the best pop track ever made! I heard from my friend today that she’s recorded a new song that samples Abba. I’m excited to hear the new material especially as it’s supposed to be like her earlier material. But sampling Abba? That sounds scary”. What is on the horizon for Annie? “My album is being released in different territories all the time. It’s out in Japan and Australia soon and it’s not even released in the whole of Europe yet. Have just finished a US tour with Royksopp which was exciting and am about to tour Germany. So, my immediate plans are to continue promoting ‘Anniemal’ and the DJ Kicks album which I will be touring at the beginning of next year. Am also starting my own club night in Bergen with a friend of mine called ‘Pop Till You Drop’” The DJ Kicks album, as with her personal work, sparkles with contagious passion. No matter what happens in the upper reaches of the charts, it’ll never go out of fashion. DJ KICKS: ANNIE IS OUT ON !K7 RECORDINGS. ANNIEMAL IS ABVAILABLE ON 679 RECORDINGS. Words: Lynsey Hoskins / Photography: Valerie Stahl von Stromberg

tags: | annie | 80s | music | electro | dance | dj | pop | outkast | hey ya | rob da bank | more...

Evil Nine

‘The Independent’ newspaper has said that they “rock like the proverbial bastard”, their album, ‘You Can Be Special Too’, has received critical acclaim from across the board, while their productions are being caned by everyone, from Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe to Underwater head honcho Darren Emerson. We caught up with the hottest talents to hit breakbeat in years. Pat Pardy and Tom Beaufort first started producing and DJing together back in 1998, when their lives were slightly less glamorous than they are now, and it’s been a combination of hard work and natural talent that has propelled them to DJ superstardom. “I don’t really think we had a first big break,” explains Tom. “It just sort of happened for us over time. I mean, before this Pat worked in a factory and I worked in Poundland, with people always asking me ‘how much is this, mate’?” If Evil Nine struggled to get off the ground for a little while, when they first became airborne, there was truly no stopping them; with the backing of breakbeat Godfather Adam Freeland, the duo released ‘Cakehole’ on Marine Parade, a brooding monster that can only really be described as, well, evil. The alliance between Adam Freeland and Evil Nine was born, and neither has looked back since. “Adam’s our boy,” they shout. “He’s been instrumental in getting us to where we’re at now. His unfailing support and encouragement has been a massive inspiration to us and we’ve grown together now into a Marine Parade mega-monster mutation thing.” An Adam Freeland set without an Evil Nine production is now unheard of, and the trio have gone so far as to work together on remixes, for Adam’s live project Free*Land among others. The boys’ sincerity in talking about Adam Freeland comes as a shock, if only because they seem to spend most of their time having fun and being generally mischievous, including when answering some of my questions! Although the name Evil Nine sounds cool – it’s one of those names that you’d want to have yourself if you were a superstar DJ duo – the origins of their title are slightly less salubrious. “We used to be ‘Evil Sixty Nine’, referring to a particularly disfiguring sexual encounter that Pat experienced as a youth,” laughs Tom. “After a while we dropped the ‘Sixty’ as we thought it was catchier that way.” Hmmm, we’re not sure we want to delve any deeper into this particular story, especially as they’ve innovatively titled a track on their album ‘Pearlshot’. So what’s behind the name of their debut album, “You Can Be Special Too”? “That came to us in a dream,” they begin, promisingly. “In this dream Bill Cosby was there and he said, ‘Guys! Send out this small message of positivity so that people will endeavour to better themselves and hence make the world a better place for the children (and small animals)’, so that’s what we did.” Right. If this interview is teaching me one thing, it’s that you can never predict what these two are going to do next, and to be fair to them it’s a philosophy they live their lives by; whether it be a DJ set, or production work, the pair are quick to move from one musical genre to another, never staying in one spot for too long. Evil Nine’s finest hour so far has undoubtedly been with the release of their aforementioned album. However, there was a horrible waiting period for breakbeat fans as one of the most anticipated breaks albums of all time nearly never saw the light of day, when Marine Parade briefly went under. So were the boys worried? “Yeah, we were worried,” admits Pat. “But then we were strangely liberated by it too because we’d done all the hard work and we’d completed what we thought was a pretty fucking good album, so we were quite optimistic about the future - whatever it was. And it turned out alright again…” It wasn’t just “alright”; the album was heralded by many critics as a modern-day masterpiece, Pete Tong named it among his “albums of 2004”, and it was seen by most to be a much-needed breath of fresh air into a rapidly stagnating breakbeat pond. Not even the boys themselves were ready for the praise… “We were actually pretty surprised by the acclaim we got for the album, but it was more about where the praise came from and the wide range of peeps that were diggin’ it. We’ve really been feeling the love!” If you haven’t heard the album you might be asking yourself what all the fuss is about. Well, ‘You Can Be Special Too’ is a breath-taking journey through musical genres, from fairly down-tempo tunes to rocking breakbeat with a crazy infusion of hip hop and ragga thrown in for good measure. While the tracks ‘Hired Goons’, ‘Restless’ and ‘Lovers Not Fighters’ are truly great in their own right, the highlights of the album come via ‘Pearlshot’ and the classic ‘Crooked’, both of which feature MC talents and extremely random vocals: on ‘Crooked’ Aesop Rock shouts about roller-skating parrots, and on ‘Pearlshot’ guest vocalist Juice Aleem offers his insight into Lois Lane, Wichita and, well, pearlshots. I’m scared of asking, but fortunately this time Tom and Pat seem to be equally in the dark: “The lyrics on ‘Crooked’ were entirely from Aesop’s brain,” they explain. “Except that we told him the name of the track, whereas ‘Pearlshot’ it was all totally freestyled by Juice so it was typically perverted and deranged.” The refreshing thing about Evil Nine is that time and time again they have proved that they’re far from being one-trick ponies. Every track they produce seems to have the markings of a classic about it, no more so than in their remix work. Their mix of Santoe’s ‘Sabot’ still sounds as fresh as ever, and is still regularly dropped in clubs worldwide, while perhaps their finest hour came with the ‘Evil Nine’s Punk Rock Remix’ of Ils’ ‘Music’. If people were unsure whether Evil nine had the lasting power to become greats of the breakbeat scene, this track ended all doubts. It has featured on a number of TV adverts, and divided the breakbeat scene with its heavy guitar riffs and rocking basslines. The majority loved it, and rightly so. So how do they go about sounding so fresh and innovative, without losing any of the energy? “There’s really no secret. We just try to do something that we haven’t heard before, something that’s got edge and that makes us nod our heads frantically!” And the duo have just released their first mix compilation – courtesy of the y4k series. The boys reckon it represents everything that is quintessentially Evil Nine: ‘The y4k mix was an effort to capture what we do in the clubs – a rocking, edgy, exciting blend of quality music which doesn’t give a shit about genre or any other rubbish ideas.” Once more the pair have triumphed too, with a diverse tracklist that sees the old mixed with the new, with tracks form the likes of Whitey, Bloc Party and Evil Nine themselves. Pat and Tom’s tracklistings are always massively diverse, as their DJ sets meander from breaks to techno to hip hop and back again. Then again, it’s not all that surprising when they say who they think is currently rocking it: “Well, there’s our boy Adam Freewizzle, Tiga, Radioslave, Switch, Laurent Garnier, DJ T, Santos, PMT…um, there are more but it’s getting a bit boring this listing thing isn’t it?! As for inspirations, we’re into so much different shit that it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few names. No one particular artist has inspired us over others – everything we listen to has contributed in some way.” What I can guarantee you is that before long people will be listing Evil Nine among their influences, as Tom and at continue to trailblaze their way through the breaks scene, ignoring reputations and pigeonholes alike. Long may it last, and, as Aesop Rock puts it, “The evilest of nines’ guaranteed to shoot crooked.” Whatever that means…. Words: Tom Wilkins

tags: | evil nine | independent | newspaper | you can be special too | radio 1 | dj | zane lowe | more...

Lamb

Lamb have always been recognised as one of the first vocal-based groups to use frenetic, hard-hitting, rolling breaks and sample wizardry, anchored by beguiling vocals, and without a trace of saccharine. The yin of Andy Barlow’s production perfectly complements the yang of Louise Rhodes’ song-writing and vocals. Ten years on, armed with an anthology of musical formations under their proverbial belt, a magnitude of remix collaborations with renowned artists and producers, a DVD release of their 2004 Glastonbury and Paradiso Show, including sessions from The Tequila Show international and national tours, and a widespread cult discern catapulting them to the accolade of an avant-garde benchmark of alternative sounds. With worldwide mass appeal, their latest and last album for the time being, ‘Lamb Remixed’ released in August, encapsulates the melting pot of essences for which they are best known; remixes range from Tom Middleton’s bright summery interpretation of ‘What Sound’ with Lamb vs Cosmos, to MJ Cole’s dark and dirty version of the angelic vocals of ‘Gabriel’, via the pioneering Global Communication’s adaptation of ‘Gorecki’, originally inspired by the modern Polish composer famed for his 1976 ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’, which takes the mood from one of heart-rending to happiness. In addition, one of their most celebrated tracks, ‘Cottonwool’ from their first album in 1996, is reworked by the atmospheric drum programming genius A Guy Called Gerald. Forming an alliance back in 1994, Andy and Louise could not have been more different, and seemed an unlikely pairing, but their divergence grew to be the making of them. Andy, only 19 at the time, started off as an in-house engineer for So What Management and DJ, producing and writing material under the name of the Hip Optimist, and was resolute in his musical ideas – meaning no vocals, which he felt got in the way of the production. “I wanted edgy and futuristic. The last thing I wanted was to have a coffee table album. When Lou and I started working together, we fought like cat and dog. It was very much a frustrating mental tug of war. “We were both poles apart in our musical tastes. Lou’s music was hippy twaddle and she felt that mine was just heartless electronic clinical reverberation. Lou opened my eyes to new sounds, such as acoustics, cellos, flutes, violins and all these other beautiful-sounding instruments. It created an amazing sound. The ironic consequence was that, even though the differences were immensely apparent, we switched them to a positive, by incorporating them and meeting in the middle. It’s this that made it work so well.” Louise, the daughter of folk singer parents, virtually grew up at festivals; her idealistic music was shaped by her quirky, spiritual and imaginative style which is conveyed in the poignant melodies and evocatively haunting vocals and instruments. “We were so different musically, but shared a unique offbeat-ness, and the camaraderie between us ultimately felt fated – quite magical, in fact.” Their meeting, back in 1994, appeared to be one of almost preordained fate; Andy had been working at a studio but had been sacked, deemed not commercial enough and too unconventional to blend in with the tastes of his fellow musos. So Louise’s addition to the forthcoming union truly became the catalyst in their success. For most artists, attaining a record deal can be a long-winded, sometimes difficult journey, but Lamb acquired a record deal with Mercury subsidiary Fontana pretty much immediately, and had completed an album within a staggeringly impressive six weeks. “At the time, Fontana was looking for a new act to sign and we were brought to their attention by a journalist called Mandy James. Fontana had other acts on the label – including Elton John and Bon Jovi – but wanted a diverse addition to the stable, something a bit freer and less conventional. “The label came down to see us at the Simply Red studios we were borrowing and we were signed pretty much from the offset on the basis of two slightly acid trip hoppy demos. Lou was a photographer and I was a producer, so we knew what we wanted in terms of musical direction and marketing, from the music to promotion to artwork imagery. The record company had different ideas for us at first, but after seeing the results for themselves and the acclaim we achieved, they happily forfeited rein control.” The eponymous debut album was released in September 1996 and was received to critical acclaim, reaching platinum in Portugal. With success from the outset, was the pressure on to pull out something even more impressive from the bag? “We were very surprised at how well it was received, and it did up the ante for the next album. It wasn’t a conscious decision to follow with just big hits. Our albums are like our children, the first being the conception and birth, the second being the terrible twos, so yes there was a certain amount of pressure for it to do well. Keeping things fresh, non-formulaic was vital to us. We wanted to continue with disjointed records and stuck our necks out to make it happen.” Growing organically rather than decisively, there were still many comparisons made with artists and bands, despite the fact they fit into no obvious genre. Although Lamb is much more club-orientated, they have been likened in ways to Portishead, Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba, Bjork and Tricky. Do they avoid predictable pigeonholing by mixing numerous facets of style into the abstract soundscape they create? “Journalists love grouping bands together, it makes their job easier. We started with a continual comparison to Portishead, even though we had finished our album before them but had sat on it for a while before release. For a year it did drive us insane and when we performed a gig at Bristol I met Adrian Utley from Portishead, and we chatted about it. Essentially it’s a girl singing and a boy producing the music. “But, at that time there was so much incredible music coming out and a lot of us were Bristol-born so it was a great scene to be a part of and to be likened with. Now we’re not so fussed; people can brand us any way they want to. It’s just laziness. We have our own sound and have been compared to many, including the energy of an electro Led Zeppelin so that can’t be a bad thing.” Much remix work ensued with Gerald Simpson and Hull duo Fila Brazilia from the Pork Recordings stable, with the track ‘Cotton Wool’ to name but a few. Louise also went on to lend her vocals to Sheffield legends of their time, 808 State, for the track ‘Azura’ on the album ‘Don Solaris’. “We managed to get involved with lots of remix work with some amazing artists. We were given a budget from the label and could choose which ones we could work with if they were keen. We sent off some of the tracks, and it was such a feeling of anticipation to see how they would interpret our tracks and morph them into different versions.” With their love of instruments being included live in their touring jaunts, Lamb pretty much set the precedent for other acts to follow with this type of repertoire, which at the time was a new fangled stage dynamic and added a sense of the dramatics to their shows. “People get sick of watching DJs with laptops. Live shows are a performance, but lots of bands became cabaret, with DATS played over them, so we thought, if we are going to do live, we are going to get some shit-hot musicians and open it up to a jam. When we started, not many bands were doing this; it’s a lot more popular now, but at the time it was pretty groundbreaking. “When we played at Glastonbury in 2004 it was unbelievable. People are still talking about it. It’s always been about the performance – a proper show. We always put our heart and soul into it, and love playing live. Getting into the studio, milking our creative juices and pumping it out in front of an audience is a euphoric feeling.” With such a prevalent appeal to the masses, what core type of person understands and identifies with Lamb? “Our fanbase is widespread, but most fans seem to be quite up with technology and have probably downloaded this album already! I’d also say they tend to be very spirited and spiritual. We also had a very big gay following as we started off as very androgynous-looking and this seemed to appeal to the scene.” With such a multitude of choice, to pin down their favourites tracks is a tricky one; upbeat songs to get down and dirty to in addition to the more solemn and affecting. ‘Gabriel’ from their first album and ‘Gorecki’ from ‘What Sound’ in 1996 and 2001 respectively have touched people more than they could have hoped for and remain close to their hearts. “People tell us how they’ve used our music as a musical monologue for a moment or an event at some point in their lives. These songs have touched a lot of people and for that we are very proud.” With a discography spanning across seven albums – ‘Lamb’, ‘Fear of Fours’, ‘What Sound’, ‘Between Darkness and ‘Wonder’, ‘Back To Mine’, ‘Best Kept Secrets: The Best of Lamb 1996-2004’ and now their new remix gem of an album with many other singles, remix work and DVD releases in-between, Lamb consume almost every adjective when used to illustrate their music. From reflective catharsis, to quirky to passionately sensual, their inspiration is derivative from what is quite simply life, and the many adjectives you feel right the way through. “We find inspiration from the people around us, the location we’re in, what’s happening in our lives and love lives. I try to go into a studio with a blank canvassed mind, and see what sows from the seeds I plant when I’m there. I just nurture them and watch them grow.” With a new chapter evolving, there are new seeds to be sown for Lamb. Plus there are individual pursuits for Andy and Louise – Andy with his new band producing tracks, some with Oddur, Lamb’s guitar player, with plans to record his own indigenous album at the end of summer and tour heavily next year, and Louise promoting her newly finished album with touring to follow. Lamb have had an amazingly successful run thus far, but their projects are not all about the success, as Andy is quick to point out. “Only if it’s in our hearts will we follow it.” They’ve more than made their mark, with a movement in pioneering the alternative to the mainstream with depth and character. With sentiments of the spiritual still burning strongly, they have cashed in their karma tokens and perhaps one day will return, guiding us into the melodious reincarnation of a new life of Lamb. Words: Elle Garrapa

tags: | lamb | music | dj | dance | vocal | breaks | sample | andy barlow | louise rhodes | more...

Shout Out Louds

Shout Out Louds

Sweden’s latest indie-pop sensation, currently touring with The Magic Numbers, are difficult to dislike. With their gloriously melodic debut album, Shout Out Louds are taking their brand of modern folk to the masses… Shout Out Louds – comprising Adam Olenius (frontman and vocalist), Carl von Arbin (guitar), Ted Malmros (bass), Bebban Stenborg (keyboards) and Eric Edman (drums) started out having a bit of a muck-about, a few old friends playing in a Stockholm rehearsal space in 2002. Back then Adam, Carl and Ted were happy just playing around. Having realised they were on to something, however, the made it their mission to recruit a drummer, and also someone who could figure out how to use the Moog synthesiser they’d been trying – unsuccessfully – to fathom. Eric and Bebban joined the band, and Shout Out Louds began their journey, what they call their “secret little project”. They gave their first demos to a friend, who was moved to set up his own record label in order to release them in Scandinavia. Singles and EPs followed, and then their debut album, ‘Howl Howl Gaff Gaff’, all passionately received. It was difficult not to take notice. A deal with Capitol soon followed, and it’s been all go since then. The international version of the album is released in September, featuring five new songs, and they’ve been touring crazy, spreading the Shout Out Louds’ sound across the US – alongside The Futureheads and as support for Kings of Leon – as well as kicking off a supporting tour with The Magic Numbers. Somewhat of a rollercoaster ride, their success was inevitable. The Shout Out Louds’ music – a sublime mixture of garage pop-indie, wistful folk and soft rock – is instantly appealing to a wide audience. ‘Howl Howl Gaff Gaff’ is a striking collection of laidback pop tunes – perfectly Swedish in its composure and charm. It seems Swedish acts can do no wrong in the UK chart – why do they think this is? Adam is nonchalant: “It’s hard to say. I think in Sweden we’re not too afraid to try out new things. But I think the laidback attitude of the music is a major factor in its popularity.” “It’s damaged pop music,” Adam admits. “The album is like a musical diary for us. Maybe like a puzzle. We wanted the album to show how we evolve as a band and also what feelings are important to us. It should sound like a debut album. I think it does.” And it seems to be working everywhere they go. Shout Out Louds have gone from touring “every little corner of Sweden” to playing throughout America and now the UK. How’s that feel? “It feels really good in America at the moment. The press has been really good and more and more people come to our shows. We don’t like to rush things and we’re at the right speed. It takes time.” Shout Out Louds are heavily influenced by everything around them – whether that’s music or people: “Everything, from Dave Brubeck to The Clash. Friends, families, books, dogs, lakes and love. A snare drum from a New Order song or a guitar solo from a Dinosaur Jr song. There’s nothing to it. I started out after a friend gave me a big book with Beatles songs. I learned the guitar to play them.” In a year during which so much has happened, what has been their career highlight so far? Adam is humble: “Just to have this opportunity to have our record released in the whole world. And it’s not bad to have shared stages with bands you admire too. But then you are so concentrated by your own work and your show so you’re in this bubble. But all the tours have been really good and all of them have been different from each other. It feels like you are a circus travelling the country.” Do they have any interesting stories from their time on the road? “We’ve only played with The Magic Numbers a couple of times so far but the strongest moment was when the performed “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” a capella – it was very beautiful. But we will invite them to a vodka party, so we will see.” Right now Shout Out Louds are busy touring the album they’re so sure of success with. And, of course, it’s the right time for them, what with so many so-called alternative acts coming to the fore. “Yes. There has always been good “guitar-based” music. I just think that we’re getting better and I like that the alternative music is getting more attention. I just wish the media could stop talking about what’s in and what’s not. “Next year will be a trash-metal-jazz-indie-housegrime- grunge-classical-folk-rock year. That sounds great. I hope we can get that every year. No seriously, I just think there is room for every kinds of music.” What’s next for Shout Out Louds? Have they started work on any new material? Adam tells us, “I am very dependent to work at home, and can only write about things that are close to me. I sometimes forget to write them down so my head is almost filled with new ideas. I should get brain surgery. “But hopefully we will soon be back in the studio again. Then maybe some travelling. Or quit this business and become sailors and sail the seven seas. But there IS a second album that just has to come out. So…” Shout Out Louds’ debut album is out on September 19th on EMI Records. Shout Out Louds tour with The Magic Numbers around the UK in September. Words: Loriann Luckings

tags: | shout out louds | sweden | music | band | indie | magic numbers | melody | debut | album | more...

Kano

From underground favourite to industry darling, Kano’s rise to success has been slow and steady. But, hard-working, level-headed and ambitious, this garage wunderkind isn’t too concerned about facts and figures – it’s all about the people. The interview with Kano had been organized – a two o’clock start – and reorganised – can it be three? Cool. Let’s get cracking. I call the mobile number I’ve been given and it rings off to voicemail. Try again, and Kano answers as if I’m a mate: “You alright?” He’s friendly and pleasant but distant-sounding. “I’m driving to Manchester right now, so this is the best time to do this – I’m sat still,” he says, his voice instantly recognisable from the rapping he’s become so well-known for. Upon my suggestion that perhaps, if he’s driving, we should postpone the interview, he laughs: “No, no, I’m not driving, it’s cool.” Kano – aka Kane Robinson – has become used to travelling. Since even before the release in June of his debut album, ‘Home Sweet Home’, he’s been on the road. And, with a tour starting at the end of the year, it seems he’ll be missing home sweet home – that’s East Ham in London’s east end – even more. His sound is grime, a scene in which Kano’s been involved since he can remember, the 19- year old having made his first impression on the underground scene when he was 16. Described as fitting somewhere between Dizzee Rascal and The Streets, he’s known as the MC’s MC – someone who, although he doesn’t necessarily shout about it, has fans across the board. ‘Home Sweet Home’ was a critically acclaimed success, and his next single from the album, the soulful, piano-driven ‘Nite Nite’ with Mike Skinner and The Streets’ Leo the Lion, is guaranteed to set the charts alight. “Yeah, I’m glad people like the album, you know. It’s a lot of work. But people like it. That’s what it’s all about.” How did the collaboration with Mike Skinner come about? Who approached whom? “He came to me. Asked me to do it. He had a song, but with a different chorus. I got it, and wanted to change it. I told him what I wanted, what I was after and he came back with a new chorus.” As much as his music has been well received by the music industry – media commentators and fellow performers – Kano is resolutely down to earth. “It’s definitely about the people. All these reviews, they’re good and all that, but they’re not real. These people get sent CDs for free, you know,” he laughs. “It’s about the people who go out and buy this stuff. I mean, from doing the shows and the feedback we get I’m happy people are feeling it and feeling the music on it.” Kano’s appeal is not strictly limited to the UK. In recent times he’s been all over Europe – including visits to Ibiza, Ayia Napa, Amsterdam and Belgium – and is just back from New York. But how does the typically British garage sound translate to other territories? “I think they like it. When we go through Europe, and some of my first shows were in Europe, they’re feeling the music as much as me. It’s something new, it’s something great, it’s not just a copy of another sort of music.” “Sometimes the crowds abroad have even more energy than people here in the UK – especially in London where you can’t really do anything fans ain’t heard before. So when we go away it’s all new. The reaction is cool, you know.” Having started out in the garage scene in east London, was he disheartened by the fall in popularity of garage in the early Noughties? After acts like More Fire and Artful Dodger achieved Top 10 positions in the UK chart during 2000 to 2002, the genre all but disappeared from the mainstream. Did this affect him at all? “Well, I think if I’d come out then it would have affected me, you know. But I wasn’t really around. But out there, at the raves and stuff and with the people, nothing really changed. Those two things are completely separate. There wasn’t a problem. That was just the media and the mainstream. The scene’s different to that.” Kano’s style is very easy. He doesn’t shout his carefully constructed lyrics, he delivers them. And the flow of his music – as well as the full throttle genius of tracks such as dancefloor favourite ‘Reload It’, produced by hip hop DJ Diplo – are what makes him stand out. ‘Boys Love Girls’ first got Kano noticed; all wavering melody lines and panic-button riddim, it has remained a hit with the crowds. Does he still perform it? Or does he stick to new material? “It’s not always in the show. But sometimes they’ll drop it and I’ll be like… I’ll forget the words, you know. But the crowd loves it. They all know it and they love it.” It’s become his signature tune – something he’ll always be remembered for. Are there any tunes on the album that have the same effect? “Yeah. People like ‘Signs in Life’ but I think it’s ‘Ps & Qs’. That’s what people react to.” With such a free-flowing style, it’s obvious Kano is inspired as much by the things that happen to him as by those around him. “Yeah. I’m always inspired. Whether I’m indoors or out somewhere, coming off stage and all excited, in the studio. All sorts of things.” And if someone sat him in a room and asked him to write there and then? “I couldn’t just sit and say ‘OK, I’m writing some lyrics now’. That would be false. I couldn’t do it.” And Kano’s creative talents are not restricted to music; in fact, he was about to begin studying graphic design at university when he decided to make a real push into music. Does he take an active interest in the visual side of the Kano package? “Not really. I should do. I really should. But right now there’s no time – what with the album and all the shows. “I hope to do a lot more design in the future – even on a small scale. Just do a little bit. I feel like I’ve forgotten a lot of it but sit me at a computer and it’d all come flying back. But I do have a hand in what goes on. You know, with the logo when the designer first did it ‘Kano’ was all on one line. I liked it better on two lines – with the ‘K’ and the ‘A’ on one line and the ‘N’ and the ‘O’ on the bottom. So it was like we worked together on it. We always do that. But I hope to get more of my own stuff done soon – album covers, singles, and all that.” Having been travelling, promoting the album, it must be about time Kano had a holiday? He laughs. It seems there’s nothing planned just yet. So how does he relax? “By driving to the next show,” he laughs again. “No, I just like being home. Chillin’ and watching telly, you know. That’s how I relax. Dressing gown, cup of tea, in front of ‘Big Brother’.” ‘Home Sweet Home’ is out on 679 Recordings. New single, ‘Nite Nite’, is out on September 12th. Words: Loriann Luckings

tags: | kano | music | hip hop | rap | underground | manchester | kane robinson | more...

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