More Related Content
What's hot (14)
Similar to TSNP-E01-S2-1124-023 (20)
TSNP-E01-S2-1124-023
- 1. 24th November 2015 23 www.studentnewspaper.org music@studentnewspaper.org twitter.com/EdStudentMusic By Callum Godfrey @calgodfrey W.B Yeats Bob Dylan IMAGE:ALFITUDE Kristin Stewart Ghostpoet Bruce SpringsteenJohn Donne CG: Thanks for taking the time to chat to The Student, and congratula- tions on your Mercury nomination, thats what two weeks away, how are you feeling about it? OE: Yeah, I dont know really may- be because Ive done it before but Im kind of not really thinking about it. Ive got lots of other bits keeping me busy. Yeah, you have your tour round the corner as well. Exactly, so its not that I dont appre- ciate it, its amazing, its just... The butterflies arent there as much? Yeah I think so, and its slightly later on in my career now... Itll be the week of the Mercury Prize where Ill be like oh shit... just right now Ive got so many other bits at the forefront of my mind keeping me busy. Thats right you have your tour right round the corner for your new album, this ones more band-centric... Well Ive always played with a band on tour. True, but your latest album seems to have more of a classic band setup is what Im driving at, I was doing my research and I read that Brian Eno had a word with you about the whole thing when you were in Mali? Thats actually been mis-reported. We had a general chat about music and he said that sometimes its best not to take forever to make a record and that some of the best records are done really quickly and move on. I just kept that with me when I was thinking of this record and it wasnt said to me directly but it just stuck with me and struck a chord. Okay, so your new album, Shedding Skin, do you want have a quick word on the artwork, the symbolism behind it etc.? Its your own skin cell on the artwork, which I found really cool. Thats correct yeah, the artwork idea came soon after Id thought of the al- bum title, which is sort of a subcon- scious album title this idea of moving on from things in your life and...iden- tity is another concept that I wanted to talk about in this album. That sense of identity, partly the zeitgeist of the time, you know? Where do we stand at the moment, where are we going? Would you agree your most recent albums more of an uplifting one? Erm, I guess so. Its not intentional. Again, its just this subconscious thing. I think Im just in a happier place I guess. I mean, not so much my per- sonal life, but the world Im living in, the things that I see. Thats why its a combination of things. It could be all just happy - but thats a bit boring. As humans were not always one thing. I wanted to talk about your track Off Peak Dreams, do you want to talk about what inspired you to make the budget the average monthly wage for a 9-5 job? Well I wanted to make a video that reflected what I was talking about, which was the 9-5 grind, you know. The hamster wheel situation where youre waking up, going to work, finish- ing work, getting drunk, going home, rinsing and repeating. The routine of it all. Exactly. And so, currently, Ive worked a 9-5 job more than Ive worked in music, so I feel I wasnt being patronising. I just wanted something that was headline worthy, that people would discuss and think about, you know? Initally I wanted to do it as a weekly wage but the production team said that was ambitious. So we went with a monthly wage and Im really happy with how it turned out, its one of my favorite videos. Even though on the surface it looks really shit, you know what I mean, but its a reflection of what I feel about life. Its not always hi-flight, it can be lo-flight, it can be budget and thats what I wanted to get across. I always feel like with your music it fits an ambience or a mood rather than a genre, and I think there has been a progression in your albums. Do It has been clear for quite a while now that Logic is equipped with su- preme talent. Since the release of his Young Sinatra mixtape trilogy in 2011, fans have flocked to the 25-year-olds lyrical ability and story. He quickly gar- nered recognition from industry leg- ends such as Rick Rubin, Nas, and Big Daddy Kane, en-route to amassing one By Marissa Field @EdStudentMusic Logic TheIncredibleTrueStory of hip hops most dedicated fan bases. However, despite the hype and the loy- al following, it has not all gone uphill from there. Unfortunately, Logic seems to be continually stuck on a tier below the modern-day hip-hop greats. Artists such as Drake, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar simply have something that Logic is missing. Under Pressure, his last studio effort, had some enjoyable tracks, but fell a bit flat with all but his most loyal listeners, and The Incred- ible True Story falls victim to similar pitfalls, not to mention its criminally cliche title. It seems as though Logics quest to reach the pinnacle of the rap industry has been heavily influenced per- haps too much so by those that are already there. Songs like Run It and Like Whoa, which arent bad both un- necessarily employ catch phrases made popular by both Cole and Drakes re- cent work, and the album opens with a classic Kanye drum pattern. But the most frustrating example comes with I Am the Greatest, which is essentially a terrible Drake song. Logics talent and immense dedica- tion still shine through on the album, and in some cases more so than they ever have. The albums concept a narrative sci-fi story following charac- ters Quentin Thomas and William Kai on their journey through space to the planet Paradise is interesting, and songs like Innermission are indica- tive of the type of artist Logic can be. The production throughout the album consistently amazes, with visionary in- house producer 6ix and Logic himself exhibiting undeniable improvement over past work. As on Innermission, Logics at his best when telling his sto- ry and getting things off his chest. His future is still bright, but if he wants to transcend himself in an unforgiving IMAGE:HIPHOPNMORE The Mercury Prize nominee Obaro Ejimiwe speaks on his latest album, his influences and where his music and his life intertwine you have any plans to stick to the more guitar-laden stuff that were seeing in your most recent album with a more classic band setup, moving away from the electronic beats that gave your ear- lier works that vacuous melancholy? I dont know. I feel like Im happy with where I am right now, musically. Maybe I will try to develop the sound Ive created on this record, theres al- ways room for improvement. Dunno, looking back on this record there are al- ready things that I would do differently. But yeah, Ive enjoyed making this re- cord and Ive enjoyed the gigs that have come from it so I dont know, well see. And on that subject, whats tour life for you like? I love it. Its good fun. Were a chilled bunch. We do get on the drink a bit, its not like Rolling Stones level. We re- main disciplined, but we know how to have fun. And youve built a real family out of it. Yeah, thats correct, and it really helps because we all think the same way, we all work as hard as each other onstage and give the best show we can, and the listener will bounce off that and feel that and hopefully enjoy it. So hows life in London treating you? Yeah well I was born and bred here, Londons London its good. Got my dog. (Hes called Ghostdog fyi.) Noth- ing special really, just soaking up life and all that taking in as much as I can that London offers. I have definitely come to realise how much of a cultural mixing pot that London is. Read the full interview at studentnewspaper.org To hear about what Ejimiwes been spinning, read the full interview online at studentnewspaper.org industry, he must embrace the things that make him unique, instead of trying to emulate what has made others great.