The Very Good Agency

Pataphysics Interview

Pataphysics took the time to chat with us recently on his new sound that had me surprised with Australia’s developing hip hop community… interview below…

Thanks for stopping by… after seeing your performance a few months ago I was intrigued to learn a little more. So where and what have you come from?

At the moment I’m really into ideas about creation blending Astrophysics and Maya.

Your performance is exactly that, an actual performance rather then just a band. Do you see music as a vehicle for expression?

Yes definitely.  Almost everything we do is an outward expression of our inner.  Music and Art are some of the more tangible of these expressions. For me music can capture feeling or emotions through melody which cannot be described by words.  While lyrics can touch on ideas and moments many people share but do not voice.  Music

Both rapping and playing trumpet are fairly taxing activities; does it wear you out doing both simultaneously?
Nah, been doing it for a while, it’s all about breath.

I’ve seen you playing quite a few instruments, in other groups than Pataphysics also… with which instruments & bands do you play.
I play trumpet and vocals in a stack of different crews.  As well  as that I play drums with Trillion and Project nRt, playing some bass with Rosie Burgess,  electric piano and organ in UDL (Ubiquitous Dub Legitimizers), play guitar in this band I teach at Kensington community High School, and will be playing Tin Flute in a experimental Jamaican folk band Lotek‘s working on.

Pataphysics – A short introduction

In the music and performances I have seen so far, you seem to have an underlying theme or message… how would you explain that message to someone who hasn’t heard your music?

The biggest theme that I feel runs through my music is one of positivity.  The message I guess is the one I tell myself, awake, understand, and ask questions. We aren’t powerless, there’s always a solution to a problem.  Today there are a heap of forces around that prevent truth and real dialogue.   Things are not always as they are portrayed to be, I am by no means a conspiracy theorist, but I do like to present an alternate view of things that we are fed .

What’s your take on the music scene in Australasia at the moment? Is anyone taking your interest?

There’s lots of music being made of all variety.  I am a huge fan of Rosie Burgess and Jemi White.  Also really enjoy Monkey Marc premier producer as well as another local lad by the name of Paranym.

And what about the international scene?

Morgan Heritage is the Bomb. Also Dead Prez.

Who were the artists you were bumping when you were developing your sound?

When I was little PE, NWA, Cypress Hill and Bob Marley are bands that influenced me greatly.  Later on in years, Miles Davis and The Brown Hornet showed me the freedom you had with music. Hendrix had a huge effect on the way I play trumpet.

Thanks for taking the time man… look forward to hearing more.

You can check out more of Pataphysics at:

www.myspace.com/brotherpataphysics

www.pataphysics.com.au

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, hip hop, Interviews

CunninLynguists – where you at?

CunninLynguists… can I get away with saying that? You can if you’ve heard of this three piece hip hop group consisting of Deacon The Villain, Kno and Natti (a later addition) from the southern states of America. Listening to Braille‘s new album ‘The IV’ recently, I have been treated again to some of the production wizardry from Kno. Now 3 years since the release of their third album ‘A Piece of Strange’, I found myself asking… Where you at CunninLynguists?

Originally hearing their album ‘Southern Underground’ released in 2003, these guys marked a new generation of southern hip hop for me, which these days is too often full of childish hip pop (obvious exceptions like Outkast exist). CunninLynguists take a playful stance when making observations about the world, shedding light on the more serious things in life, while focusing on the simple pleasures in life. Working with some of the other more conscious and politically active names in hip hop including Cee-Lo, Immortal Technique, & KRS-One, Cunninlynguists have also shared the stage in 2008 with Australia’s own Hilltop Hoods for an

American tour. With some of the fastest raps, intriguing samples from all genres of music, sharp playful wit, and picture painting stories, CunninLnguists manage to cover most of the emotions that hip hop explores, and they do it with soul.

Soul and Gospel play a big part in CunninLynguists music, vocally and structurally, they even had an angel feature on one of their tracks ‘Seasons’ (Lauryn Hill). Their southern gospel influence is what truly separates them from other artists, the soul influences that stand out in both their music and lyrics creates an authentic vibe to their experiences, putting you in their shoes in such powerful pieces as ‘Rain’ and ‘Love’ feat. Tone Deff.

7 Years

4 albums

2 Official mix-tapes

1 Awesome group

CunninLynguists – KKKY

You can check out more of CunninLynguists at:

www.myspace.com/cunninlynguists

…bs

Tags: hip hop, Old School

Omar Musa – Australian Slam Poet

I stumbled across this article the other day and thought it’s worth noting that the Australian scene is opening up more to the art and culture of hip hop. Omar Musa took out the title and $5,000 as the prize money for the Australian Slam Poetry championships.

Good to see poets coming up locally…

you can check out more if Omar Musa at:

His myspace

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, hip hop, Poetry

Raashan Ahmad Interview

Pataphysics caught up up with California based MC, Raashan Ahmad, this week on life, music, Australian customs and other stuff… here is a basic copy of the transcript (as best as I could type it while playing it back to be precise).

You’ve had an interesting career so far, tell us a little about your journey.
Yeah man, I’ve been MC’ing for like 10 years now for real, ‘rappin since I was a little boy, walking up the street talkin to the beat, but I started to take it seriously with a group called Crown City Rockers putting out an album “Natural Phenomenon” in 2001(and ‘Earthtones’ in 2004).  Along the way I’ve just been touring consistently around the states and made it to Japan a couple of times also. I just released my first solo record called “The Push”, and now i’m just trying to make it bigger and better.

How did you get into Hip Hop, and who were your early influences?
I grew up in mid city L.A. going to a public school, and hip hop is and was the voice of the young generation. I was listening to the more conscious hip hop like NWA, Public Enenmy, KRS ONE, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Souls of Michief, Pharcyde, all of the Native Toungues, I’m a big fan of hip hop in all of its forms.

What do you know about Australia & New Zealand and our music?
Hardly anything man to be honest, i’m not really up on game at all. Thanks to border security and our tour manager not organising entertainment visa’s for our Crown City Rockers tour there a few years ago I’m not really up on it at all.

Raashan Ahmad – Peace

You’ve worked with some great artists in your career so far collaborating and touring, who are some of the most memorable for you?
Have to say maybe when I was on tour with Digable Planets, which was an amazig experience as it was, but working with their keyboardist, Bryan Jackson,  you know I got to do a song with him playing flute on the track, that’s probably gotta be one of my favourite memories, being in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere with an Mbox rapping with one of those cats who made some of my dad’s favourite songs.

You have come out with your debut solo album “The Push” after such a long time on the scene. How do you feel about the album and what can we expect?
I absolutely love it, this album was kinda like my selfish album, when I was making it the conscious album hype was going on, I think you can have conscious lyrics and dance at the same time, you can love the girls and do it all. I have a  song about mum passing on, my kid being born, thanks when the rain lifted, a track called “Fight” about George Bush, a track for my love for hip hop. I tried to make an album that showed more then just one side of me as an artist, but me as a human being.

Who’s playing in your headphones at the moment?
Right now i’m listening to this Wale Mixtape, i’m still listening to the Blue and Exile record,  Q-Tip ‘The Renaissance’, I’m really listening to ‘The shape of broad minds’ by ‘Jarrell’

If you could rock a jam with any cat from history who would it be?
Oh Man, Damn – that’s rough dude… dead or alive doesn’t matter??? probably Billie Holiday – i’d just like to sit in a room with her and just get the vibe she’s like so sad, and beautiful, I could just like stare at her.

So what’s coming up next for Raashan Ahmad?
I’m Touring Australia and NZ dude – I pretty much covered USA last year, so i’m just trying to get out there further and make some more music, put out another mixtape, and the Crown City Rockers new record is coming out, so play some more international shows, make some more music, open up some new minds and get turned onto new things.

You can check out more from Raashan at:

www.myspace.com/raashanahmad

…Pataphysics

Tags: hip hop, Interviews

Not such Good Vibrations

The unfortunate news has come that the legendary Roots Crew have pulled out of ‘Good Vibrations Festival’ due to committments in America in February, 2009. As one of the headlining acts for the popular festival (which is already sold out in Sydney), hip hop fans as well as most who have had the pleasure of experiencing their unique blend on contemproary jazz and hip hop will definitely be dissapointed with thisdevelopement, especially given that this was said to be the final tour we can expect to see them doing on our shores for at least the next 14 months. (see recent article on Roots ending touring)

On the positive side of things, Jam Music has somewhat made it up to fans by securing Q-Tip, front man for A Tribe Called Quest, a.k.a the brother abstract, to replace them on the bill. From his days in A Tribe, myriad of collaborations, and two solo albums, Q-Tip is a suitable replacement for The Roots being one of the forefathers of modern hip hop. For me personally having seen The Roots three times before, and never having had the fortune to catch Q-Tip, I feel the organisers have made the best out of a bad situation that all concert promoters have to face at some stage in their careers. Bumping Tip’s new album ‘The Renaissance’ a lot recently, I know that we are in for a great show from an equally heralded artist who

we otherwise wouldn’t have been likely to see on our shores soon. I’m guessing at the end of the day all of the people who signed up for their last opportunity to see The Roots live show won’t be as forgiving as I am though, as I can confirm the rumours that The Roots have one of the most powerful, dynamic, and theatrical shows I have ever seen…  straight up.

If you’ve got your ticket, and your a ‘lil sad… pucker up kid, find someone willing to give you a hug, and just think… with Q-Tip and The Pharcyde reuniting… Good Vibrations is almost becoming a little Rock The Bells tour for Australasia… and there’s some dude called Wale who has a few nice beats, but seems a little gangster for my liking.

Q-Tip – Getting Up

…bs

Tags: Festival, gigs, hip hop, Jazz