Train Of Thought member Level Headed has just dropped his long awaited solo album Spice Of Life. This South Australian took some time out to have a chat to our own G Force about the inspiration behind the album, the good and bad of being part of a group and the general state of oz hip hop at the moment.  Not to mention get you hyped up for what promises to be a hectic tour to launch the album.

First up congrats on the album Spice Of Life. 5 years since the Train Of Thought (TOT) album. Were their plans for another crew album, was the solo first up or did it just turn out this way?

It just turned out that way; Debate is master beat maker since the early days before TOT, since 96. He was still making beats whether we were doing anything or not. After TOT dropped I moved to the country to teach and half the crew went overseas so it fell apart a bit. It was hard to get everyone together. I had gathered a few beats from Debate, just making a few tracks to stay in it and it got to a point where we realized we could do an album. Then I heard from Hacksaw after 3 years missing and we hooked back up. Then TOT just jumped in. We somehow got verses from everyone and it sort of became a TOT album almost under my name. I am happy to rep though, anything out of Debate’s lab is under the TOT label or TOT productions. We don’t have plans for another TOT album though; it is too hard to get all 4 of us together to write on the same topics and wavelength.

Using Debate the whole way through creates a “complete sounding” album, were you looking at other producers at any stage?

I maybe would have looked but I moved to country SA and lost contact with a lot of the scene. I knew I could have asked Suffa and Trials but I know they are flat out. Reflux was meant to cut when Hacksaw was AWOL but he came back. Next album I will use a few more producers. I mean Debate has hundreds of top quality beats with a fair bit of variety, definitely not all the same but he is a good mate and regularly see him so we will have to wait and see.

There is an SA style on the album. If I didn’t know who you were and where you were from I could still pick it as an SA album. Where do you think this style comes from and are you even aware of it or am I just categorizing SA?

I think because we had such prominent leaders in the Hoods who led the way they influenced everyone with their style and people came out similar. Also the twang of the accent. I do agree though, I think Social Change and now Headstrong Company have that same vibe also.

There is a reasonable upbeat party kind of vibe on the first half of the album then it switches to a bit darker. Is this a play on the spice of life and the good and bad theme throughout?

The album definitely had a lay out which fitted best in my head, which is the way it felt right. I kind of wanted beats with guitars at end for some reason. I also didn’t want to blow people away with deep shit straight away. Light hearted to heavy. It also starts with the solo tracks, first five to run with then onto the tracks with features.

Of the heavier and darker tracks, “Too Late” really stood out, especially as you are a teacher, where did the inspiration come from for this track?

I was fascinated with the massacres and the issues behind them. Kids getting picked on, youth alienation and so forth. At first I had written the track addressing these issues directly but I thought it came off a bit soft, I wanted a bigger impact. Some people gave me advice to not do it as I was a school teacher. I try to keep it separate though; my students can’t buy my album off me. For the most part I tried to keep the album clean. Trials destroyed that with his huge amount of weed references in one verse though, haha.

So do the Kids and their parents know you are an emcee?

Yeah for the most part they do. I try not to swear when I spit to me swearing is not used to show lyrical ability. I try to keep topics a bit coded and subtle, using samples of tracks to highlight stuff about past shit like smoking.

8th degree on the track “Bring Them Down” is a Hed Pe kind of hook, is this something you have been trying out, how did it come about?

Yeah, more a sort of a Rage style I was keen on trying it out. I wanted to do something not many people have done and I had mates who we could work with. Everyone has chicks on choruses and orchestral stuff and it seems a bit unnecessary at times and people doing it just because it is what they think a hip hop track should be like. It was something different I wanted to do without compromising or selling out, but still different. Few beers later and we worked it out. 8th degree were a late 90’s metal band that I know, they are inactive now so it was kind of a shout out to them.

Besides that track most have a 4 bar emcee layered hook that would work well live. What is the importance of sing a long live show hooks?

The TOT album only had two tracks with actually hooks the rest were cuts and it was awkward and weird live. So I learnt from that in what works better live, I continuously progress with live shows in mind. I really just wanted something to do during hooks! Hip hop is going towards a more hook related style with more focus on song structure. I don’t see why everyone needs to use birds on every hook though, bit of overkill. Some tracks I am enjoying are killed when a chick starts to sing on the hook when it really isn’t needed and I switch off.

Who chose tracks on the interlude “bring ya back to life”?

Me and mates sat down and chose them together after recording on weekends for the whole first part of the year. We had 30 tracks at the start! They were all well known, and it was hard to cut down anymore. I wanted a unique skit. We have a live rendition of bring ya back to life, juggling then into the scratches of that interlude, smashing it.

Back to SA, bigger crews blowing up, Oars, Hoods, has it affected the scene there and expectations?

Probably not too much, I mean Hoods are alone when it comes to their level but Oars are probably on the same level as some Obese and Elephant tracks artists. Like anywhere you have a top tier of artists and it then works it way down. There is a lot of respect in the SA scene and people know who has been around for a while. I would say the younger people who are killin it though would be Riverland, Social Change. Dialect. The expectations are high but I think people are meeting it. Of course you gotta check for Vents, Oars, Hoods and also Headstrong and Trane.

So where do you stand on young kids releasing product early? Do you think people should be releasing EP’s, demos or Full Lengths? Is the scene swamped?

To an extent, no one is saying you have to press 3000 copies. I have received good feedback on my CD but now my distro company Amphead has folded so I have to do self distro. There is no one stopping you doing it, so if kids want to press up stuff they can do it. CD cost $2, sell it for $5. No one is buying Cd’s, so it is still just to get your name out there then you need to focus on Merchandise and shows. Having an album, 12 tracks instead of 6 is where it is really at though; no one can fuck with that feeling.

So you think it will go back to people hustling their own stuff, backpacks as a way of selling?

It is disappointing but I don’t know whether it will ever go back to the old school way of slinging CD’s. People still download; they just don’t want to pay for it. iTunes has fucked it. People tell me, hey I heard ya CD but they didn’t buy it and friend just loaded it onto their iTunes. They don’t realize the effect it has on artists. Create another medium, MP3 sticks that blow up like James Bond after downloading. I pressed 2000 copies after we sold 3000 of Moving Heads. I am confident in the album but two weeks after it dropped there are 30 sites to download it and there is nothing you can do about it! If someone shows enough interest I would give them a free copy rather then having them download it. I want people to have it and the artwork and see the work put into it and have people appreciate it. Read about it and get involved in it. We are a bit saturated though there is so much music to get and gather. I understand people can’t afford to buy it all.

You have a Reason Collab from Melbs but the rest are from SA. Anyone else you wanted to collab with Aus Wide?

Reason and I are both teachers and this is something we had in common, I met him through uni and stayed with him in 04 while on tour with TOT. He is a legend and we get along real well. I jumped on his album Life’s a Lesson and an 8 bar verse on jump ahead. So we did the 24 to one remix. It was a fucking nightmare to do, took weeks to write. It was really hard to do, hard to feel it, I really wanted it to be more than just a count down, and it had to sound concise. As for other artists I am too far away, I would like to work with Thundamentals and Dialectrix. I don’t want to work with people unless I have had beers with them though and get along. We have just had City Wide from Geelong, jump on as a clothing sponsor with 3rd Chapter clothing so I am pretty sure I will do something there. I mean Pressure owes me a verse and he knows it. Suffa owes me a beat. But I am not one to seek charity or push mates, I am not going to cash in off their success.

Tour upcoming? What can we expect, looking forward to it?

We have written a new intro, coming out to an old song with specific intros for each state. We got Headlock and Trials in Adelaide with their verses, Reason in Melbourne with his. It is just a vibing show, want it to be a fun show. We have spent a long time rehearsing with better integration of the DJ. I want to turn the DJ into a part of the group lyrically. I have seen a lot of live sets try this and not do it well but I reckon we got it locked. I would love if I could jump on the decks like Finesse but I can tell you that ain’t happening!

www.levelheaded.com.au
www.myspace.com/levelheadedmc

Goto to check the new Video from Level Headed titled “The Hills”

Pick up Spice Of Life from all good Hip Hop outlets and check the launch coming soon near you! Check the flyer on your right for gig details!

You’re both from Melbourne, How did you guys get together in the first place?

(R)oyalz: We met through mutual bong smoking graff head mates back in high school. He had me at ‘hello’. 
(C)hains:  The humble mixbowl has always been good at bringing people together.  That’s really what the middle east needs.  Sit down Palestine and Israel with a mix, a buge, and a copy of the Matrix.  Problem solved.

Sin City has been out a few months now, what’s the general reaction/feeling you are getting from heads?

R: The response has been pretty positive so far. The softer sounding hip hop has been blowing up recently, but some people are still wanting the rawer stuff and we try to punch people in the face with our music.
C: Yeah it’s been pretty positive.  In general hip hop around the world, and in Australia, has been gradually losing its edge.  We’re not really conforming to the ‘easy listening’ movement as such.  We also keep in mind the live aspect of our music, most punters want to go out and have a few drinks and let loose, and we provide a vehicle for that.  I don’t know many people that want to stand in the corner being depressed and wiping away tears.  The scene seems to have become a bit emo of late though.  As far as we know we’ve been getting some radio play in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Perth on the independent radio stations.

It’s been 4 years since your Chaos Theory Mixtape, how have you  both evolved since then?

C: It’s hard to notice personally as you go along because it’s gradual.  It’s really when you listen to old tracks lined up against newer material that you can see how far you’ve come.   I think one of the biggest changes you notice is delivery and presence, which grows along with confidence.
R: We started rhyming around the same time so we’ve seen our style grow and become more polished over time. What Chains said is true though. I had a listen to Chaos theory the other week and you can tell a massive difference, both lyrically and beat wise.

Royalz you are also doing beats now? Did you always make beats?

R: I started out as an emcee first, but picked up making beats early on. With my first beat I actually used the same Debbie Does Dallas sample in Funkoars ‘Boxeaters’. I was really proud of myself until Turps showed me the Funkoars track and I crawled back under the rock I came from. Luckily I kept at it and have a sharper cleaner sound then I did back then.

Tell us a little about Sin City.

C: I’d describe it I guess as having a somewhat dark, uptempo, boom-bap style to it.  Hip Hop production should get your head nodding, and the lyrics should get your mind ticking over.  And not only the first time you hear it.  I like it when people pick up on a new metaphor or something even after listening to a track a number of times.

You have a few Aussie collabs including Raven from Hungry Humans, how did they come about. How was it working with similar artists? Do you think you blend well? Where there any problems?

C: Collaboration is a great part of the artform.  We recorded the track with Raven in his bedroom haha. He’s on a similar tip to us and we’ve always loved his music so was great to work on a track together.  The DBO Track was a bit of a problem logistically and was recorded in fits and spurts, and the A.I track was hard to pin Esvee down from Ballarat, but it all worked out.
R: Yeah although it was logistically difficult, I think working with similar artists and being with them at the studio helps the chemistry that hopefully translates to the tracks that we collaborated on. We don’t pay for myspace verses.

What’s your focus at the moment ?

R: We’re currently working on a free mixtape called the GRHYME Lab, which will feature new tracks from Sinergy Crew, Broken Aesthetiks and our crew Associated Illness. Then we’ve also got the Associated Illness album in the works. Dudes aint ready haha.
C:  Yeah just doing Sinergy and A.I shows, the mixtape and then 2010 will be the Associated Illness album – gonna be a banger!   There’s also a focus on building up the GRHYME name, as the distribution situation in Australia isn’t great – so were trying to build a platform to release ours, and soon other head’s music.

What’s your hustle game like ?

R: I don’t do drugs. 
C: As independent artists on our own label – that’s the only game we can play! 

Sinergy Crew are hustling around Melbourne and you can check gig dates and pick up a copy of their LP below. If you like ya shit grhyme – cop this now.
www.myspace.com/SinergyCrew
www.myspace.com/GRHYME1

G Force (G): Congrats on the release of the EP ‘Ritual Law’ fellas. Was it always on the cards to drop an EP after the freebie ‘Mixtaste?’

Deece: cheers dude. To be honest the original plan was to drop Mixtaste then the LP, but as always time gets away like a runaway bride. As soon as we looked like rapping up the album over a year had passed since mixtaste and we didn’t want to risk missing the stand up citizens of this scene suffering from short term memory lose. We re-jigged a few track arrangements and come up with a formula we thought would give peeps a good ear to who we are and what the LP will offer.

G: You seem to have a good idea of what you want to be doing with the timeline and progression of things. Not many artists would drop a video clip with an EP let alone having two of the four tracks with a clip, what’s the idea behind this?

D: We’re both just mad fans of a good clip and of the opinion that a good clip can give a dope track a whole new dimension, plus there just mad fun to do. We’d do a clip for every track if we had the time.

B wiv: Were also lucky to have a few hook ups that have helped us out and I’ve been able to edit them myself so we thought why not?

G: The professional and serious approach extends to the final sound side of things, using Sing Sing for mixing and Jack the Bear to master. You both have a big interest in equipment and the recording process so did getting the right final sound play heavily on your minds?

D: Fuckin oath! That’s pretty much the whole reason it’s taken us so bloody long. We’ve always been on the hunt for the perfect vocal chain and the perfect mix. We’ve had the tracks written for a while but couldn’t bring ourselves to let them loose not sounding up to scratch. We’ve constantly upped our game in the studio on a mission to get our shit to what we thought was releasable quality. We eventually got the recording down but still couldn’t get the mix exactly we’re we’d envisioned it. We did some research and got onto Tony Espie (his mixed everything from the classic Avalanches ‘Since I left you’ LP to TZU’s latest ‘computer Love’). Working with Tony in a room full of vintage eq’s and compressors was unbelievable. He used what we had already done as reference then took it to the next level. Of course Jack then tied it all together to get it to sound consistent because each track really has a mind of its own sonically.

G: Production wise B Wiv has a pretty unique style, what are your influences and how do you go about your own production?

B: Man my influences range from DJ Premier, The Rza, Nu-Mark, Suffa, Trials to Rage Against the Machine, Bob Dylan and John Lennon. I have no set way I go about making my beats, I guess it starts with the sample or a melody I’ll have in my head and then I’ll structure the beat around that.

G: Deece, the track 40 days and 40 fights is a deeply personal track. Was hip hop a big outlet for you to relieve some stresses and emotions involved with this or was this track used as a closure to the experience?

D: It’s both really. I’ve been on the mic longer than I’ve been sticking myself with insulin. Something I don’t expected people to pick up on is the fact I refer to myself in the third person up until the time I’m diagnosed in the track. When I look back on life before the needle it’s like looking at a different person. I didn’t want the track to come across like I was looking for sympathy because I’m really not. Just being in the hospital after knocking on deaths door made me realize how lucky I was. I was in a bed across from a stroke victim in his 40s who was totally paralyzed and I was kept up at night listening to the nurses trying to shove a tube down is throat to feed the poor bugger. I had nothing to whine about next to that dude and many others around me so from that day onwards whining and wasting time was over with.

G: How would you describe your sound and how it differs from other Aus hip hop releases at the moment?

D: In one word I’d say aggressive. B wiv’s production can be simple or it can be epic, but most of the time it’s just plain epic. His got a good music brain and it comes across in his production, especially when there’s no sampling involved. It’s always suited my style and helping push it. If I had to put a point of difference between us and others it would be simply that we don’t sound remotely like anyone else out there at the moment. Although I see originality as a good thing it is a catch 22 in that it has also alienated us to an extent. I reckon it would take balls to say you think B wiv Deece is the shit to your one track minded hip hop buddies haha.

G: Being brothers you probably argue at times. How does this work with creating music together? Are you honest and critical with each other on both production and lyrics and has this led to any problems?

D: You know what? I probably argue with Mr Wiv the least out of the whole crew. We grew up 2 of 7 siblings and there was plenty of arguing no doubt, but our personalities are chalk and cheese and the only reason we’ve got this far. I’ve been involved in plenty of musical relationships and this incest situation has defiantly been the most productive. I’d say we’re very honest and critical of each other but in a positive way. One of the reasons we work so well musically is because we grew up sharing bunk beds with the same posters on the wall listening to the same shit. We both know what we like and have very similar tastes, so when he goes na that sounded whack, nine times out of ten I take a second listen and agree. The other one time I slap the shit out of him.
B: Yea that’s pretty much how it is except the complete opposite haha.

G: So, from here what can we expect? A full length release and when?

D: the full length is in the can awaiting its chance to shine. At the moment we’re pushing the EP to ready people for it. We’re also sorting out all the behind the scenes stuff like lable/distro. Ritual Law is a 100% independent release but for the full length we’ll be seeking assistance to get it out to as many suckers as possible. Regardless of how we end up releasing it, it should be out late this year.

G: Maundz features on the EP, any plans for him or other features on the full length?

D: Not at this point, however I’ve just recorded a verse for his upcoming LP ‘Mr. Nobody’. For the amount of time we spend in the studio together it’s lame how much we don’t rock tracks together. At the end of the day it’s probably just that we have such different styles that rarely relate to the same beat and concept. In saying that though we’re talking about dropping a joint 12” after we both finally get our LPs out but we’ll see.

G: What else should we be looking out for from B Wiv Deece, live shows, guest spots, production credits?

D: Defiantly some shows in the next couple of months. We’re working on getting interstate as well for some launches. As far as guest verses from myself go there’s not too much on the cards apart from the Maundz LP. I guess I’ve been so busy recording that foul creature as well as mixing the whole thing I don’t have time for much else. I then of course have to deodorize the house after he leaves, it’s a lot of work but it’s very nearly done!

B: I’ve laid down some beats and cuts for Maundzs LP, he pretty much gets all the B wiv Deece leftovers haha

G: I thank you greatly for your time, good luck with the release and do you have any shout outs or final words?

D: Go out and cop it! The easiest way is directly from www.myspace.com/bwivdeece via paypal. You get the EP + postage + your very own B wiv Deece stubby holder for the bargain price of $10! It’s a steal. It’s also in local shops and on itunes so keep an eye out.

B: You can also check out our clips on Vimeo or Youtube

Seems like a long time coming for a release that everyone has been sweating on, what has been happening in the life and times of Newsense and Ciecmate since the Hospice debuted to this LP dropping?

Since The Hospice’s debut? Shit, that was like 2003 that we put out Stormwater. A whole lot happens in 6 years. Basically we have been working on our own material and poaching from it for different albums and projects, helping other people with beats and so on (mostly Ciecmate in that regard). Also there was the epic Hospice Crew ‘Visiting Hours’ album and ‘Dental Records’ compilation that took up a bit of time and energy. We’ve always got a lot going on in our personal lives, alcohol binges (mostly me on that one), getting evicted and moving houses every 6 or so months and having to re-setup the studio, plus I’ve shifted between Canberra and Melbourne quite a lot which hasn’t helped.

With the advances in technology is the fact you are based in different cities irrelevant when it comes to recording music together? Or are you the type of artists that thrive off of each others energy in the room?

Most of our back and forth shit was written together in the same room, and most of the ideas and initial work is done while we meet up for weekend studio sessions or on tour. A lot of the time we’ll take shit away and come back when we got a verse because i find forcing a verse turns out shithouse. You need to write something around whatever mood you are in. It’s been good having the separation and meeting back up, both having totally different inspiration since we last saw each other. Of course phone calls and email help a lot for trading ideas and playing or sending beats back and forth… which is kinda how the concept for linking up the album and the intro came about. It became pretty essential towards the last two or three tracks of the project having Ciecmate send up the files to me via email and hit the studio up here and get them back to him to meet our final deadlines.

What sort of feel does the LP take? Is it mood music to woo your lady to or that typical no bullshit BTE hip hop? Are you surprised at the beat choices and song directions you found yourself taking?

Man we took it back to the hospice roots on this having some really diverse topics and concepts on there. After Visiting Hours and Dental Records people may have pigeonholed us back into just that braggadocio and posse track style shit. I mean, we love that stuff and there is that shit on there but we like dropping all sorts of shit and using all kinds of beats. The topics go from like a travel track in “Men Still Moving, to a ‘From Dusk Til Dawn’ type recreational drug track in “Club Meds”, to some dark story telling on a drug dealers downfall in ‘Labarynth of Shadows’, to some less serious shit about picking up cougars at the local pokie parlour in ‘Codename Cougar’. Ciecmate’s beats have a lot more depth as you can pick up the natural refinement in his shit over time and I’ve also stepped up to the plate and pulled a few beats out of the hangar.

When you look at how far hip hop has come in Australia in terms of exposure and acceptance are you excited or perhaps is it a feeling of worry as you look around at a pure product being diluted?

It’s a case of a little from column A and a little from column B. You do have these herbs out there that haven’t payed their dues trying to be the next big thing. In most cases Australia is pretty fortunate in that most of the people that are getting a heap of recognition have been on the grind with the same sound for years and just refining it and getting their live shows popping off more hyped. There isn’t too much of a case of people switching up their shit, but a whole gang of so called artists come out wack from the start! Shit does come down to publicity, marketing, and budgets, but Aussies aren’t idiots. They can sniff out a lot of the bullshit and not support it, but it can be a challenge getting it out there sometimes. There are a few that switch up their shit, but you find that they lose their initial fan base and end up on some whole other genre and different heads at their shows type shit. So I’m not really that worried… suckers will be suckers, and innovators and the skilled will just keep on keeping on. At the end of the day if you’re doing this shit for money and haven’t got the hunger or love, you will most likely give up a year or two down the track as the bills pile up!

How does the lack of radio support for BTE releases affect the label? Is it something that even enters your thoughts when looking at the music to make or artists to sign?

For starters, we don’t really ‘sign’ people. We’ve got a full roster that we are happy with and are all likeminded friends. Shit, we have enough trouble trying to give the heads we do have with us enough time and support! Our shit is under resourced on some Somalian shit. If someone is a mate and they are working on stuff we always keep our eyes and ears open, and it’ll most likely come up casually over a few drinks somewhere what they want to do with it and if they’d like us to help. Our mates know we’re always there to lend a hand even if we don’t have the budget or schedule to put their shit out.

Radio play is always a factor if you are concerned in moving units. We get some pretty strong support across community radio and myspace, plus the internet obviously makes shit a lot easier. Having Hau hosting the hiphop show on Triple J has seen a bit of a lift as well, he’ll give a track or two of all of our different artists a play here and there. Basically most of our shit isn’t made for the masses, so we understand why it doesn’t get played to the masses. Just makes things an uphill struggle financially, but we’ll always keep on the grind!

How does the release feel to you as its creator, are you happy with the end package or are you still picking up bits and pieces you would like to tweak?

If there aren’t bits and pieces you still want to tweak when you get something out then you are either an arrogant fuckwit, or have become too complacent. As an artist there should always be shit you wanted to do or improve. I mean, I’m pretty happy with what we put out – but there was so much more we wanted to do with a few skits and more songs we wanted done… there’s a few bits and pieces in recordings and beats I look back in hindsight and wish I had time to flip. At the end of the day you gotta just get it out or it will sit in the studio for years and never see the light of day cos you will feel it’s too outdated. It’s just the nature of the beast!

The release has been out for a little while now how is the feedback going? Are people feeling the overall sound and content?

The feedback has been dope! There are tracks on there that are like 6 years old, some that are less than 6 months old. Some of them I just can’t listen to cos we’ve had them sitting there so long – but the heads hadn’t heard them yet. I was pretty much over most of the shit by the time it went to press and was a little apprehensive as to how people will feel it after its been on the back burner for so long. We’ve gotten some really positive feedback from artists and fans alike though, which has been great affirmation of the efforts we put in.

What’s on the cards next for both yourselves as a duo and the label as a whole?

As a duo we’re starting to get our tour dates booked to try and cover as many places as we can. We’ve got a few beats and concepts left over from the project that we’ve talked about forming the basis as a follow up, so perhaps in another 6 years you will get another one! nah seriously, After we’re done touring we’ll talk more about what time frame we will need to bang out another joint album and it won’t be a 6 years in the making thing again. Ciecmate & myself will both have some solo shit in the pipeline, and we’re starting to spread some murmers through the label of a Dental Records Vol 2. There’s a few artists that are always diligently working away, and heads will be happy to know that Bigfoot’s album is really coming along. I’m amped to get that one cranking, personally!

The label seems to be one of the most respected by fans Australia wide, is that far more important to you than accolades such as awards or hottest 100 charts?

Fucking oath! We don’t make chart music, we don’t try to make chart music. Radio play, commercial viability, and all that shit is the furthest thing from our minds in the artistic process. If something does get some strong radio support, that’s dope, but wasn’t really what was on our mind when putting pen to paper or sampling something. We just want to make some banging shit we like and that our peers can relate to. It’s great when shit spreads wider, but if they don’t understand what we are talking about then it kind of defeats the purpose. Having a random keeno chew your ear about how you are ‘a mega fresh rapper’ sucks balls, but having a head come up and comment to you about the way a message in a song is conveyed, something that you have done out of the norm, or generally the way you artistically did something means a lot. It’s for our peers, and most humans don’t get down on the same shit we do.

Finally some up the album in 3 of your own words….

THATS THE SHIT!

By Shane Scott

A Tale of Two Cities is OUT NOW on Broken Tooth Entertainment and availble where all good Hip Hop is sold.

Please show some support for this tour if you are keen to see Tech out here!

More reviews and interviews coming soon. Sorry I have been slack as fuck.

I was looking forward to hearing ‘The Festival Song‘ when I got my first glimpse of the back cover. Every time i think Pez, 360 also comes to mind. You guys obviously have a history together, how important was getting this track just right?

It was definitely important cos I knew the song had a lot of appeal and potential. But working with Sixty is always a very natural thing and not something that we have to put much thought into, we just let it come. That being said, I still know when somethings not quite right and I wasn’t going to let up until I thought the song had everything that it needed. Which I think it does and I’m really happy with the result!

‘It All Starts To Show’ definitely let you speak your mind. Do you see this as common knowledge to most?

Yeah it definitely gave me a chance to talk about some things that were on my mind. I wanted to have a song on the album that would give me a chance to open up and see where I end up, so ‘It All Starts To Show’ was a very important song for me and turned out to be one of my favourites. I don’t see the things that I talked about as common knowledge though, that’s probably the reason behind why I wanted to talk about them, because I get so annoyed at people’s lack of awareness and it’s my way of expressing it and letting go of it.

This being your debut LP, how has everything been at Soulmate? Any plans for future releases, what’s in store for Pez?

Well being that this is my debut LP, this is definitely my whole focus at the moment and will be for some time, though a ForthWrite album and a project i’m doing with Raymes are both in the works. Everything at Soulmate has been great and hopefully there will be lots of future projects for us to embark on together but it’s early days at the moment so we’ve just got to take it one step at a time.

Working alongside someone like Count Bounce must of been a great learning curve, what was his overall influence?

Working with Count Bounce was a great learning experience for me and Matik because it was the first time we’d seen our music come to life. We were both strongly involved in the mixing phase so we kept the brakes on him to some degree but he was able to suggest some cool things throughout. Plus I loved the result of having him feature on ‘Ain’t Got Time’! That song wouldn’t have been the same without him on it.

What’s the usual process between yourself and Matik, from making a beat, to concepts etc?

The process usually involves Matik sampling something or having a rough composition that really grabs my attention. Once that happens, he’ll bounce out a rough version for me to take home and write to, and we might have a little discussion about ideas for the track’s direction if something doesn’t immediately jump out at me. Then I like to be alone and get in a zone so I can put the beat on repeat and write until all of the lyrics come together. And finally comes the exciting part, where I get to go back and show Matik what I’ve done and he gets to show me all of the other things he’s added to the beat and we watch it come together.

Cheers for your time mate, any shout outs, upcoming gigs? Where can peeps find a copy of A Mind Of My Own?

Shout outs to everyone involved in helping the album come together. My album launch is on October 24th at Roxanne Parlour in Melbourne which is extremely exciting! And people will be able to find a copy at JB Hi – Fi, all good hip-hop stores and hopefully Sanity and HMV as well. Cheers brother. Pez

By Jeans

Well I am fuckhead for not posting this last week and before the gig oops – Ed.

Update – For those who missed the album launch Pez and 360 will be supporting The Winnie Coopers at “The Spot” 133 Sydney Road, Brunswick this Friday 31st October

Tickets $10
Doors open 9pm

Trem, thanks for your time and joining me today.

No dramas, thanks for the chat..

I understand you have been working on Fluent Form – Chapters of Substance. Tell us a little about that and what else have you been up to, oz hip hop wise etc ?

Yeah I got a beat on Fluent Forms forthcoming CD, it’s actually the title track and last joint on the album I believe… I haven’t actually worked on the release as such just the one instro…

And it kinda came about when I first decided to offload my production to the open public, for years I’ve been approached about selling beats etc. But always kept em in house for the crew, I guess I finally thought I had enough to go around and bein in between releases it was a good opportunity to slang beats to other heads in the market for my production. It was honestly a hard decision to make at first, one I struggled with a little, tussling with the notion “What If I sell a beat to someone and they completely destroy it… you know, In a bad way?”, Id actually had discussions with other producers who warned me off because this very thing had happened to them… but eventually I bit the bullet and reached out to those who’d approached me along with some other up and comers and from there the first batch of beats went like hotcakes.

Aside from Fluent Forms release I got beats on Kid Selzys new stuff, a new crew on the way called The Aphilliates, a bunch of stuff on the Kings Konnected forthcoming project/s, my boy L-Flows copped some shit, plus a few others here n there… I’m actually in the process of getting the next stash up n runnin to throw out there to keep the wolves at bay…

Aside from the Production thingy I’ve been busy with other operations ranging from maintaining label shit to mixing, since The Mahogany room shut doors I’ve still been mixing tracks n projects for heads, so that still keeps me on my toes, just been cleaning up Struts new release “The Fallout Shelter” recorded in London, organising some stuff for his other release “Rejuvenation” which with out saying too much is a remix project he’s putting together with heads from all over… And of course plotting and piecing together the Trem LP in my spare time!

What is a normal day in the life of Trem?

Hmmm this is probably best broken into a week to give you a better idea-

Generally the first half is day job steez, I’m lucky (or unlucky) enough to have a casual day job I can shift to suit music life, allowing me to work as much or as little according to Unkut Biz and how hectic it is, but as a general rule 3 days of my week (give or take) are spent there which allows me Thurs. Fri. Sat. to focus on Music be it Production, Mixing, Writing, Recording, Admin, Label shit, whatever the case may be… Sundays a leisure day… 2 years ago, even a year ago, this wasn’t in the picture, but as age has taken its toll I need a day for myself to relax, clear the head, chill with wifey, paint, go to the footy whatever…

You are regarded by many as one of Australia’s best lyricists, were you are aware that three of your solo albums have been collectively sold for over $1400 on Ebay recently?

Cheers, Ha, Yeah the releases were 12”s, we didn’t even market them as E.P’s let alone albums… just 12”s jam-packed with your moneys worth! (Keeping in mind we were sellin em out the hand for like 12-15 and wholesale for a tenner or thereabouts) And I did see that Sheer Talent one go for what, $730 or some shit??? Crazy, Delta actually rung me and said peep that shit!!! And some one mentioned to me not long later Amateurs was up for a bit too…

Did you ever think that Sheer Talent and Amateurs would become such collectors items when they where in production 10 years ago?

No idea at all, this was 10 years ago, I simply did those releases for me. I was always hellbent on droppin wax first up… it was always something i was gonna do… its the main reason why I didn’t drop product til 97 alot of that shit was more 94 stuff but I wasn’t content with rockin a tape so accumulating funds to form the label and press vinyl took a bit of time… I guess in the long run tho limited quantity pressings on vinyl are always gonna become semi valuable in someone’s eyes, As I said though, I merely dropped em on wax because to me that was Hip Hop. They have they’re little place in History but in hindsight Id be more comfortable if both 12”s were compiled and released as a tape back then, they were both pretty much recorded around the same time along with another 2 or 3 tracks so I actually had enough to drop a full length tape… woulda been a hell of a lot more viable financially back then, but maybe not so much now for the heads rakin in monstrous profits on their investment!!!!

Ive got the official numbers pressed down somewhere but it was fuck all and the cost was ridiculous. Smart business sense wasn’t an issue when it came to local hip hop then and we were all willing to part with our doe to put out music… Put it this way, I never made $730 off the entire run…

With that in mind, can we expect anymore solo work from you in the near future being that there is obviously a high demand for your solo work? I hear talk on the grapevine but nothing yet? Is it that you prefer to work with other artists?

Yes you can. To say a Trem solo is overdue is an understatement, and I can’t thank the fans enough for the patience they’ve shown in waiting for it… But anyone who knows me knows these things- When we kicked off L.C that crew became my life… I devoted more of my time to the crew than you would to your own new born, to our hustle and music, everything. I’ve always enjoyed workin in a team environment more than a solo one… I love team sports, cricket/ football etc, fuck golf n tennis. So I put the crew and the crews projects first, then when I saw what Strut had cookin with his second solo I loved it, believed in it and wanted to be a part of it so when we put the L.C stuff on hiatus I gave everything to The Legend Official release and the mix-tape preceding it. So with all this going on, my own solo gets pushed back further and further, but thats all good, Im not blaming these releases, that was my choice, but I’m just relaying these points to the punters who think I’m a slack fuck. Ha… So then I state Im not gonna be involved artistically with any other Unkut product til my solo is done, thats something I put on myself, but still cant help but say to Strut “shoot the recorded files my way and I’ll do a clean up/ initial mix of your new project!” Plus here I am on my spare days tinkering with production to sell etc instead of writing. At times I’m my own worst enemy!

Adding to this, believe it or not, I’ve never been the fastest rhyme writer on the planet, not to mention I’d probably be the pickiest…
So all in all, the solos in the works… without giving too much away about 5 tracks in.

Stay tuned for more details…

Now that Brad has moved to London and Balans is busy with his family is their any future for LC? Rumor is that you guys have officially split up ?

Nah we haven’t split up, we family. As I said before tho, we put crew shit on hiatus for an undetermined time tho to focus on other stuff including solos etc. Like you said, Struts in the UK getting busy, Bobs takin care of his family, you know doin exactly what a man should do… And I’m on a never ending quest to eventually smash out this fuckin solo! So there’s valid reasoning for the Crew to be on hold for a while… At some stage I’ve got to get this LC DVD eventually out too! But yeah we always on each others product and Id like to think shit will come full circle eventually where we can all be on the same plain, meet minds and build a crew album to end all!

What are some of your favorite artists to work with either beats wise or mc’ing?

I’ve pretty much enjoyed working with everyone I’ve had the opportunity to over the years… I mean I don’t get out there and jump all over dudes tracks n shit, but the few I’ve worked with have all been on point. I love workin with Strut prolly most of all, when it comes time to do our thing we just seem to click… When I push beats his way he spins me out at times with what he comes with, then when we hit the studio, it seems simple and enjoyable, from an engineer’s perspective that is… He’s straight pro, knows the routine back to front and I feel I operate along the same lines so we vibe a bit then bang, smash shit out easy peezy. He use to lob to mine and do like 2-3 tracks a day, plus you know were like brothers so we are straight up with one another…
It was a mad experience when Q Unique swung past the Trematorium to work on Murderous, that was a highlight for me, just to see how they were doin it in BK, like I said most heads Ive worked with have been dope at what they do. On a beat front, Im cool to rock on anyones beat if it gets me goin… Im really feelin Beat Butchas shit at the minute, hes got a bunch of shit on my solo, Ive put the word out there, if any heads have beats shoot em my way for a listen Im compiling the remaining tracks for the album!

Who are your up and comers you would like to work with or work more with?

Yeah you know It’s always hard to work out… I guess I kinda got burned once so am a little more sceptical bout givin Trems touch to the cause… This was also something I had to juggle when it came time to sell beats to possibly rappers I’d never heard before… But on that I been lucky (and also a little strategic) that those who’ve blessed my tracks outside the fold have been on point so far! I’m working pretty tightly at the minute with my boy Stricknines crew –“Kings Konnected” without blowin too much smoke up they’re ass, I really feel they’re on the right path, hopefully they stick with it. But with the knowledge I have of what they’ve got in the works, I’m actually slightly amped about it, hopefully everything falls into place for them. Theirs a bunch of semi established, yet still new to the gamers I’m watching, but we’ll see where they head next… I’ve done bits and pieces of work for bunches of young bucks comin thru and to be fair, a chunk of them really do have varying potential, I guess its whether or not they capitalise on that potential and more importantly it comes down to what they see fit and where they wanna head with their music. What I see as dope isn’t everyone’s cuppa…

What is the future for Hip Hop in Australia? Do you see it getting stale? How do you see it evolving ?

Who the fuck knows? It’s certainly been a see-saw for the past 5-6 years. I guess leading up to its explosion it was a lot more stable, you know, you new what you were getting and only the strong survived, or even attempted, you’d get shut down quick for bein half arsed no doubt. I wouldn’t say it could get entirely stale as far as the music being made, but I think its heading towards a stalemate as far as how far it can go, whats next, has it hit its plateau etc… Although we’d all love sales to exceed and make proper doe off it, I personally think, if it hasn’t already, it’ll scale back to something like the days of old… Its gotta… bandwagon jumpers only stay on for a bit, then when they see its not all its cracked up to be, they leg it… Dwindling sales won’t allow labels etc to invest time and money into wak product and wak artists who expect everything to be done for them won’t bother with it any longer. True heads in it for the music sake will keep on keepin on, and those true heads lucky enough to maintain a loyal fan base can hopefully continue to pay to press up quality product and maybe have a lil left to grab a couple records a pizza and some beers…

Is their anything in particular you hate about hip hop at the moment ?

I have my moments where I hate heaps, but then i hear those diamonds in the ruff and get excited again… ha… I’m a jaded fucker tho…

For future Trem and LC updates please check out :

www.unkutrecordings.com
www.myspace.com/tremlccrew
www.myspace.com/unkutrecordings
www.myspace.com/lyricalcommissioncrew

Trem Portrait by- Linz – www.thekingsapprentice.com