Rather that bore the hell out of you by discussing why, I just though nah fuck that!
So, here is an interview I did with the awesome Remark.
Enjoy!
It has taken a while to get the time and the headspace to
get this interview out to you all. For that i humbly apologise. Many of you
will know of Remark or the Remarkable 1 from Deliverance, Sublime Wizardry and
his work with Crespo and so on. Since this interview was done, over email, I
have had the pleasure to spend a few hours chewing the fat with Remark in
Glastonbury. I have to say it was pretty sweet just chilling and chatting over
Hip Hop, music and much more. Remark is a down to earth guy who has been there,
seen it and done it.
Anyway, before I head off on a tangent, here is the
Interview...
Hi
Remark,
Thanks for letting me take some of your time to ask a few questions. So, let’s get it started...
1. What have been your biggest musical influences?
Cheers Steve I Appreciate your support mate.
I'd have to say the original prophets of rage, Public Enemy as the biggest influence & inspiration to become pro- active in Hip Hop. I used to be a breaker like most kids back in the early 80s, so aside from the artists on the early Electro albums it was Run DMC & PE who spoke to me the most.
Thanks for letting me take some of your time to ask a few questions. So, let’s get it started...
1. What have been your biggest musical influences?
Cheers Steve I Appreciate your support mate.
I'd have to say the original prophets of rage, Public Enemy as the biggest influence & inspiration to become pro- active in Hip Hop. I used to be a breaker like most kids back in the early 80s, so aside from the artists on the early Electro albums it was Run DMC & PE who spoke to me the most.
2.
How do you relax
By Letting go of the craziness in the mad world firstly, ha!
Making music of a down beat nature is relaxing as well as having healing properties I've found.
Followed by deep breaths & chanting OM when needed... it can be a stressful world, I can get vexed quite easily at times!
3. What drew you to Hip Hop?
Hearing Planet Rock blasting from a boom box in the school canteen! I went to Ernest Bevin in Tooting Bec at the time & we'd all seen the Buffalo Girls video that week.... it was like wild fire, suddenly every kid wanted to start breaking, tagging, rapping or scratching.... Hip Hop had hit the UK!!!
4. What would be your Craziest hip hop story?
There were some crazy times doing shows in Europe back in the mid '90's with my crew Deliverance & Hundredth Monkey in the early 2000's but supporting Public Enemy for the first time with my crew Sublime Wizardry in 2012 was pretty crazy! ! I've been a fan of PE since '87... We've been fortunate to have supported them twice now in Brighton. Meeting your heroes I guess is always crazy! The first time was surreal to be honest, it was at the Brighton Dome, a big venue with a lot of organising & stress b4 it, but hanging out with Chuck D afterwards in his dressing room chatting about how to get ahead as an indie hip hop group, with him telling me to keep being independent & do it all yourself, with social media etc, while he had his feet in a bowl of ice cold water with steam rising from em, was priceless & pretty mad... He is a human power house after all!!!
5. Name the top 3 records you made... that you personally love?
Deliverance : Dead Funny / Up & Down The Country 12"
Hundredth Monkey : Sick Little EP
Sublime Wizardry: Best Of The Bunch EP
6. What would be your favorite non hip hop album?
Any of the three Portishead albums.
7. If you coul select 5 bands/artists (hip hop or non hip hop) for a one off gig... who would you choose?
Pharoahe Monch
Cold Crush Brothers
GOAT
Portishead
Public Enemy
By Letting go of the craziness in the mad world firstly, ha!
Making music of a down beat nature is relaxing as well as having healing properties I've found.
Followed by deep breaths & chanting OM when needed... it can be a stressful world, I can get vexed quite easily at times!
3. What drew you to Hip Hop?
Hearing Planet Rock blasting from a boom box in the school canteen! I went to Ernest Bevin in Tooting Bec at the time & we'd all seen the Buffalo Girls video that week.... it was like wild fire, suddenly every kid wanted to start breaking, tagging, rapping or scratching.... Hip Hop had hit the UK!!!
4. What would be your Craziest hip hop story?
There were some crazy times doing shows in Europe back in the mid '90's with my crew Deliverance & Hundredth Monkey in the early 2000's but supporting Public Enemy for the first time with my crew Sublime Wizardry in 2012 was pretty crazy! ! I've been a fan of PE since '87... We've been fortunate to have supported them twice now in Brighton. Meeting your heroes I guess is always crazy! The first time was surreal to be honest, it was at the Brighton Dome, a big venue with a lot of organising & stress b4 it, but hanging out with Chuck D afterwards in his dressing room chatting about how to get ahead as an indie hip hop group, with him telling me to keep being independent & do it all yourself, with social media etc, while he had his feet in a bowl of ice cold water with steam rising from em, was priceless & pretty mad... He is a human power house after all!!!
5. Name the top 3 records you made... that you personally love?
Deliverance : Dead Funny / Up & Down The Country 12"
Hundredth Monkey : Sick Little EP
Sublime Wizardry: Best Of The Bunch EP
6. What would be your favorite non hip hop album?
Any of the three Portishead albums.
7. If you coul select 5 bands/artists (hip hop or non hip hop) for a one off gig... who would you choose?
Pharoahe Monch
Cold Crush Brothers
GOAT
Portishead
Public Enemy
8. Outside of hip hop I research all sorts
of paranormal and supernatural subjects! Do you have any thoughts on such
things?
The Earth itself is supernatural if we stop to think & connect to that.
I've taken enough substances over the years to know there's more than meets the eye.
As to paranormal activity I think we project what we want to see, the human mind / psyche is a powerful tool.
I lived in Glastonbury for a few years, the town is steeped in mysticism & the mysterious.
I experienced the presence of a dark winged serpent when I used to volunteer at the White Spring (a natural water source located underneath Glastonbury Tor)
The winged serpent for me represented the power the darkness holds for transformation.... I did healing & empowering rituals down there.
I have an open mind that's very quick to close... this is why I'm so proactive with creativity, I have a create or I start destroying myself & others around me. Self sabotage is never too far away. So I create with Word, Sound & visuals.
9. I also look into natural remedies, energy healing and meditation. What are your thoughts?
I've had Atopic Eczema since I was born. I've tried every alternative to pharmaceutical steroids since I was young... I'm still open to the holistic way. I'd like to say they've worked but alas they haven't. I do live a healthy lifestyle though. I've been clean & sober for over ten years now, so I know all about the intent of the power of prayer & meditation as well as stepping out of the mainstream programs. The Earth is a healer. Spirit is a healer. The Sea is a healer. Music is a healer. Hip Hop heals deep wounds in powerful people, it's power is lifting people up!!!
The Earth itself is supernatural if we stop to think & connect to that.
I've taken enough substances over the years to know there's more than meets the eye.
As to paranormal activity I think we project what we want to see, the human mind / psyche is a powerful tool.
I lived in Glastonbury for a few years, the town is steeped in mysticism & the mysterious.
I experienced the presence of a dark winged serpent when I used to volunteer at the White Spring (a natural water source located underneath Glastonbury Tor)
The winged serpent for me represented the power the darkness holds for transformation.... I did healing & empowering rituals down there.
I have an open mind that's very quick to close... this is why I'm so proactive with creativity, I have a create or I start destroying myself & others around me. Self sabotage is never too far away. So I create with Word, Sound & visuals.
9. I also look into natural remedies, energy healing and meditation. What are your thoughts?
I've had Atopic Eczema since I was born. I've tried every alternative to pharmaceutical steroids since I was young... I'm still open to the holistic way. I'd like to say they've worked but alas they haven't. I do live a healthy lifestyle though. I've been clean & sober for over ten years now, so I know all about the intent of the power of prayer & meditation as well as stepping out of the mainstream programs. The Earth is a healer. Spirit is a healer. The Sea is a healer. Music is a healer. Hip Hop heals deep wounds in powerful people, it's power is lifting people up!!!
10. Hypothetical Situation. You’re stuck on
an island for 1 month and only have 1 Album, 1 Single, 1 book and 1 Movie? What
are they?
Cor that's a question eh!
I'd go for Street Sounds Electro 4 album.
Sublime Wizardry's Keep Livin' featuring
Exile 7" single.
Holy
Night by author Vincent Tilsby & Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog DVD, that'd see
me through...
11. Where do you draw your inspiration?
My fire comes from seeing & hearing about injustices in this world, I get a rage in me that has to be put to heavy hip hop music, other wise it backfires & depresses me.
Nature, love & the universe inspire me to write lyrics & music of a more soothing vibe. Attitude & Gratitude is a healthy balance in this world, I've found.
12. What is wrong with the world today?
The wrong sort of people are running it. The elitist regime is insane, why should people with or born into money get to dictate how the world should be for everyone else.... it's insane & biased beyond belief.
The world can do without the cunty Trumps of the world.
Utility bills don't have to be so extortionate; companies are making money out of everyday people... for taking the earth’s energy sources... I'd change that & their tariffs straight away!
13. For you personally, what is the best way forward for the Hip Hop Movement?
More originality, up the tempo, get back to traditional structures of sound byte samples, big drums, fierce cuts from the DJ... & concepts from the rappers, not just me, me, me egoic bullshit. Forwards would be more 'We' based songs.
Unity is always empowering.
14. How would you, change the world?
Get rid of Donald Trump & all he represents.
Get rid of Theresa May & all she represents.
(Add on every other corrupt government globally)
Elect good people from everyday walks of life who have more of a heart instead of a head for people.
15. Getting to where you are today. What has been you biggest struggle and you greatest achievement?
One of the biggest & longest struggles being an independent UK Hip Hop artist has always been the frustration of not having enough money to promote the projects I've been involved with. You need over £10,000 to propel a project properly.
Seeing artists being in the public eye just purely on the fact that they've had financial backing & not because of the talent often frustrates me!
The greatest achievements so far besides touring Europe, collaborations with artists I've respected plus supporting PE & KRS One, has been able to continue making the music I want to make, their has been many a good artist who gave up because of the arse ache of the music business & reality of making no money other than to cover production costs... the scene lost many because of that. What I've achieved is a healthy back catalogue of original hip hop inspired music over the past 25 years.
16. You have been a part of many groups over the years that have bridged some interesting genres. What can you see yourself doing in the future?
I'm returning to my hardcore hip hop roots, heavy hitting tracks for heavy hitting times...
Right now I'm working with producer / artist / rapper Exile from Warped Ethics on our Fireball Flingaz EP, that's been a long time in the making, due to life getting in the way & creative concerns. The vinyl release will be a return to the hard hitting drum sounds of the Bomb Squad & straight to the jugular raps of a fierce nature. We both get vexed at the BS!!
Expect an awesome release later this year.
I'm working with Hamburg's finest beat maker & Sublime Wizardry's producer Merlin on a heavy hitting solo digital release & a new music video entitled...
?EveryThing.
Also collabs with Swiss artists MC Silas & producer Stussi, both have vinyl releases later this year.
As well as developing my own production & song writing skills.
17. You have been working with Graphic Bars on the South coast. Are there any other local artists that you would like to or plan to work with?
I've collaborated with many Brighton MC's,
DJ's & producers over the years. I left the city a few years ago, so I
don't have a connection with any of the younger heads, who seem to be running
things at the moment, I saw footage of Phonetic in a cipher & she's on fire
at the moment, rapping sense with style. if I did a collab with anyone on the
south coast it'd probably be with producer Crespo again on a project or beat
marker The Jezter, who both make original Hip Hop & live in Worthing. Also
producer Enn Leonard from Hastings who's the head honcho & powerhouse
behind Ironskin Productions, I'll be collaborating on projects & running
tracks through his studio for mastering tracks, he knows his sonics.
18. Are there new artists out there you see as carrying the torch for real Hip Hop?
To be honest I don't really get the new generation of UK Hip Hop artists, I can clearly see how Task Force inspired them all but I don't check for stuff other than what mates share on social media... then I'll check it.
I like Kashmere, the Strange U sound is pretty out there & dope... as well as older heads like Supreme & The Icepick of course, it's great to see the HQ Squad back in full effect.
19. Are you cool with fans stopping you in the street for an autograph and photo?
Haha it never happens here & Hasn't happened since tagging people's records after gigs in Europe... Places like Zug & Hamburg where underground Hip Hop has been accepted & appreciated!
20. I personally feel it’s amazing to see that more and more of the old skool artists are coming back and showing that age is no issue. Do you ever feel you will call it a day or keep going till you can’t?
There have been days when I can't be arsed with it & there will be more days like that... that's just how it is. It's the indie artists path it seems!
The whole social media thing annoys me at times but at the end of the day it's a free platform to reach people, without it it'd be a harder slog & more time consuming trying to get heard & seen via magazines & websites.
18. Are there new artists out there you see as carrying the torch for real Hip Hop?
To be honest I don't really get the new generation of UK Hip Hop artists, I can clearly see how Task Force inspired them all but I don't check for stuff other than what mates share on social media... then I'll check it.
I like Kashmere, the Strange U sound is pretty out there & dope... as well as older heads like Supreme & The Icepick of course, it's great to see the HQ Squad back in full effect.
19. Are you cool with fans stopping you in the street for an autograph and photo?
Haha it never happens here & Hasn't happened since tagging people's records after gigs in Europe... Places like Zug & Hamburg where underground Hip Hop has been accepted & appreciated!
20. I personally feel it’s amazing to see that more and more of the old skool artists are coming back and showing that age is no issue. Do you ever feel you will call it a day or keep going till you can’t?
There have been days when I can't be arsed with it & there will be more days like that... that's just how it is. It's the indie artists path it seems!
The whole social media thing annoys me at times but at the end of the day it's a free platform to reach people, without it it'd be a harder slog & more time consuming trying to get heard & seen via magazines & websites.
Remark, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions
for me!
I really appreciate it. Being a native of Southampton, I really love to
see local South Coast talent producing some real dope Hip Hop.
We have the
Whole B-Line records crew, Uncle Mic Nitro, You, Graphic the list goes on. I Will
be looking forward to your next release too! Let me know if you would like me
to do a review, it would be a pleasure.
Thanks again, Steve.
Cheers Steve man. It's good to know there are veterans still putting time & money where their South coast mouth is! I'll keep you in the link bro. Peace.
Cheers Steve man. It's good to know there are veterans still putting time & money where their South coast mouth is! I'll keep you in the link bro. Peace.
Remarks Latest single is now available.
Please check out the link below to check out ?Everything and other Remark releases.
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