Tell us a few things about your new song ‘Zurück Zuhaus’. What is the main idea behind it?
Zurück Zuhaus translates to “back at home” in English and of course it was inspired by the nice feeling of being at home. However, the song doesn’t refer to the place where I live, like my flat or my house. Rather, it praises my local community, my friends and family, without whom I’d probably be a totally different person.
Do you like the idea of collaborating? Is songwriting a lonely process?
I love both collaborating with other musicians in the live context. Also in the studio I have worked with several artists. When writing lyrics or composing songs, I tend to need all my concentration, and therefore I typically withdraw.
What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?
Writing music often feels like solving a puzzle. All the different pieces need to find their place. When the song is done, it feels like a big success. Performing my own music live elevates that feeling even higher, as I can see the immediate reaction of the audience.
What would you change in the music industry?
Personally, I think the digital age brought some great liberation to the music industry. Before digital age, music studios were accessible to a very small elite exclusively. Nowadays, kids with a laptop are reaching an international audience, which was unthinkable just a couple years back. Also my music wouldn’t exist without cheaply available digital technology. At the same time, competition is fiercer than ever, as there are literally millions of highly skilled and determined musicians out there. And there are some players in the industry that obviously build their business model around taking advantage of this situation. I wish people would treat each other more respectfully.
Favorite music related film?
I used to listen to the Beastie Boys a lot when I was younger. Recently, I saw their documentary and enjoyed it quite a lot. Also I remember the movie about Ray Charles as impressive.
What would you say is your biggest vice?
Not taking myself seriously in situations where I should.
Tell us a few things about your new EP ANOTHER LIFE. What is the main idea behind it?
The main idea is that I often imagine myself living other lives, having totally different experiences, backgrounds and beliefs than I do currently, and I wanted to explore those lives. Each song is about a relationship – two are exes, one is an ex best friend, and one is about my relationship with myself (When You Dream, Your Soul Grows Back – which contains the lyrics “I feel the pull to another life,” the title of the EP). Writing and producing the songs was therapeutic and allowed me to explore what I did in the past and some possibilities for how things could have gone differently. Coming from a more academic background with my music, where my experience was focused more on technique and execution rather than the feeling that inspired the music itself, it’s always been hard for me to push myself to be vulnerable, and so I hope I achieved that with this EP.
What first got you into music?
When I was 9, four musicians from a local orchestra came to our school to basically persuade kids to join the strings program. There was a violinist, a violist, a cellist, and a bassist. I remember sitting on the floor of the gym, criss-cross applesauce, and each one of them played alone for a few minutes to demonstrate the different features of each instrument, and I was completely blown away by how amazing they each sounded. I chose to play viola (because I’m not like other girls, rawr XD), and then ten years later I was doing that same presentation to a bunch of kids, which was really cool to see some of the kids’ eyes light up and ask a ton of questions. My dad is also a musician and has always played music around me so he probably primed me for that moment too.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Björk, Kate Bush, Blood Orange, Tom Waits, My Chemical Romance, Tori Amos, Allie X, Idina Menzel, Remi Wolf, Jesca Hoop, The Used, 070 Shake, Young Thug, Phantogram, Rihanna, Cocteau Twins, Peter Gabriel, Debussy, Rush, Chopin, John Mayer, Fair to Midland, Bladee, Brian Eno, Dorian Electra, Circa Survive, Erik Satie, The Dear Hunter, Grimes, Arvo Pärt, Charli XCX, Oneohtrix Point Never, Queen, Demi Lovato, Sigur Rós, Kaija Saariaho, Julia Holter, Ricky Eat Acid, Kitty, MUNA, Dan Deacon and my dad.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
Probably letting other people in on my process. I kind of always thought I needed to do it all myself, from songwriting to recording to producing to mixing and mastering. But I’m learning that collaborating not only takes that weight off of you, it also blends the incredible beauty of someone else’s mind into your work, and that goes beyond workflow and efficiency, it’s priceless. It’s the whole point. Music is meant to be shared not only with other musicians, but the audience should participate. The audience are musicians too, just by listening.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Smoking a joint driving in your car after an exhausting day. Or on shitty phone speakers getting ready for a girls night out.
When was the last time you danced?
On a daily walk this week. To Vulfpeck on my headphones. You can just dance in the street, nobody cares.
Tell us a few things about Crisis On The Dancefloor. What is your creative process like?
Crisis On The Dancefloor is a fun song about people who are afraid to dance! Our creative process can be very collaborative. With this tune, Holly pulled together a demo and brought it to the band who all helped put their own spin on it. The songs naturally evolve once we start working on them together.
What first got you into music?
Carrie – I have loved music for as long as I can remember. I started singing lessons when I was 6 years old. I was obsessed with the musicals ‘Oliver’ and ‘Annie’. From then my love for music, singing and the theatre grew.
Daniel – Until I was about 13-14 I wasn’t into music at all. I was born in 1990 and wasn’t into the pop music I was hearing on the radio. But then got introduced to some older stuff, classic rock, blues, jazz and metal and had a religious moment of realising “oh I actually really like this!”.
Holly – I’ve loved music since I was a kid and I started off playing the cello in my school orchestra. I picked up the guitar at 11 years old and I started songwriting from the age of 1The rest is history!
Mr Clyne – A mixture of my Mother always having varied music on and the enjoyment of playing instruments from primary school onwards. LimeWire also had a huge impact.
Nic – My love of music began from a young age, growing up in a household where the radio was always on and music was always heard. As a result of my Mum being a huge Queen fan and sitting me down in front of their music videos, I fell in love with the guitar and wanted to be just like Brian May. However, 6 year old me was disappointed to discover that I didn’t sound like him straight away when I got my first guitar.
Sean – Both of my parents are big music fans, so there was a lot of music in our household when I was a kid. My mum was always into her club music and musicals, whereas my dad is a big 70s/80s rock and metal fan. The film ‘School Of Rock’ definitely made me more interested in listening to an older generation of music, as did the ‘Guitar Hero’ game franchise.
Your dream collaboration?
Carrie – If Whitney Houston was still alive then it would most definitely be her. She was my idol growing up. Celine Dion would be my 2nd choice.
Daniel – Ooof tough, in terms of modern artists probably Fantastic Negrito, I love the music he’s creating such a cool, modern take on blues. Older artists, definitely Tom Waits, he’s an amazing, unique songwriter who’s gone through so many iterations of his sound throughout the years and I have mad respect for him.
Holly -If Andre 3000 did a verse on one of my songs I would literally die happy.
Mr Clyne – Dangermouse and Jemini the gifted one
Nic – For me I think it has to be the legendary Nile Rodgers. He has been involved with some of the greatest songs of all time and I absolutely love his approach to writing and arranging. As a guitarist, I often think he gets forgotten about on ‘Top Guitarists of All Time’ lists but I think he is a phenomenal player and has such a distinctive sound and style that I just love. I reckon even from just a few moments in his presence I could learn so much.
Sean – Both of my picks are slightly different from The Passing Sages’ sound, but Rob Swire from Pendulum/Knife Party or Mark Tremonti from Creed/Alter Bridge/Tremonti.
What would you change in the music industry?
The worst thing universally about the music industry is definitely the pay. You have to really enjoy performing music and not be in it for the money!
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
Carrie – I spend my time at work and looking after my 4 year old son.
Daniel – The usual stuff, TV, movies, video games, love a true crime documentary/podcast. And planning my wedding which is less than a year away!
Holly -I like dancing, making stained glass art and travelling when I get the chance!
Mr Clyne – Sleeping or en route to sleep. Child rearing and Xbox.
Nic – I teach guitar so I am literally always playing, learning or writing. A day without a guitar in my hands is a strange day indeed. I also love playing video games.
Sean – Working, unfortunately! Or sleeping… or eating.
When was the last time you danced?
Carrie – okay so proper dancing – not since I was at uni (we had to learn ballet and tap which I was horrendous at) but I do a little side step in time with the beat at practice now and again.
Daniel – This morning in the shower.
Holly – I go to weekly house dancing lessons which are always really fun.
Mr Clyne – I dance with my children all the time.
Nic – Probably at our last band practice, it’s impossible to play this music without having a boogie.
Sean – When I went to see the legendary Drum and Bass dj, Sub focus, last weekend.
Tell us a few things about your new album ’13th Apostle L.P’. What is the main idea behind it?
The 13th Apostle is a project where I mainly preach the Ghetto Gospel. It is meant to inspire everyone that have had an upbringing like mine. It is not meant to make you dance as the intro suggests but to help you meditate and to make the right decisions in life by not giving up hope, to see the beauty in the struggle because that’s what shapes our character.
Which song of the album reflects you the most?
Honestly, this is a tough question, lol. 98% of all my music speaks to me and have their own place depending on my mood. In this current mood, I’d say ‘Who I Gotta Be A Man For’ because it speaks to a future me, reminding myself why I’m doing all these things.
Favourite rapper, lyricist and producer?
I don’t have a favorite rapper but I have a favorite singer and artist overall. Brandy. I think her music and voice inspires me although I’m a rapper.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
HipHop symbolizes freedom to me. It’s a form of expressing myself in a very raw way, mixing and experimenting different elements to make something beautiful.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
a. I watch Sci-Fi films, especially alien and time-travel related films. b. Playing Chess. it sharpens my concentration skills c. Gym, I’m at the gym at least three times a week d. In the stock market analysing charts and making very risky investments lol
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
Hahaha, if I reveal that now, I bet the F.B.I would come knocking on my door as soon as this article is released to the world. But maybe someday I’ll reveal them in my music..
Tell us a few things about your new work ‘Dandelion Heart’. What is the main idea behind it?
Dandelion Heart was made to see if l could create a musical interpretation of love, fragile, yet perfect, that you can admire while appreciating the delicate yet amazing way its designed, like a dandelion heart. Everything looks perfect in love, but a strong wind of hate can destroy a dandelion heart.
What is the story behind your name?
I was a nightclub sax player for years. They called me Dirty D on stage cause my general attitude of hard drinking and hard parting that our band did. Now its mutated to mean I can make some sax notes so smooth it will make your partner want to do dirty things to you LOL! The night club scene was crazy, but when Covid hit all our gigs and work dried up so I ended up in the studio making my own stuff.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Yes, Dubl A is a bass player I work with and just released a new EP Solar Sail with. His musical literacy is amazing and his Music Theory understanding is unmatched. he will be on all my work now.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
My biggest challenge is getting my music out to people so they can hear it. Like most artists thats the goal. The issue with my work is that its a blend of genres that we use. We do it because it makes great stuff and sounds great to us. Its not made really to satisfy anyone else. So sometimes its hard to get on playlists because the Genre is kind of undefined.
If you were asked to rescore a film, which one would you choose?
Im not much of a movie guy but I think I would do a great score for an action film of some type. I can get my music to get crazy then drop to sadness all in the same song.
What is the most useless talent you have?
I like this question, thanks for asking it. you can quote me on this. “There is no such thing as a useless talent, only talent that is used less.”
I have a friend that can pull a string into his nose and out his mouth…….He ended up getting his own TV show on discovery channel called guinea pig because of his seemingly useless talent. talent with no hustle is just talent, but its not useless. You need Hustle to make talent work. Its how hard you want to use your particular talent, whatever it is, that decides how useless it is. I have 45 songs out now and 20 or so appearances on other people work internationally. Im always on the hustle to make more great music.
You blend in your music numerous music genres. What is your creative process like?
When I start to develop an idea in the studio, I find the most important thing for me is not to put myself into a box. I just let it flow out of me and since I enjoy many different genres of music, this “blending” effect is born. I try not to let what people expect of me influence my creative process. This was the initial feeling that inspired the whole album. Hence the title of my first track “Own Time”. I like when I have nothing to do; I find this is when I am the most creative. Every song starts with a different instrument, that once laid down, paves the way for the rest of the track.
Do you like the idea of collaborating? Is songwriting a lonely process?
Collaboration can be a very rewarding and inspiring experience! I enjoy collaborating with the right people very much. Shout out to Jonny Sé, my close friend who featured on “Navigate” and is also my visual artist. Sometimes it can be a drag, in my opinion, you can’t collaborate with just anyone. You have to choose artists who you are compatible with and who you believe in. Collaboration should be built from trust, respect, and friendship. When I collaborate with other artists I prefer to give them full artistic control over what they are adding to the project. This way the results are creative and authentic.
Favorite album of the past decade?
This is a very tough question for me to answer. There are a lot of artists out there who make great songs but I would not consider their albums as a whole noteworthy. This being said I believe that a great album delivers an overall theme and has a tracklist that can be listened to without skipping any songs. In my opinion, the best album of the last decade is most likely Mordechai by Khruangbin. Some honorable mentions include 99.9% by Kaytranada, KOD by J. Cole, Swimming by Mac Miller, The Ascent by Charlesthefirst and French Kiwi Juice by FKJ. Shout out to all the amazing albums out there which I may have forgotten to mention.
What would you change in the music industry?
If I could change something about the music industry It would be how accessible it is. One could argue that we live in the best time ever to be a musician. We can instantly share music across the globe giving a stage to anyone who deserves it. Despite this being true I still feel that breaking into the scene and reaching a point where you can get consistent gigs can be difficult. Many times it seems people are given opportunities based on status or connections rather than what they bring to the table. I would like to see the music industry provide a better platform to give up and coming artists a shot. I would also like to see a return to a time when artists put meaning behind their music and released albums rather than singles. Authentic music is timeless, and authentic artists are what is missing from a lot of popular music these days.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
The purpose of my latest album is to speak to all the different aspects of an individual’s personality. We are all a culmination of the different influences we carry. I hope that in this release there is something for everyone. If you want to feel something, if you want to dance or reminisce, come and listen because has there ever been a truly one dimensional human.
When was the last time you danced?
I dance everyday. I spend my days listening to music from the moment I wake up till I go to sleep. It is my passion and I could not live without it. I dance alone while I’m jamming to what’s in my ear, I dance when I go out, I dance with my lovely girlfriend Camila, and I dance anytime I hear something that tickles my ear the right way.
The three words to describe my sound would be energetic, fun, and gay!
How many beats do you listen to before you end up using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
The creative process is a fun part for me. I usually have a sound in mind for a song and then look at a catalog of beats to see which is close to what is in my mind. After I pick the beat, I find beats that fit in the same element. Thus, creating an album/project based on that. My debut album’s track list was changed five times before being satisfied.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
It was very important to me to show vulnerability on my debut album. A lot of artist are straying away from that and it sucks. I love getting to hear an artist’s story and what made them who they are today, so that is why I wrote “IS This What You Wanted?” and put it as the opening track. I also wrote “Memory Lane” and “My Heart Is Looking For Yours” to give more of an insight. These three songs are my most personal and honest lyrics.
Favourite rapper, lyricist and producer?
My favorite rapper is Megan Thee Stallion. She is killing the rap game and I hope to do a collaboration on a song with her one day. My favorite lyricist is Doja Cat. Her music is so transformative and she is one of the best. My favorite producer is “bckgrnd,” he produced “Pretty Ricky, Vol. 2” and “Fraudulent.”
Trap music came to rule the world, but at the moment the genre feels stagnant. What does the future hold for hip hop in general?
You never know what is going to dominate the rap world next. Anything can happen, but I feel like something big is going to happen. Something very transformative and groundbreaking. Shout out to Saucy Santana, he might be the one to do it!
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
I have a variety of songs that range in emotions, so it would be hard to tell, but I hope they are having a good time, laid back, and enjoying themselves as I tell my story!
One last thing we should know about you?
One last thing you should know about is I am a people’s person, if you ever see me out in public come by and say hi!
Tell us a few things about your new song ‘More Than Friends’. What is the main idea behind it?
To take you back in time with a more raw material where we take in the sound from the 80’s where you do not overpower the song with effects. Same thing with the production which is oldschool with modern elements. The lyrics speaks for it self haha, I want to be more than just a BFF with my homeboy.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
It’s definitely Im Alive. I wrote this when I really dipped in the music. It is a constant struggle to fight your way forward and you fight because the passion is so big and deep in you heart. I can not bear to continue but without the footbridge I am not alive.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Whitney Houston, MJ, Mariah Carey, Brandy, Baby Face, Toni Braxton. They frame everything I love with soul and rnb from the past. Voices and styles I look up to today Eva Max, Rita Ora, Rihanna.
What would be your dream performance venue?
A packed Globen, home plan and that everyone sings along to my songs, what a dream. I sang there, it was packed with me singing behind an artist. I want to experience the same but as the main act
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
since I believe that I have circled many different styles, I hope that everyone finds something in me that they can resemble both in style and text. Without being scattered and still getting recognition, I do not want to commit to just one style.
What is the one habit/thing. you cannot live without?
Besides Singing I cannot live without swedish candy.. and then I’m a diabetic haha, and still cant live without it.. very hard this habit of mine.
How many beats do you listen to before you end up using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
I’m really a producer first, so usually I’m accustomed to just creating the ideas that come up in my head, which are entire songs. With this project, I really stepped outside of myself to work with other producers. I am very meticulous about how the music sounds — if it doesn’t have real potential , the lyrical ideas I receive I get aren’t going to be very strong, either. There are a lot of instrumentals out there, but there are also a lot of gems. You have to find what works for you.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“Why should I confine to the norm, I have been scorned before I had a chance to be born, planned to abort — still kicking, I’m meant to move forward — still in it. Honesty, confidence, personality, let them witness it….”
Favourite rapper, lyricist and producer?
My favorite rappers/lyricists are Big Pun and Eminem. My father (also known as GSB/Lake Verde, another of my greatest inspirations) gave me an MP3 Player when I was 12 years old with the entire Eminem discography on it with the freestyles, and just no one was on his level. Even to this day, it’s difficult to find lyricists on his level of penmanship. Same with Big Pun, who was incredibly ahead of his time. I place Big Pun ahead of Eminem on my list mostly because of the time period. My favorite producer has changed so frequently (I am a producer first), Alchemist was my first favorite producer growing up. Then it became Skrillex and then Ramzoid… producers have their hots and colds, and I’m extremely picky about soundscapes. I also love ka1, who produced “Goddess” for the I Know I Waited project. Super talented, we’ve known each other for years trying to make it in the electronic music scene.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Hip Hop symbolizes a culture that mostly people who look like me can call a place for expression, whether as a listener or a contributor to the genre. Hip Hop is the culture that was cultivated out of love during a time where we couldn’t seem to get it outside of our closest communities. It represents Deejaying, Emceeing, Graffiti, Breakdancing, street fashion, Beat boxing, street knowledge, street language, street entrepreneurialism, which have provided a means of salvation for a people who have been oppressed and marginalized for generations to the point of desertion. I may not know my cultural heritage, but I do know that I can represent for it through my culture, which is Hip Hop.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
I love to play chess, I love to read. I also like to go out to events and vibe and connect with more creative people.
Future plans?
I Know I Waited is one of a few mixtapes. There are videos/content coming soon, I’m performing throughout LA, more mixtapes being released soon; we’re leading up to an album, that will be titled “The Stomach.” Stay tuned!
HipHop Paranoia 