I would describe my sound as sensual, empowering and fierce.
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the story behind it?
To me headhunter is the ultimate ‘what goes around comes around’ song. I think dating culture nowadays can be very toxic and based on experience it’s all about playing games. Writing this song was super fun and empowering because it describes the woman picking up on toxic behavior and giving her partner a taste of their own medicine. Being the second song of my upcoming EP called ‘what u want is mine’ it’s a necessary topic to address when talking about female empowerment and standing up for oneself. With that being said it also underlines the importance that women should never be judged for wanting the same sexual intimacy as men.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
I always try to be as honest as possible when it comes to sharing my thoughts through songwriting. But I think the most vulnerable and open lyrics I’ve written are definitely in my title track from my album ‘Fallen Angel’.
Favourite album of the past decade?
It’s really tough to narrow it down to one specific one but I’d say dangerous woman by Ariana Grande and before love came to kill us by Jessie Reyez are definitely always on repeat.
What would be your dream performance venue?
MSG is definitely at the top of my list but a sentimental venue to perform at would be the entertainment center in Brisbane since that was my first big concert venue I went to.
In which state of mind do you imagine people listen to your music?
I love to imagine that people play my music as a confidence boost whenever they’re feeling down or doubt themselves.
Rxndomosity: Our sound is ground-breaking, defiant and natural. everyone nods
Tell us a few things about your new work “PRIMAVERA”.
Eli Rozas: PRIMAVERA is our debut album that infuses each member’s inspirations and backgrounds to make a unique sound. When coming up with the concept, we wanted to use the seasons as a metaphor for stages in our lives. PRIMAVERA is the youthful stage of our lives, where we’re all going through our own journeys finding our place in the world. And as in real life, the album doesn’t have a consistent vibe to it, there are songs you can equally get lit to as much as sit down and think. I feel like there is something for everyone in there for whichever stage in their journey they’re in. I also think our sound becomes more defined as we get more comfortable working with one another, reinforcing certain musical and lyrical skills and getting out of our comfort skills.
Leo ‘00: I think that sums it up perfectly.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
Javi G: on our track “BLOOM” I have a verse where I really open up about my past and dealing with depression and all that stuff. If I had to pick a single lyric I’d probably go with “Man he used to hate the world for the way it made him feel Like he wasn’t even real He just needed time to heal Cause he hated everything about him, like his fucking skin Cause he was teased, being darker than his fucking kin” I really open up about all the self hate I used to deal with and just not liking the person I see in the mirror because of the way that people treated me. It was something I had never really talked to anyone about, not even my therapist laughs
Rxndomosity: My most personal lyric on the album is in the opening track “HOLLYWOOD” In the song I ask myself hyperbolically if we are wasting centuries of time. My lyrics can get very introspective to the point where I wear my insecurities on my sleeve, but this is the most honest question I had for myself when I wrote it. Wondering if we can put ourselves out there and get a reception from a building fanbase is thrilling, but also scary. Nonetheless, I know I have my boys to see through whatever we have set in mind.
Who is your favourite beat maker and which rapper’s flow do you enjoy the most?
Javi G: For me personally, I fuck with all the stuff that’s been coming out of the BROCKHAMPTON camp in the last 4 years. All that stuff has been super inspiring for me personally. I’m a big fan of Romil Hemnani and as for flows, Matt Champion is sick.
Why is sexism, and even outright misogyny, so pervasive in Hip Hop culture?
Rxndomosity: Fuck toxic masculinity, fuck gender roles and fuck hate. We’re here on this Earth to spread love and positive energy. everyone nods in agreement
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
SRLO:I be making designs on my free time for merch or just in general. I love creating something that I think is refreshing and a take on something else. Paying homage is incredibly cool to me and inspiring others will always be something Id want to do. Then showing what I create to other people and seeing their reaction really warms my heart, if they like it of course (everyone laughs)
Javi G: I like listening to music. I just listen to new music or artist that I love and finding new inspiration through them.
What would you say is your biggest vice?
Rxndomosity: My biggest vice is caring too much about how people will view me. I think everyone can benefit from making their own mistakes and learning from them free of judgement, as long as they aren’t hurting anybody. Music allows for an outlet to express ourselves without worrying about any kind of judgement.
Javi G: I think for me it’s wanting perfection. The reason I like working on music as a collective is that there’s always somewhere there to bounce ideas off of. So back when I’d do music solo, if the idea that I had didn’t turn out how I’d wanted to I’d get pissed off and just give up on it. But now as a group, whenever I reach a dead end creatively, I feel like there’s always someone there to keep it moving.
Tell us a few things about your new song “Not The One”. What is the main idea behind it?
I was just trying out different things with the production. Different rhythms and sounds from what I usually do. And one element after the other, It started to sound like an instrumental that could be used in a film. And I’ve started having vision of it playing on some gangsters scenes or TeleNovellas type of movie. I never thought of writing lyrics for it, but it all happened naturally. On the same night of doing the production, I’ve burned the dinner as I was too focus on creating the track. It then inspired me to write the song based on personal experiences and feelings.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
I guess I can’t quote the whole song right? So if I really need to pick a line It will be “I’ll neglect everything that doesn’t benefit me. Your name, your time, all that you have to give.” Some people are just not bringing anything good to your life.
Favourite album of the past decade?
There is so many of them! But the one I was the most pleasantly surprised by is “Jesus Is King” by Kanye West.
What would you change in the music industry?
In a far yet close future, I would love to discover and develop new artists under my own label “Canny Kedge Records” and work on creating a new musical era.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
I’m the worse person when it comes to movies. I am so behind and there’s so many classics that I’ve never watched. But I’ve watched “The imitation game” during the quarantine and loved it so much! I love cerebral and real facts movies!
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
I’ve never gotten in trouble with justice or the police but did a few mistakes/stupid things that could have turned out really really bad! When I was 19 years old, I went cycling all around Europe with one of my Brother, Owen. And we got stuck in the snow in winter, -20 degrees, lost in the middle of nowhere in Poland, and the night was falling. We could have died. It was really stressful! Luckily we found a farmer that helped us!
Tell us a few things about your new song “Strangers Instead”. What is the main idea behind it?
“Strangers Instead” happened after a break up. I arrived to NYC to pursue my dream. All I was thinking about was how do I put it all on a paper? How do I release my emotions out? So when I was in the studio I sat with my co-writers and asked them: “Why do we start a relationship if at the end we are going to end up as strangers?! like why are we doing it to ourselves? why can’t we just be friends at the end? how can I trust somebody else?…” then we came up with “Strangers Instead”.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“Do you think about me sometimes? Like I think about you? Heard you moved on way too fast – Got someone brand new. Dose she give you butterflies? Dose she have a clue? About what we used to have And what we both been through…”
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
Whitney Houston!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
The biggest challenge I have faced as an artist probably will be the fact that I am from a different country. I came to the US to pursue my dream without my family, friends, money and language… I was going through a journey by myself. At times I felt like I was losing myself, that I might never be heard as an artist, but there’s something in me that kept pushing harder every time I got lost, every time I thought it was my limit.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
It really depends. For example: “Strangers Instead” is a pretty sad song and also angry. But you can actually dance to it. So when you are in your’e feelings – you can listen to the song, to the lyrics to the emotions. But you can also listen to it when you’re feeling confident in yourself.
What is the one habit/thing you cannot live without?
LOL, that’s a funny quotation cause I feel like it’s gonna be an obvious answer which is: singing. Sometimes I find myself singing without even noticing and then people react to it which is so funny… then I stop ’cause they keep telling me to keep singing. One time, I was in a store and the song by Bruno Mars came on and I love Bruno. I think it was the song “Just The Way You Are”. And I sang the high notes to myself and then one of the producers of ‘The Voice’ turned around and said: “Your’e a singer! I am the producer of the voice. You should be on the show!” So, yeah… my answer is defiantly singing.
Tell us a few things about your new work “So Much For Love”.
It’s a break up beat. The first verse is about an ex girlfriend, the second verse and middle 8 are about my absent dad. The chorus relates to both relationships and the parallels of heartbreak.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“The way you make me feel, mentally I have to caste you out”
Favourite album of the past year?
Currently, Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
Taking myself seriously. I’m much more comfortable taking the piss. Comedy is a crutch for me so being open and honest with my lyrics publicly has been quite a challenge.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
If I’m not writing music I’m working on it in one way or another. Promoting it, marketing it, producing and directing content, and working with other musical projects. I’m currently working with Brixton Chamber Orchestra and a new start up for artists and creators.
Robyn Bennett is back, spreading good vibes and some serious groove with her single “Fight Song.” A high energy, positive, call-to-action anthem with a blend of funky guitars, urban drums, vintage keyboards and brassy riffs. Originally written during a transportation strike in Paris, the song now takes on a whole new meaning during this global pandemic, where musicians around the world are fighting to keep their art alive. This song is for all the fighters out there : whatever your battles may be, don’t give up.
Tell us a few things about your new song “My High Love”. What is the main idea behind it?
My High Love is an ode to self love. It’s a positive and uplifting song that encourages women to seek their highest love. To treat themselves lovingly, with kindness and with care.
“My High Love” contains more pop elements than our previously released music, but maintains our characteristic neo-soul guitar lines at its core. The song is melody driven and accompanied by a blanket of wavy synths and hard hitting drums.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
We wrote this song with our good friend and frequent collaborator Robin Schorr. When we write with Robin she is mostly lyric focused and we are mostly melody focused, although we all do collaborate on both sides of the song as well. One of our favorite lines from the song is “hear the moment, feel the sound.” We love the paradoxical nature of it. It seems absurd, but it’s actually not. There are several moments where we, as humans, can actually hear a moment, whether it’s a tense, intense or exciting situation as well as feel a sound. Everybody who is in love with music can relate to actually feeling a sound but also, there are certain sounds in meaningful or dangerous situations that you can quite literally feel.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Kay-Kay: I find myself being most influenced and inspired by strong female forces in music. I’m currently finding a ton of inspiration from Sinead Harnett, Snoh Aalegra, H.E.R., JoJo… but my inspiration doesn’t come solely from R&B artists. I also find so much inspiration in the voices of Cam, LÉON, Brandi Carlile and so many other incredible women.
Fili: Aside from every artist Kay-Kay mentioned, I also take inspiration from “guitar playing songwriters” like John Mayer and Omer Fedi as well as “groovesters” such as Vulfpeck and Cory Henry. We always have some sort of guitar/groove element in our music.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
Kay-Kay: I think for me, the biggest challenge is just figuring out the right path to take. There’s no set guide to success in the music industry, it’s all just figuring it out as you go. But it’s been fun to try out new ideas and let inspiration guide me!
Fili: I think discovering our sound, as artists, was a big challenge. We both have so many influences and we have played several different styles of music all our lives but when we first started writing music together it took us a while to actually get to our sound, and most importantly, a sound that we both loved and felt proud of. I feel we now have a sound, a voice. The idea however is that the voice/sound will be ever changing. We’ve found our sound at this moment in time, but hopefully in years we will have yet another voice that we identify with because I believe it should always be moving in any direction other than standing still.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Kay-Kay: I would tell my younger self that there is no one path you have to take in life. What may work for one person may not feel right for you, and that’s okay! Follow your intuition and keep going, always. Focus on your own creativity instead of looking to others around you. Always look inward to guide yourself forward.
Fili: I would tell myself to make it a goal to get out there and meet as many people and musicians as possible and from the beginning collaborate and write with them. Be confident in your talent and skills and get in rooms with other musicians as much as possible.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Kay-Kay: I would either start a clothing brand, be an event planner or be some sort of nomad.
Fili: I’ve never done anything aside from music related work so it’s very hard to imagine, but I know it would need to be something that didn’t involve working at an office every day. Something creative that involved problem solving and traveling. Seeing the world. Something where I love what I’m doing, I get to travel and see the world, meet new people, all while making an enormous amount of money. If you find out what that job is, please let me know.
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the story behind it?
‘Sugar Rush’ is a fresh Pop R&B song about having a variety of options available when it comes to romantic relationships. Writing “Sugar Rush” only took about a day and it was the most fun I had writing a song. I then sent a demo version over to the producer I work with, Jamie McArdle, and we worked on it some more and it ended up sounding even better than what I had expected which was really exciting.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
I wouldn’t consider this song very personal haha but my favorite lyrics are “I’ve got all kinds of flavors, my favorite is the one with no savior”
Your dream collaboration?
I would love to work with Doja Cat or BTS some day!
Is Spotify the music industry’s new Gatekeepers?
I wouldn’t call it gatekeeping but it is very difficult for small artists to grow in the music industry; it would be great if there were more outlets and platforms dedicated to new and independent artists to help them find their listeners.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
I haven’t watched a lot of films to be honest but I watched 13th, which is a documentary on Netflix.
What is the one habit/thing you cannot live without?
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?
I started writing the song as we came out of lockdown, and I wanted to write the song to represent how I was feeling. The song is about letting loose, and having so much fun that you don’t spend all your time in your own head, overthinking things.
What first got you into music?
I’ve always been listening to music for as long as I can remember, but I first started playing the guitar when I was 1I used to post my favourite songs on their for hours at a time.
Your dream collaboration?
My dream collaboration would either be Kaytranada or Lophiile, I love collaborating with people who could teach me something, and their some of the best.
How do you relate to the London music scene? And what do you love/hate about Ldn?
The London scene is where I developed my musical tastes, All the music I listened to when I was younger started here. Now I love getting to experience through the live gig scene. The only thing I really hate about London is public transport.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
I didn’t really watch a lot of films during the lockdown but I love Fatherhood starring Kevin Hart.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten
The most I’ve gotten in trouble is probably being yelled at by a teacher, I’m usually pretty well behaved!
Tell us a few things about your new song State Of Mind. What is the main idea behind it?
„We all fall into insecurity sometimes. Thoughts change in a split second, euphoria suddenly turns to fear, and instead of a brain it’s an empty shell. If only we could sink into the calm waters of certainty and balance in that moment.” My third single is called “State Of Mind”. It differs from the first two in its overall sound, which is more lo-fi, as well as the male rapping. One of the most important songs of my career was written in my home recording studio. The mix and master was handled by producer and sound engineer Roman Rai.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
Probably this lyric is very close to my heart in the current tense times. Even though I am not the author, it expresses my feelings and current view of the world.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
First of all my family, especially my father and grandfather, who brought me to music when I was young and supported my musical development. I listened to heavy metal, funk and jazz until I got into dance music and djing in the nineties. First it was Propellerheads, then Turntablerocker, Stereo MC’s, Groove Armada and many others.
What would you change in the music industry?
Definitely the way musicians are paid these days. Spotify and other streams are certainly a good thing, but the rewards for artists are too low in my opinion. Actually the only income left was live gigs, and there’s not much of that now either due to the pandemic. It’s not an easy time for artists, but I believe it will get better as time goes on.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
The state of mind should be relaxed but not tired, attentive but not tense, open to new experiences in music and life.
What is the most useless talent you have?
That’s the question…I guess I have a knack for wasting a lot of time and then catching up on things at the last minute. I’m pretty good at that 🙂
HipHop Paranoia 