Category Archives: Music

Damien Kamil Sahri: The shamanic mixture

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By simply setting foot in Damien’s world in Berlin, I was astounded by his openness and almost carnivorous need for constant melody. Young and passionate, Damien has cut himself a world that seems almost apart from the rest of Berlin, creating a fierce and driving energy of his own. His contagious laughter and high spirits make a fleshly, wild concoction, while in his studio or behind his turntables he strikes a dapper figure in combining sounds from the four corners of the world. Far from colorless, bland productions, Damien’s musical universe brings you in an intricate jungle of tribalism, deepness and honeyed vocals. Through soothing, relaxed arrangements, Kamil’s music is able to carry us to a lolling atmosphere, trailing back to the chill-out, primitive roots that lie within each one of us.

And you can listen to so for yourself through this exclusive set made especially for this blog: “Berlin My Heart”.

Graziella Buontempo: Who is Damien Kamil Sahri?

Damien Kamil Sahri: It’s just me.

GB: What is your earliest childhood memory when it comes to music? At what point in time did you decide that you wanted to be a musician?

DKS: I don’t know if there was a precise point in time at which I realized that I wanted to be a musician, but my desire for creativity has always been really strong and not only for music. My earliest important childhood memory related to sound was probably when scratching my first hip-hop records at house parties in the late 90′s.

GB: If you had to choose 5 words to define your music, what would they be?

DKS: Five Words Is Not Enough

GB: You lived for a long time in NYC and you currently live in Berlin. Both cities are extremely vibrant and energetic both from a social and artistic point of view. What are some of the differences you have noticed among the cities? How have these cities empowered you as an artist?

DKS: NYC and Berlin are the most influential cities of the planet for me and they both teach me equally a lot, but in their own ways.NY is tough. It grabs you by the guts and pushes you to swim faster than one another in a big ocean of competitive challenges. Berlin is not so rough, it’s completely the opposite but it’s also dangerous…I would say that in NYC you have to be careful not to spend too much time working and in Berlin not to spend too much time chillin’.

GB: What makes Berlin so special to you?

DKS: Salvador Dali once said that freedom is like intelligence: it is a nuisance to people.After spending some time in jail, Dali found himself completely redirected through his own freedom because it was taken away from him. The same happened to me. After having a lot of freedom in NYC, I was restrained and had a lot of time to think for myself, so when I was free again, I knew exactly where to go in my inspiration, and Berlin was here for me.

GB: Berlin is a relatively young city. It is full of young people and great vibes. In the last 5 to 10 years, tourism has boomed, mainly attracted by the freedom and music scene that Berlin invites to. Do you have the feeling that certain types of music that were once labeled as “underground” have become highly commercialized (even in a city like Berlin that lives of art and music)? Do you think that now is the perfect opportunity for music to evolve into something entirely new and different?

DKS: By definition, underground doesn’t have the same incentive as commercial. A song can be famous and still be underground, but a song can also be commercial and completely unknown because it doesn’t “sell” enough so I suppose underground means: music that is created by a precise array of artists for a chosen elite of listeners and their evolution within that genre. Commercial means: music made for a maximum amount of people, success in meeting standard for social and entertainment expectations, and acquisition of financial compensation.Of course, it isn’t black and white. I don’t believe in radical changes and I think that music, like any other artistic activity, involves a lot of research and cannot only include the desire to make something new. Since our primate ancestors were hitting rocks on hollow trees, people have been creating new ways to make music and assemble harmonies and rhythms. I therefore believe that Music will continue its evolution according to the ongoing technological development over time, but only through acknowledgment of its history and its purpose to life in general.

GB: How can artists differentiate themselves when so many productions sound almost the same?

DKS: By pushing their style to next level! You can be influenced, but you have to be able to influence as well. I think it’s amazing when you can touch someone’s soul as much you have been touched by someone else’s music before, but listening to your own stuff all day doesn’t make sense. So by going out, meeting people, exploring and collaborating you can open up yourself to other varieties of sounds and find what you really want. Forge your own appreciation of music and define that one message you want to spread to your audience so that they know what you stand for, always.

GB: You have a residence in Berlin at Stattbad, a unique place inhabited by artists of all kinds. How is it working with so much diversity surrounding you? How does it influence you?

DKS: It’s amazing. After living across the street from Stattbad for one year now, I can say that my friends are having a hard time getting me out of the neighborhood. I’m not only resident there, I’m also the proud member of a beautiful team. Whether it’s a simple breakfast with the skateboarding crew before a competition, a street art exhibition in the disaffected olympic swimming pool, or a heavy underground party in the basement, it’s always pure Berlin energy and it feels just like home. Continue reading →

Voices of Black: The sensual seduction of disco house

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I had never visited Brown University. Yet, the one night I went, about a year and half ago, Voices of Black made it more than special. I remember Zev (aka The Wolf from Wolf + Lamb) telling me the previous week that he had discovered some new pupils, and his words were the perfect description to their music. He told me their name was Voices of Black, but in a crazy, playful apartment at Brown, they were just Baba and Jules…and while dancing to their sultry tunes I still hadn’t made the connection with the “sexy, delicious” duo Zev had told me about. When their first EP “Plastic Dolls” came out on Wolf + Lamb, I finally realized…and I was absolutely stunned! Their music was not only frolicsome and seductive, but it was also somewhat mischievous, teasing the mind with images of luscious, hopeless models lost in a world of frenzy, emptiness and materiality (the “Plastic Dolls” that give their name to the album). Voices of Black seem to be catapulted from a world with no boundaries, glimmering through the always unfaded years of  soul, funk, old-school hip-hop, real house and, above all, flashy disco. Baba and Jules are modern day, musical Romeos, that charm not only with their easiness and respect for women, but also with the soothing, hypnotic beats of their music.

Graziella Buontempo: Who are Voices of Black?

Voices of Black: Jules Born & Baba Ali

GB: What are the top three qualities you appreciate in the other?

VOB: 1. Honesty

2. Creativity

3. Risk

GB: You both come from a hip-hop background. Today, the hip-hop industry seems to be at somewhat of a dead end, producing artists that seem so far away from the true, deep roots of hip-hop and light years away from the lyrical wisdom of J Dilla, Abstract Rude or KRS-One. What do you think is happening to hip-hop today? Do you think there are any chances for a great revival?

Jules Born: I don’t think hip-hop as a whole is much different, I think the way hip-hop is presented to the masses has been dumbed down and turned into more of a minstrel show than anything. Real hip-hop still exists just real hip-hop being displayed to the masses has pretty much died. Real hip-hop meaning diversity in style, proper representation of hip-hop and youthful culture, subject matter, and overall creativity.

Baba Ali: I don’t believe in revivals, but I do believe that hip-hop will be re-invented and re-imagined. It’s just the nature of how things work. We’ve seen it with jazz, we’ve seen it with funk and disco…every new movement piggy-backs on the accomplishments of the past. We’re definitely in a period of transition, and hip-hop will be the foundation upon which new ideas will be built to find a new form of expression. The biggest gripe I have with the current stage that mainstream hip-hop is that it no longer functions as a voice for the voice-less. The story hip-hop narrates has changed, but the environments from which this art form originated hasn’t. There’s a very apparent disconnect, and that’s why it’s losing its legitimacy.

GB: You guys seem to have a very special relationship with women. Your first album on Wolf+Lamb “Plastic Dolls” is centered on the glam, glitz and fakeness that often surround specific fields like fashion, and on the image of frivolity that is often attached to women in the industry. Are women a constant source of inspiration for you? How do you relate to them and what makes a woman so special to your eyes?

JB: Women are always a good inspiration for the creative process. The appreciation of beauty will always impact art one way or another. Women are the driving force behind the development of most genres and music because women are more in tune with emotions than men. Girls don’t ask you the name of a song after a dj set, or what you used to create your latest song or music video. They just say thank you, smile and dance.

BA: I just like being around women, whether it be more intimate, business, or just plain fun. Throughout my life I’ve learned so much from so many different women in my life, so it’s not something I think about. It’s just natural. But shouldn’t it be? No matter what, men and women need to stick together. I’m not cool with sexism just as much as racism or any -ism. I try to promote unity amongst differences in people whether be gender, race, religion or whatever. I feel like it’s necessary, because there’s already so much hate out there in the world and in history, there’s no need to contribute any more.

GB: You guys are very young and I feel that with your productions you are (whether consciously or not) trying to bring back a movement in which music is linked to actual thoughts on your surroundings and on society in general. However, living in an image conscious society may often put the focus on the wrong things. Is it hard to balance between the need to entertain people, making them dance while at the same time producing something that is distinctive and of good quality?

JB: Making people dance is a result of your creation. I think that is achievable while having strong and meaningful content in song writing. There is nothing wrong with imagery as long as it is honest. Quality can reach the masses and mainstream; it’s a current misconception that everything mainstream has to be  bad and everything underground is good. It just takes more integrity to reach wide audiences and stay true to yourself, but it has and does work.

BA: I guess I never thought of  the ideas of entertainment and quality as separate. My only goal is first to satisfy my needs, creatively, and hopefully be able to connect to people. The way I started doing music was out of imitation of my music heroes and how they found a way to connect to me. So I’m just trying to do the same.

(Click on the player below to listen to “Shade” from the EP “Plastic Dolls”)

GB: You both go to school. Does what you study in class influence in any way your musical productions?

JB: College was a great opportunity to network with people and be influenced by different cultures and individuals from different places. It also reminded me of what I really wanted to do and how knowledge from different areas can be applied to anything you want to do. I never have or will take adderall. Yarch To The Masses.

BA: A lot of the books I read for class somehow work into what I’m working on musically. I think the key to being creative is being like a sponge and just absorb, absorb and absorb. So yes, school does influence me.

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Gecko Chamber: The intriguing unpredictability of minimalism and melody

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Two things that many people in the music business lack today are boldness and originality; because it takes some audacity and inventiveness to stand out from the crowd, but even more to have the constant interest to discover and experiment with unflinching determination different musical backgrounds and genres. Gecko Chamber are two bright, fearless daredevils that have decided to go on an adventure, and to embark a thriving battalion of enthusiasts across the Bosphorus all the way up to the UK along with them. Two weeks ago, their first album “The Other Side of Sanity” was released, and their intricately playful, psychedelically dark tones are a true delight for the ears. From throbbing, exuberant melodies to layered waves of mysterious, dusky percussions Gecko Chamber have this captivating and unchanging quality to excite the body and trigger a progressive, almost unnerving curiosity. Without a doubt Cem and Coskun, the two Geckos, are set to fluster and shake up more than one ear with their balanced brews of warm, sweeping tunes, dubby beats and vividly entangled layers of experimentation.

Graziella Buontempo: Who are Gecko Chamber?

Gecko Chamber: Hello! Gecko Chamber are just another drop of water in the ocean, but namely we are Coskun Akmeric and Cem Serter.

GB: Describe each other in 3 words.

GC: Coskun is zen, intelligent, and unique, while Cem is insane, creative, and hyper.

GB: How did you come up with such an unusual name?

GC: Our name is just a word-play on the phrase echo chamber; which was a purpose-built room, long before the dawn of effects units, with loads of microphones and speakers and reflective, jagged surfaces. Engineers used these chambers to create artificial echo and delay effects, so what you would do is for example blast the vocals into the echo chamber, and the microphones would pick up the new sound, the one that includes all the echoes from the sound bouncing around the walls, and ta-da!

GB: How do you complement and differentiate each other? Do you always get along? Is there one of you that spends more time producing rather than actually playing and vice versa? Or is there total balance between you two?

GC: Absolute, total 100 per cent balance between us. We don’t always agree, but we do always get along. We forged a brotherly bond spanning over a decade; we know each other inside out, we know how to talk to each other, how to behave and treat one another.

GB: Your debut album “The Other Side of Sanity” is set for release on February 27th. What is the inspiration behind it? Tell us about its process of creation.

GC: OSOS is a concept album, one that was born out of difficulties in our lives. It began accidentally and working on it quickly became our soul cleansing ritual, our therapy.

(Click on the player below to listen to an amazing exclusive set Gecko Chamber recorded especially for this blog!)

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Masomenos: The liveliness of a colorful multisensory experience

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When I first listened to “Bon Voyage” and “The Third Eye” by Masomenos, I was mindblown like I hadn’t been for some time by music in the techno-minimal scene. In a world of (sadly too often) excessive repetitiveness and unoriginality, for the first time in years I was listening to something deep yet magically colorful at the same time. Punchy and soft, dubby and enthusiastic, mellow and vigorously jumpy, Masomenos have the consistent ability of tingeing their productions with nuances that carry to a rainbowed parallel universe that is cheerful yet playfully mysterious at the same time. Venturing in the Masomenos universe, is not only a delight for the ears, but for the eyes as well: a captivating collection of jolly, bright little animals and multicolored artwork, a concoction of miniature companions and more abstract figures with beaming smiles and exuberant expressions. As a breeze of fresh air, for over five years now, Joan and Adrien of Masomenos have been able to passionately combine their talents to bring to life a new experience. One that, with its brilliantly fun graphics and incredibly textured sounds, makes bodies dance and minds travel with a smile.

Graziella Buontempo: Who are Masomenos?

Joan & Adrien: Joan Costes + Adrien de Maublanc = Masomenos

GB: Describe each other in 3 words.

Joan about Adrien : Spirited, intense, optimistic

Adrien about Joan : Colorful, inspiring, clever

GB: You are a married couple, how are you different from one another, both as artists and at home in your more private life? How do you influence and complete each other, in your artistic projects and everyday life?

J&A: Well, not married, just under Masomenos and that’s already a lot :) We are indeed really different, but weirdly we have the same taste for almost everything. I don’t remember anytime we disagreed on a movie, an exhibition, or a style. For sure, since we met, we have influenced each other a lot, and started on some level to look alike. It would be too long to describe and to give examples on how this all fits, but it does for sure, considering how many things we have done since we met.

GB: Describe a typical day in the life of Joan & Adrien.

J: Well, during the week we’re not early birds. We do wake up around 9:30…then the days are different…more based on music, drawing, or office work. I exercise often, so it’s part of my daily organization. We also have a family routine Tuesday and Wednesday. Weeks fly by, especially when you travel on the week-end.

A: Pretty much the same…except I don’t exercise lol

GB: Welcome to Masomenos is not only a music label, but a creative project that includes colorful T-shirts, jumpers, stickers, clutch bags and much more. What are the reasons behind your choice to be more than just a music label? In the world of music, how does this diversity help?

J: It is not a choice, it’s a reality. We do make music and image. We do stuff, then it gets organized. The first t-shirt was only for Adrien to wear. Then friends asked us if they could have one. Thus we started proposing them online. We were asked to do some collaborations like with Pellat-Finet (cashmeres), or Sylvia Toledo (clutch bags), because they had seen our graphics and liked them. Now we have what we can call a brand, and considering this, we’re getting organized to make it good. We just founded Masomenos-Art with our third partner, Antoine, who is going to help us to display and sell all these “products” we’re making. Nothing of all this was planned. Diversity doesn’t help at all, in any world, because people can’t classify you. We did it because we wanted to, not because we thought we could get an advantage from it.

A: I think this has answered the next question…

GB: Do you think the vivacity behind your artwork influences the relationship you establish with your audience? Aren’t you afraid that having developed so many different outlets (t-shirts, candles, even Iphone cases) will make the audience see you as more of a brand rather than an artistic couple?

J: Well, to keep on what I’ve said before, we know it doesn’t help us in this specific underground scene, and being part of this doesn’t help the “brand” development either. But, we don’t look in this direction to please an audience, we just do our stuff. We keep on working, developing our project, having fun, getting challenged and excited. We were already like that independently before we met, experimenting different medias to express ourselves. So in a way, it’s kind of natural we keep on doing it this way.

A: Didn’t I say clever?

GB: How was the “Masomenos & Friends” project born? How did working with such diverse artists like Lemos, Tobi Neumann, Vadim and dOP change or influence you in any way?

A: Definitely it is super inspiring to work with others, you learn a lot from this experience. In the “& friends” series it is based on one or two sessions in the studio. It happens very fast. It has this nice feeling you have when you have only a little time with someone and therefore you give your best.

GB: What is the inspiration behind your last project “Technocolor”? How did you come up with the name?

A:  We often use Masomenos as an adjective referring to colorful tinges, especially picking up items for the shop, I guess our music sounds a little techno and we are trying to put color into it…like every year putting together the music in a project Technocolor sounded cool, even if we spelt it wrong…

(Click on the player below to listen to Masomenos’ new album “Masomenos & Karat” featuring collaborations with Ark, Cabanne and Laetitia!)

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Biscuits & Gravy: The swinging funkiness of roaring energy

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My first encounter with Biscuits & Gravy was like traveling back in time to a Beatles or Rolling Stones concert, with swarms of groupies screaming and immolating their bodies to the rising gods of rock ‘n roll. This young, diversely vibrant group of seven from Boston blends into a sole volcanic ensemble on stage, bringing together a shared passion for music, groovy, deliciously funky tunes and a dazzling, galvanizing energy. Playing with multiple instruments ranging from bass to alto sax, and with enticing, warm vocals, Biscuits & Gravy  are able to set on fire any crowd . With an upcoming album (“Hello Weekend”) in the making, this high-powered, explosive group ignites the East coast scene and is getting ready to conquer it all.

Graziella Buontempo: Who are Biscuits & Gravy? How did you all meet?

Biscuits & Gravy: All members of B&G met and began playing while studying at Berklee College of Music. Everyone lives, eats and breathes music, performing with Biscuits and other groups as much as possible.

GB: How did you come up with this catchy yet unusual name?

B&G: At first, the name was a completely random name that came from David’s older brother Jon. It wasn’t something that we were going to keep but when playing one of our first shows, Dave asked the crowd if we should change our name. When people started chanting “Biscuits and Gravy,” we knew it was going to stick around.

GB: What influence does each of you have that the other ones don’t necessarily share and what are your common grounds?

B&G: Our backgrounds come from all over the place and we try and fuse them into a unique sound. Sam has a rock background, Mark has gospel, Ghost has jazz, Evan has R&B, and David dances to all the sounds combined.

GB: What comes first in your creative process: lyrics or the music?

B&G: It’s a mix really. There have been songs that the chords and form came first and lyrics were written afterwards, but there have been some where it’s the other way around. If it’s a good idea lyrically or in form, we usually pursue it.

GB: When you are in the studio recording, do you go mostly for feeling or perfection of the sound?

B&G: It was a mixture of both. The quality is extremely important but at the same time songs are about expressing one’s self and grabbing the emotion and feeling that comes with self expression. We take a mix, making sure to stay technically strong but always staying emotionally connected to the lyrical content.

GB: Where do you draw inspiration for your music?

B&G: Every day experiences, really. Whether it’s something that makes us extremely happy or just day to day issues, we draw inspiration from how we live. With our different backgrounds and experiences our songs can have a lot of different influences. At the end of the day, we make music that people living it up and working hard to get by will really understand.

(Click on the player below to listen to B&G’s first single “Serenade” from their upcoming LP “Hello Weekend!”)

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Zev: The alluring mystery of music with a soul

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When I first met Zev (aka The Wolf of Wolf+Lamb), two years ago in Boston, I had no idea what he looked like. However, I did know that the sultry sexiness and warmth of his music (both solo and as one half of Wolf + Lamb) had made me dance more than once until the light of dawn. With punchy bass breakdowns, lulling erotic moans, Zev transforms any dancefloor (whether in Miami, London or Black Rock’s Playa) in a groovy, slo-mo wave reminiscent of old-school house, disco and even country music. His soulful, sunny tunes travel straight to one’s heart and propel us into a place where time does not exist, digging deep into sensual feelings of love and seduction.

Graziella Buontempo: Who is Zev?

Zev: An interesting way to begin an interview, a question so deep one must reach into the abyss of one’s self just to begin pondering the possibilities of an answer

GB: What music did you listen to growing up and what are you listening to right now?

Z: I grew up listening to ultra-orthodox, all-male, testosterone laden folk music. The music was generally praising god or kvetching about how our ancestors had it rough and everyone was trying to kill us. It was essentially poorly regurgitated non-jewish music twenty years late.

GB: You have recently moved from NYC to Miami. Has this shift had any influence or consequences on your production? How different is the club scene?

Z: This is an annual pilgrimage the Soul Clap boys, Gadi, Deniz and myself make to escape the plunging temperatures the east coast. With the sun shining every day, I suppose it effects our mood, which probably keeps our music upbeat and optimistic.

GB: What creative medium that you still haven’t pursued would you like to attain?

Z: Desert making. I’m not too bad at cooking most anything.. but deserts is where I fall short. A highly creative medium I have yet to master. I’ll give you a taste when I’m there.

GB: I know you are a big fan of DIY, what is the favorite thing you have ever created?

Z: I love the chandeliers at the Marcy in New York. They’re very simple and made from old film reels that we’re going to be thrown out.

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