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WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017


ATLANTA-BASED ARTIST QUIE SPEAKS ABOUT SELF-PRODUCING HIS DEBUT ALBUM, DARKSIDE


Atlanta, GA – Coming through our speakers from Georgia, Atlanta artist Quie has
been quietly working away for most of 2016 on his debut album, Darkside. The
project dropped on Soundcloud last week, and we recently had the opportunity to
get the low-down from Quie on the motivation and inspiration for the album.
Composed of 6 tracks, the project is fully original in its’ approach to the
genre, with a variety of atmospheric vibes. The dark instrumentals, and blurry
musical definitions help the tracks comfortably seep into the ears of his
listeners. Whether he’s smoothly crooning the high notes of “Numb” or bringing a
stronger energy on “X Piles”, the arrangement of tracks will appeal to a wide
audience.
Check out our conversation on Darkside below, and stream the album.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


QUIE: Q&A

HipHopCanada: Thanks for speaking with us on your new release. This project will
be your first introduction to most of our audience. What are some things that
you wanted to establish with his project in terms of your identity as an artist
and producer?
Quie: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak with you guys. It’s an
honor. To answer your question, I wanted to establish that I’m that thing that
musics missing. A lot of music, mostly directing to hip hop and R&B, that you
hear nowadays is similar in every aspect and that’s something I’m not opposed to
but I’d rather be different. When I was younger, music was authentic. That’s
something I wanted to establish. Authenticity. It’s so easy to make music now,
nobody’s trying to be different or authentic. It’s sucks. I feel like I created
my own sound and now I want to give it to the world.
HipHopCanada: Why did you name this album Darkside and what kind of things
influenced the subjects and content?
Quie: I named the project Darkside because I felt this was a side of me no one
has ever seen. I’m an introvert, I keep to myself. This project is the other
side of me I never revealed… until now. I was also in a dark place. I just moved
to Atlanta, I really don’t have anybody out here. It’s been me and my music.
When you’re in such a atmosphere you start to reminisce and think about past
events, people that you’ve missed etc. You start soul searching and I think that
was a big influence.
HipHopCanada: Congratulations on self-producing the whole project, because
that’s a feat in itself. What are some challenges that you face in your creative
process when you’re handling both performing and producing?
Quie: The most challenging thing about doing both is staying original and making
sure every track is distinct from the other. I want everything I make to be
unique. 1 of 1. Starting with production all the way to performance.
HipHopCanada: If I’m correct, you’re originally from New Orleans but relocated
to Atlanta. How have both of those places influenced your music, if at all?
Quie: Growing up in New Orleans has influenced my music in ways I wouldn’t even
know lol. There’s so much culture going on down there. I add a little bit of
everything into my music and New Orleans is probably why. Atlanta’s trap sound
has taken over hip hop in today’s world. It’s being incorporated into every
genre so I had to incorporate it into my own. Why not.

HipHopCanada: What did this project mean to you, and what did you want your
audience to take away from the experience?
Quie: This project means a lot to me. It’s been a long road. I’ve been in and
out of different studios all of 2016 constantly creating vibes that I thought
people would enjoy. Now I finally have them in one package. I want my listeners
to get a dose of something new. I want to be the refreshing breeze.
HipHopCanada: Which track are you proudest of, and how did it come about?  
Quie: “Northern Lights”. It’s just so different and I didn’t expect it to come
out like it did. I tried to record it  in 2015 but things didn’t go as planned.
In December 2016 I rediscovered the beat and something told me record the song.
It’s my favorite track. A lot of people won’t like it, a lot will. I think it’s
special.
HipHopCanada: What was your goal with this project, and what kind of approach
have you taken with your music this last year leading up to its’ release? 
Quie: Being that it’s my first project, I wanted to just lay a solid foundation
for what’s to come after. I wanted to let whoever’s listening know that this is
only the beginning. Leading up to the release, I’ve just been promoting and
mostly networking, reaching out to people that can either help me or push me in
the right direction. I released a few singles to get a buzz going also. 

HipHopCanada: I really love “Numb” and the overall atmospheric sound that you
give to the track when you sing on it. How did you get started creating music,
and do you enjoy singing more than rapping?
Quie: I started creating music at a young age. My dad was a musician so playing
instruments was something that grew with me. I was born with a voice to sing,
but I always wanted to be a rapper. I have more fun rapping but it’s not on the
same level as singing. It just doesn’t give people the same feeling.
HipHopCanada: The rest of the album seems to be full of vibey, and similarly
darker tracks. How close to your personality does the music match up in
comparison to the style and persona you take on the album?
Quie: Everything’s vibes. Every track I make starts with the beat. My beats
originate from whatever mood I’m in. I’m actually a quiet person so if you don’t
really know me, you wouldn’t see the side I portray in my music.
HipHopCanada: What can listeners expect from you in the near future?
Quie: In the future my fans can expect more and even better music from me. I
just want to keep getting better and keep giving my fans something to look
forward to. A lot of artists aren’t consistent, i don’t want to be like that.
Stream Darkside below.

Interview conducted by Kira Hunston for HipHopCanada

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SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017


SLED ISLAND ANNOUNCES FLYING LOTUS AS THE FESTIVAL’S 2017 GUEST CURATOR


Calgary, AB – With less than six months until the return of Sled Island, the
annual Calgary music festival just kicked off the new year with some exciting
news: Flying Lotus is going to be guest curating the 2017 festival line-up this
year!
Every single year, Sled Island brings a guest curator on board to hand-pick some
of the festival performers. Past guest curators have included Peaches (2016),
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2015), Kathleen Hanna (2014), and more.
Each year the festival brings 250 bands, music performers, comedy acts, films
and visual art projects to more than 35 venues across Calgary. This year’s
festival goes down from Jun. 21 through Jun. 25.



In addition to assisting with the curation of the festival line up, Flying Lotus
will also be performing a show at The Palace Theatre (formerly Flames Central)
on Jun. 24. Sled Island passes grant access to the show and are currently on
sale at SledIsland.com, Sloth Records (736B 17th Ave. SW) and Lukes Drug Mart
(112 4th St. NE). Single tickets will be available in spring 2017.
But if you don’t want to miss your chance to scope this show, buy a Sled Island
pass ASAP. Sled Island is currently offering a special 15% off discount on all
Discovery Passes, Discovery Plus Passes, and Sampler Packs until Mar. 13.

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TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2017


PREMIERE: SETH DYER RELEASES ADOM WOODS DIRECTED VISUALS FOR “BLACK GHOSTS”


Toronto, ON – Nearly one year after writing “Black Ghosts,” Toronto artist Seth
Dyer returns with a minimalistic Adom Woods directed video to accompany the
record.
“Black Ghosts” released over the summer and serves as a record to bring
awareness to the epidemic of innocent Blacks being murdered. Throughout the
duration of the song, Seth repeats one question for his listeners: “Don’t I live
in the same world as you?”
For this video, Seth and Adom connected thanks to an introduction through one of
Seth’s friends. After linking to discuss potential video concepts, the two
quickly decided to make this video come to fruition. The visuals maintain a
simple, dark aesthetic as Seth puts the focus on his lyricism.
Check out the video premiere for “Black Ghosts” after the jump, and scope our
Q&A with Seth.






Q&A: SETH DYER




“Innocent people are still being killed and I had to bring more attention to
this record and make it new again through this music video.”
– Seth Dyer

HipHopCanada: Start off by telling me about your vision for this video, and the
story you wanted it to tell. I know this is one of the heaviest songs you’ve
ever released.
Seth Dyer: I wanted the video to be very simple. I didn’t want people watching
the video to focus on a story or another element that would distract from the
initial message of the song. I feel like the lyrics are the most important
element of the record and I think we did a good job of getting the message
across.
HipHopCanada: How did you meet Adom and end up collaborating on this one? Tell
me the story.
Seth Dyer: I met Adom through a friend that brought me to the studio I currently
work at, G-Spot Studios in Toronto. I knew I wanted to shoot a video for “Black
Ghosts” and other songs. But I was having a difficult time finding videographers
that were talented, inventive and deliver high quality work. Adom embodies all
three and he’s an effective worker as well. I didn’t have to chase him down for
edits or anything he was incredibly timely. We spoke about the “Black Ghosts”
idea in a tea shop and we executed the shoot soon after our initial meeting. I
plan to work a lot more with Adom he really helped to get my idea across.
HipHopCanada: Talk to me about the significance of keeping this video so
minimalistic, and sticking to the black aesthetic.
Seth Dyer: I’m a minimalist in general so I guess that attribute comes through
in the video. I’m always wearing black so that aesthetic is a reflection of me.
But the darkness also represents the somber situation that is the reality of
police violence against Blacks in North America. The minimalism of the video is
purposely done to bring more attention to the message within the lyrics.
HipHopCanada: If I’m not mistaken, you initially wrote this song back in
February 2016. It’s been almost a year since you penned this song. Talk to me
about how the track’s message resonates with you now in 2017.
Seth Dyer: This message still resonates with me after nearly a year because
things have still not changed. Innocent people are still being killed and I had
to bring more attention to this record and make it new again through this music
video. Because the message is important to me.
HipHopCanada: When you first released this song, you said something that I found
really poignant. You said that if this track was your only effort in raising
awareness about injustice, you weren’t doing enough to foster change. So what
other steps have you taken to create change in the world this year?
Seth Dyer: I’ve worked on helping people heal through gatherings and general
conversation. I’ve also changed the way I spend my money. I think if we – as
Black people – have better access to wealth we can do a lot to help ourselves.
I’ve spent more of my money with Black businesses. When my music takes off on a
larger scale and I have larger amounts of money coming in, I’d like to invest in
Black business and Black entrepreneurs.



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SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017


LIFESTYLE BRAND HICU PUTS ON LOCAL SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTING VANCOUVER’S RISING
TALENT


Vancouver, BC – While the vibrant music scene of Toronto rarely waivers, there’s
been a shift on the West Coast this last year. Lifestyle brand HICU caught onto
these shifts in West Coast culture early, and recognized the need for a public
platform as a collaborative possibility between fashion and sound. The result of
the brands’ efforts were two clothing lines laying parallel to the release of
two sound tapes ( Sound Tape N ° 1 and Sound Tape N ° 2) which combined
promising rising Canadian artists. While the projects brought an impressive
aesthetic value, they were highly noted for featuring some of the best rising
artists that the West Coast has to offer.
This past Friday, January 13th saw the first ever HICU showcase held at the
Alexander Gastown in downtown Vancouver. In collaboration with Hyphy events and
HipHopCanada, the evening displayed sets from the local aritsts who contributed
tracks to both tapes. The turnout was outstanding, and quickly surpassed
capacity as people filled all three floors of the venue (with the lineup
reaching well around the block even after doors opened). The energy was
contagious, and a just testament to the success of a newly flourishing
collective community.


Check out our interviews below with artists: Seth Kay, GRNDBLVD, Brandon
Gregora, Stevie Ross, Sharuk, Dave Fields, Spotty Josif, as well as HICU’s
creative director, Borna Shayegan (aka LXRY92) . In our conversations, each
artist was asked: what their respective track meant to them and how it came
about, how they individually felt about being an artist from Vancouver at this
moment, and where they see the community headed. We also had the opportunity to
talk to Borna about how he was inspired to take this approach with HICU –
collaborating fashion with music.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SPOTTY JOSIF


“WYWG” with Dave Fields
“My track with Dave Fields, “WYWG” meant a lot to me.  Being part of a project
with artists of the cool wavy R&B genre just shows that two different worlds can
work well together.  I feel that Dave and I brought the aggression aspect that
the project needed. It’s crazy because Borna really knows the scene and we were
handpicked to be apart of it.  The crazy thing about that song, is we did it in
two weeks from start to finish.  And on top of that, the song progressed
naturally.“
“I’ve been doing music for awhile now and honestly it feels great to be an
artist now.  I know the city can be cliquey sometimes but after that show the
supports gone through the roof.  I was thinking the whole time like, damn, when
did people start showing love? How come I didn’t get the memo?  I feel like the
community is much more open to new artists and we’re finally coming together.”
“I think everyone’s starting to realize in this music shit that it’s Vancouver
vs The World.  I know for awhile everyone tried to claim the city but all it
takes is for one of us to be put on. I know for a fact that if I ever make it,
I’m taking the whole city with me.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


DAVE FIELDS


Photo by Mats Schram
“WYWG” with Spotty Josif 
“WYWG” with Spotty Josif means a lot to me. Even though it only took a couple of
weeks to put together, it feels like it was a long time coming. Spot was one of
the first Vancouver artists I met after coming over from Ontario, and I feel we
had a mutual respect for each other (and each others music) right away. Even
though we have somewhat different styles, I think they mesh well together. It’s
funny because Borna had expressed interest in both of us being on the project,
but I don’t think he expected it to be on the same track.”
“I’m still a new artist in Vancouver, but I feel as though I’ve been carving out
a space for myself and my sound. Coming in as an outsider, and having different
interests in music pre-rap, I feel I have my own sound and that I’m doing things
a little differently than other artists in Vancouver. I feel blessed that people
put their faith in me and my music from early on, people like Matthew Harvey,
who I collaborate with on basically everything. I feel as though Vancouver is
becoming more and more open to local artists and the support seems to be
building. I think people are catching on.”
“I’ve been fortunate enough to build relationships with so many faces in the
community over a short period of time. I feel the love and I see people showing
more and more support, whether online or at shows, and it feels like a step in
the right direction. The HICU showcase proved to me and many others that we need
this type of support in our city, and I think we’re going to keep getting it.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


GRNDBLVD


“All I Want”
“The song means a lot to me because its my first release. I made the beat for
the song in a few hours and freestyled the hook right after. Left the track
alone for a few months but Borna’ was like you need to come back and finish it.”
“We don’t have the music scene other cities do, so naturally artists get less
recognition in Vancouver. But that just makes me want to grind harder and
develop my craft. End of the day, the product speaks for itself. Good music has
no borders.”
“I don’t know about the wider community — but if you mean the HICU family, just
watch what we about to do this year.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


BRANDON GREGORA


“On You” 
“On You” originally was a song I made just for my friends, not really serious
about it. After a couple weeks I uploaded it on Soundcloud and shared with a few
people online. Within a couple days, Stevie Ross sent me a message on Facebook,
mentioning how much he liked the song and wanted to work on new music with me.
At the time it was something extremely unexpected. This body of work has opened
many doors for me this past year, and I feel blessed with my experiences and the
people around me.
“I’m from Victoria, BC, and the music scene there is a lot different, I find,
compared to Vancouver. From my perspective, Toronto is a big name when it comes
to underground artists making it successfully in music, but I find the sound in
Toronto is the same in a lot of ways – lyrically, style of music, Drake,
etc. Being an artist here I find we work hard on creating our own individual
sound, and it is a very positive, supportive city. Everybody has something
different to bring to the table.”
“I predict this year will be a successful year for most. A lot of amazing
projects have kicked off this year already, and I’m excited to see others
improve and grow as artists. I hope to work with new artists in the city, as
well as keep consistently working on my craft.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


STEVIE ROSS


“Superman” and “Switch” with Brandon Gregora
“I think Vancouver is super unique, because a lot of the people that are still
killing it right now, or starting to get their just dues, we all met like 5/6
years ago going to Monday night hip hop because of Emotions. That’s where we all
built relationships, y’know? Maybe we all didn’t work together in the beginning
because we were all just trying to figure out what we were doing. We all took
different paths to get to where we’re going. All those relationships that
everybody built – it’s coming into fruition now because look at how we’re
working together. Everybody is pushing each other. Before my set I’m playing my
other friends’ songs because we have to force it on the DJs out here, if they’re
not going to play the songs. We have to say “Play this song before I go up,” and
then pick your homie.”
“I think Vancouver’s in a good spot right now. I think we’re all going to kill
it. We’ve got ninetyfour, Brandon, Spotty, Dave, So Loki. That’s what I’m trying
to do, this whole run with this album Imma’ shout everybody out in every
interview cause I don’t give a fuck. If I’ve gotta’ start it, then I’ll start
it. But hopefully everybody follows and we all just fucking mobilize. We’ve got
it, obviously, just look at how the show went. I’m happy to be a part of it.”
“I hope everyone stays positive and wants to keep working together. If we stay
on this wave, the city could have a real moment with all the different talents
out here. I’d just like to see more industry out here (in general) and I think
we’re going to be the guys who make that happen.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SHARUK


“No One” and “No Luv”
“No Luv“ was recorded in a friends bedroom. Seth just happened to be there as
well to record some stuff of his own. He heard me lay my verse down and after
playing it back, he told me “yo, this has to be your toughest joint yet” and I
was like “well shit, hop on if you got something.” About 10 minutes later the
guy went in on it and bodied it. This was a couple years back now. Anyways, we
never intended this song to come out or to have that mix be release worthy but I
messed with HICU heavy around that time too and they generously asked to throw
it on the tape so I said why not? and I’m glad I did because after a couple
shows now it’s clear that this is the people’s favourite.”
“No One” came about with a surprise. I didn’t really see my direction for my
verses but I had the hook stuck in my head for months before ever writing to it.
Again, it all came from experiences and feelings prior to it and some in that
current moment, which in the end kept it honest and real. It was a new sound I
brought to the tape following my EP released during the summer but the people
took it in well, and I felt a different confidence behind this one. 
“Privileged. I’m not sure if the older guys in the city can say that because I
know they’ve been at it for some time without seeing any drastic difference in
our culture. However, I feel good about it. Vancouver does have a lot of artists
but the ones who grasp the attention are all in their own lanes. No one is out
here biting sounds or copying a wave and I think that’s a huge advantage for us
when the city finally gets on the map. There’s still breathing room out here. I
also absolutely love the city so what else would be a better way to represent
it?”
“After that release party? I wish I could ask the people who showed up the same
question. Because it’s those people who make me feel like we’re heading for the
top. I can’t say with confidence that 2017 is “our year” but I could be
completely wrong. Without a doubt our community is heading for bigger and better
things. That HICU release party proved that we have something out here and I
feel like it’s just been sparked. I mean.. The year just began. What’s to come?
I want everyone to win and it’s going to happen. “

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SETH KAY


“6 am”
“My song “6 AM” was just a vibe. I had the beat, and played it for my man on the
way to the studio just free styling a few bars and his reaction was like, “Yo…
You gotta record that.” As far as the concept, it’s just where my life was at
during that time. Literally finding myself still awake at 6 AM night after
night, only focused on music and money. Of course, when you’re all work, it
leaves little time for personal, relationships etc. That’s basically what that
song is about.”
“I love being an artist in Vancouver. It’s probably the best place to be an
artist period. I hear a lot of people complain about why it’s more difficult to
be an artist from here, or how we have no community and that’s the problem, or a
million other excuses for why they can’t make shit happen for themselves. As
long as you blame the city, or the people in it for your own progress and
success, you’ll never make it.”
“I don’t like to talk too much about what’s gonna happen. I prefer just to show
work. But I can definitely say that this will be a great year for Vancouver.
Bout’ to do a whole lotta’ damage.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


LXRY92


Creative Director
“HICU started as a passion project as a branch of my design studio, High Culture
Studios (hence the tags “An Experiment conducted by High Culture Studios”).
Creatively, it only goes through my filter, so the vision is pure. Doing art
direction for many of the artists I work with, like Stevie Ross, Seth Kay and
Teshalé puts me in a unique position to pull a project like this together.”
“My angle with these tapes is to show how close to home the inspiration for HICU
is. There are artists (in Vancouver) making music worth talking about and being
proud of… I think the HICU Sound Tape opened up a lot of people to that. And the
HICU Pop-Up + Sound Showcase event we had on January 13th confirmed that… the
city pulled up for it and it was epic.”



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THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017


KHALID TALKS FINDING HIS VOICE & CHARTING HIS OWN PATH TO SUCCESS


El Paso, TX – Originally published Jan. 25, 2017 – At just 18-years-old, R&B
singer/songwriter Khalid isn’t your typical teen. With a newly acquired deal
under his belt from RCA Records, his rise to the forefront of the music industry
has been swift and organic in its’ origins. After all, it was only during the
first quarter of 2016 that the vocally-trained soul singer started releasing
music online as an independent artist residing in the border city of El Paso,
Texas. One of his earliest releases, “Location” quickly surpassed expectations –
collecting over a million streams in a mere two months, and ultimately leading
the new high school graduate to sign with RCA.
While the release of “Location” established his marketable credibility, it’s
Khalid’s unmatched voice and seamless delivery that undeniably wins him respect
within the greater international music community (and with his growing fan
base). His lyrics deliver the perfect concoction of depth and nostalgia that is
both present and reminiscent. Currently he’s embarking on his first headlining
North American Tour – appropriately named, The Location Tour.  It’s on the
afternoon of January 15th, while preparing for his third show in Toronto,
Canada, that we connect for a quick phone interview.

“Growing up was a lot of ‘nos’. People kept telling me – ‘No, this isn’t what
you should do,’ or ‘No, you should sing this way.’ But I gave myself the yes. ”
– Khalid

The warmth of his voice envelops the conversation as he rebuttals a comment on
the weather in Toronto, elaborating, “Toronto’s super cold. I actually lived
three hours from Toronto when I lived in New York.” 
Following inquiries about how someone goes from living in New York to El Paso,
Texas, he describes a transient childhood, “I’m actually a military child, so my
mom was in the army and still is in the army. I lived in Germany for 6 years. I
moved to New York and was there for four years, and then I lived in El Paso for
a year and a half.”
The tour’s title, The Location Tour resonates deeper as he relays his
experiences moving around. He’s enthusiastic to explain the dynamics of his
upbringing, “Moving to El Paso really had a big influence on my music career
because I wouldn’t have became a musician or a recording artist if I hadn’t
moved to El Paso. That move from New York to El Paso was really, really dark for
me. Being a senior in high school, I didn’t really know where my life was going
to take me. I didn’t know what decisions I wanted to make. I didn’t know what I
wanted as a job. But the moment that I moved to El Paso and I got introduced to
all these cool people, some of the friends that I have right now, gave me the
strength and courage to keep pushing my music. And it created an opportunity for
me when I released one of my first songs called “Saved” in voice memo form.”
He pauses to take a breath, and also to take a moment to reflect. Through the
phone, you can hear him fully recounting how his dreams came to fruition, and
the excitement builds in his voice as he continues on, “I put rough tracks on it
and I put it out there. Seeing everyone in my city react to that, kind of hyped
me up to keep going and keep pushing. It lead up to ‘Location’ which is doing so
well right now. I wouldn’t have even imagined that it would do as well as it’s
doing right now, and it’s so special because I really feel like that was the
tipping point for me. It really set up everything for me, on the course of the
tour, on the course of signing.”

He laughs again when talking about the creation of “Location”. The background
story he describes is idealistic, and relatable – two qualities that have
been worked into most of his music. And credibly, these qualities are what have
garnered the music video close to 5 million plays online. He describes, “I wrote
it a little bit before prom. I was trying to impress this girl. I just didn’t
really have any strong attributes other than music. So I was like, “You know
what? I really feel like it would be super dope to write a song (for her).” I’d
started this song out in Atlanta. It was after this long session I’d had, and I
didn’t want to keep going. But there was something in me that was like, you kind
of have to keep going. So I wrote the chorus in Atlanta, got back to El Paso
with the girl on my mind, and finished the song. I was like, “I have to release
it before prom. It has to come out before my senior prom.” I didn’t get the
girl, but I won prom king.” 
At only 18, the transition from youth to adulthood is a period of self-discovery
and self-reflection that many of us can relate to, or are currently going
through. He expresses the need for creative outlets, and on the role that music
has played in his life, he contends, “Throughout high school I really felt like
I was going to be a music teacher. I was gonna’ be in music education. I was
gonna’ have a vocal performance major. I was gonna’ minor in music education. So
I really learned a lot about music, and about the way I felt was best for me to
sing. I actually didn’t win a lot of the competitions that I was in because my
voice was so different from everyone else’s. I feel like when it comes to the
terms of music and vocal performance and all that, it’s very one track. You kind
of have to sound a certain way because that’s the best way to sound. And since I
never really sounded like that, I never really did that good – until last year.
The moment that I turned it into recording music, everyone was listening to the
songs and like “Why does this 18 year old sound 30?” 
Most interesting is our discussion about the inevitable resistance that comes
with the territory of fame and success. On making music that is different from
the mainstream, Khalid shares his own experience of overcoming negativity, “In
El Paso, when I started creating music they thought it was weird. They thought
it was different. The most popular kid probably in my school stated that the
song ‘sucked’. So I kept going. Growing up was a lot of ‘nos’. People kept
telling me – ‘No, this isn’t what you should do,’ or ‘No, you should sing this
way.’ But I gave myself the yes.  I was like, I’m gonna’ do what I wanna’ do. If
this is really what I wanna do and if I make a song for this reason, there has
to be a reason I made that song. I really didn’t care what anybody else told
me.”
With such an overwhelming amount of success occurring so quickly, it’s hard to
imagine what he might be feeling at this point. He gets slightly quieter as our
conversation comes to an end, and he humbly recounts on all of the
developments in his life, ” I would say that it was super overwhelming because I
didn’t expect it to happen. So the moment that everything started moving as fast
as it did. I was like okay, I really have to grow up. I have to learn. I have to
be open to doing a lot of things. I have to really put myself out there. I have
to be more vulnerable. It was really a growing process to see how fast
everything was going. Just the momentum, and the way that it’s been pushing has
been really humbling. And it always reminds me to keep grounded. Because I’m
like, why did I come into this profession? Why did I want to be a recording
artist? I had to keep in mind all of that stuff. This job is just so easy to get
carried away with everything that comes with it.”
He’s about to be pulled away to get ready for his show, and we end our call
contemplating what he’s grateful for. With honest appreciation in his voice, he
states, “The fact that everyone comes out and they know all the words to the
songs.” The answer is to the point, and uncomplicated. As a kid who’s finally
received recognition on a larger scale, he’s just thankful that people are
appreciating his music. The lines drops and there’s a resounding feeling that
he’s only skimmed the surface of the success he’s going to receive.
Check out future dates of The Location Tour here, and stream “Location” below.


Posted by Blogger at 10:05 AM No comments:
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SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2017


CREATE. DEFINE. RELEASE: AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE, CDR TORONTO’S SUPPORT HASN’T
WAVERED


Toronto, ON – On a cold and wintery December afternoon in Toronto’s East End, I
met with Gavin Alexander, Gareth Morgan and Ramón Charles – members of CDR
Toronto’s brain-trust – to discuss music and culture in Canada, but more
specifically CDR. We talked about its inception, the state of CDR and what the
future holds. But what is CDR (Create. Define. Release.); and what makes it
different from other producer centric events in the GTA? Well the format is
simple. CDR sessions offer music makers the opportunity to submit their own
songs (burnt onto CD, on a USB key or uploaded in advance) then hear them played
in a club environment over a superb sound system.
CDR was started over 10 years ago by Tony Nwachukwu, then a member of Attica
Blues. When the group’s run with Sony Music and MO ‘Wax came to an end, he
sought to create a safe space where young artists could play their works in
progress, develop their sound and find an audience. He soon called upon his
friend Gavin Alexander to help get the project off the ground.
“Toronto is a great city for music; with a huge range of sounds created within
the GTA. After being here for 2 years I quickly realized I had to bring CDR to
Toronto.” – Gavin Alexander


Billed as “The Night of Ideas and Tracks in the Making” the first CDR session
was held at the Embassy Bar in 2002.
Gavin Alexander remembers: “The idea of immediacy, creating art and being able
to engage with an audience was very appealing to me.”
The word quickly spread from there and the night eventually moved to the place
which would become its spiritual home, the legendary Plastic People in London.
CDR has since spread its gospel around the Globe with events being held in
Sydney, Melbourne, Berlin, Pittsburgh, and Paris.
Fast forward to 2012, Gavin now finds himself in Toronto. “Toronto is a great
city for music; with a huge range of sounds created within the GTA. After being
here for 2 years I quickly realized I had to bring CDR to Toronto.”
His run-ins within the local music and arts community allowed him to cross paths
with Ramón Charles, Janine Wright and Koray Özel, like minded individuals who
would be instrumental in getting the project off and running.“Before I even
approached Ramón he was already sending tracks to me. He was very much an
inspiration.”
Since September 2015, CDR has been amassing a growing following all the while
building an amazing community of creative people. Not just music makers but also
listeners. To put it simply, people who are fans of new music. Over time regular
participants like DJ/Producer Gareth Morgan, who goes by DJ G-Spot, and Snafu76,
have come into the fold, DJing throughout the night and providing customized
mixes of the submitted works.


Ramón Charles says, “We try to make mixtapes in order to spread the word about
all the amazing music being made in the city.”
It attracts artists from all walks of life, genres and skill levels. Gavin
continues, “I see this every time we do CDR. Just random people immediately
connecting with each other, not just vibing but, sharing their creativity and
appreciation for each other’s work.”
Ramon Charles adds: “It’s a great playground for producers and musicians to let
their songs free.”
All this goes down in the basement at 805 Studio on Dovercourt. It’s a cozy
venue with a beautiful dance floor and plenty of seating; an ideal setting for
those looking to network, dance or just listen and admission is free. “We were
lucky and blessed to have found Studio 805 as a venue… Big ups to Elizabeth and
the 805 crew for being so welcoming and taking a chance with us.”
The night starts by digging into the CDR archives, playing and mixing tracks
submitted by the participants in previous sessions and prior to the night’s
event. Before moving on to “Open CDR” where the latest crop of submissions is
played and mixed by Gareth while the artists Name and the Track name are flashed
on the big screen.
Gareth: “People are really there to listen and contemplate the music.”




SUBMITTING MUSIC TO CDR


Participants can submit their music by uploading their track directly to the CDR
website by bringing a USB or submitting a CDR at the event itself. By submitting
their music participants not only have the opportunity to hear their creations
played over a state-of-art sound system but they automatically have their name
entered into a draw to win music software.
CDR is not only the night. Ramón has lent his talents as a graphic designer to
help create a visual esthetic on par with what is being created sonically. He’s
also used his skills as a film editor to create short vox pop vignettes culled
from footage recorded at each session. Featured in these vignettes are
interviews with participants and members of the audience who are asked to speak
on a variety of subjects and give their feedback on the nights proceedings. He’s
also done work editing the CDR In-Studio series where members of the CDR
community are interviewed within their creative spaces.
After a highly successful run of events in 2015 and 2016, what does the future
hold for CDR?
Ramon Charles: “We’re talking about expanding what it is we’re offering. We want
to reach out to the community to network and figure out ways we can highlight
them or work with them.”


Gavin Alexander adds: “We’re looking to maybe change the process. Have artists
talks before Open CDR.”
CDR Knowledge sessions have been held in London, these events offer workshops
given by technical experts from companies like Ableton, Apple and Native
Instruments. “There are lots of people out there who need help. In terms of
understanding what it takes to Mix a track properly, to Master a track properly.
There are people within the community who’ve been teaching music making for
years.” There is also CDR Live, a concept where the participants are invited to
reproduce their works live.
“At CDR we’re obsessed with the creative process.”
CDR has wrapped up its 2016 season after presenting another successful evening
of new music on Dec. 22nd. The event will be on hiatus until the spring of 2017.
With so much in the works there is a lot to look forward to in 2017 as CDR will
be hosting its 10th Session in Toronto.
For more information check out http://cdrtoronto.ca.
Written by Hugues Lamour for HipHopCanada


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