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dust-tone · 4 years ago

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Dust-Tone Interview: King Pari

art by dusq.

Meet King Pari: your new favorite band. The duo have each made music in various forms for years, but together they have linked up as King Pari- a sweet, lofi R&B group (for lack of a better term.. Mtume meets Prince with modern “indie-pop” sensibilities?) that has a sense of both optimism and longing typically only found in 60′s-70′s soul music.

Cameron Kinghorn and Joe Paris Christensen originally hail from Minneapolis, but have since relocated to Los Angeles. They have played in bands together in the past but also have made a name for themselves in various projects throughout the years. In Minneapolis, Cameron sang for the soulful Nooky Jones and is a part of Black Market Brass- an amazing Afrobeat group that recorded for the legendary Colemine Records. Joe, also no stranger to the music scene, was a guitarist in the Prince-approved PHO and had been creating and performing as DJ Stepmom (which combines an electro sound with live instrumentation and a modern-funk leaning style) when he came up with some ideas that went on to become the first King Pari Songs. He then texted it to Cameron. Cameron’s response? “I want in.”

Thankfully they had some time in between recording, playing shows and getting their first EP released to have a chat together.

Dust-Tone: Thanks for taking the time. I love the style you guys have fleshed out. What kind of process or influence led to that? I hear strong vocals mixed with almost-electro beats and live instrumentation, and I’m just curious as to what elements led to you discovering and championing that sound.

King Pari [Joe]: I didn’t produce music until I got a Tascam 388 1/4-inch tape machine and an Oberheim DX drum machine, so I got those two things around the same time and it was like “oh cool, I have drums, and I have a way to record now” so then I made loops with the drum and tape machines.. so it all started without a computer, basically because I didn’t how to use a computer to record. I think the knobs made more sense to me and also with playing in funk bands before.. the drum machine kind of gave it a Minneapolis sound, tied in with the funk and psychedelic sound going on.

D-T: How do you guys split up the process of writing/producing/recording?

KP [Cameron]: It depends on the song.. we live together now that we are in LA, but generally Joe will come up with some super rad/wild instrumental and then either I will do the vocal production stuff fully on my own or sometimes we’ll get together and I’ll just riff/improvise vocals and we’ll look at all the ideas we like and finish writing the lyrics before recording. For example “Sunshine” [Joe had a full instrumental version ready] from the first time we hung out, and then I wrote lyrics and came back to record them. But a song like “Understanding” was more like the two of us in a room together and we came up with melodies we liked before Joe had [the hook] of the chorus and he was like “it’s got to be that.” And then we built the song together around that, so it just depends on which song, but it’s kind of a combo of both.

D-T: You have already released a handful of singles, but also have the debut collection, Mary EP, coming out soon, correct?

KP [Joe]: We already have a 7″ record of Sunshine, and a 12″ of Come Inside which was released with PPU (Peoples Potential Unlimited) but will not appear on the Mary EP. Towards the beginning of August we’ll release another single, but the full EP will be released at the end of August and the release show is in Minneapolis on September 23rd. Looking forward to getting it out there.

D-T: How and when did you meet the artist Jake Huffcut? His artwork is a great pairing with style. For those who do not know, he’s animated each music video you’ve released and provided artwork for the singles so far.

KP [Cameron]: We got together after the recording of Sunshine, and Joe+I had the idea of what it sounds like visually. We both thought this would be awesome to be animated in an Adult-Swim style.. and so Joe found Jake on Instagram and it was exactly what we’re describing. He had already made a music video for another band from Minneapolis and it was like “This is the guy.... this is exactly what I’m describing.” He was super down to do it.. we would send him the lyrics and he would go and make the visuals, and totally crush it. There wasn’t a lot of “we need this to be in the video,” which is great because there is stuff he added, and there was no way we could have thought to tell him to add that. After the first video he took a lot of creative control which was nice for us. After it’s all out you’ll be able to watch the entire 24-minute EP as a short animation film basically.

D-T: Any plans to tour as the country opens back up?

KP: We are definitely looking into it now, but we would love to tour, and when the right stuff comes up we’ll be there. We’ve done a lot of touring in separate acts and want to continue touring as much as we can.

If you’re in Highland Park in Los Angeles, the two suggest Chico’s Restaurant if you’re feeling Mexican flavor or Burgerlords for some cheap but delicious burgers. Can’t forgot to mention the Tuesday morning farmer’s market if you’re looking for freshness, but for the truly fresh I would suggest just looking up King Pari on your preferred streaming service and buying the records they have before everything sells out.

#King Pari #dust-tone #features #dusq.

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dust-tone · 6 years ago

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Sundrenched - the sundrenched lofi guitar ensemble, vol. 4 (DUST004) [7″ / digital]

Sundrenched the sundrenched lofi guitar ensemble, vol. 4 May 10, 2019 format: 7″ lathe cut picture disc / digital

art+design: dusq.

‘preciate it

swimming

deep in the lab

overexposed suburban sunset

your afterimage

tomorrow

down moon

autumn memories

time washes clean

floating without you

see you next time

Bandcamp | Spotify | iTunes | Apple Music | etc https://dust-tone.com/dust004

#sundrenched #dusq.#dust-tone #music

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dust-tone · 7 years ago

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Dust-Tone Interview: Sweatson Klank (fka TAKE)

art by dusq.

Sweatson Klank (formerly known as Take) is nothing short of a musical pioneer. Having been at the center of the ever-growing beats community for almost two decades now, Tom Wilson has helped engineer the creative environment that is known and loved today. You can find his discography scattered amongst nearly a dozen revered labels (including Project: Mooncircle, All City, Friends of Friends, Poo-Bah, Alpha Pup and more). He has also produced an extensive collection of official DJ mixes for beloved radio stations and collectives (BBC, dublab, BTS, Low End Theory, Brainfeeder and many more). Most important to note however is his paramount Sketchbook night which laid the foundation for the famed Low End Theory and the fertile Los Angeles beat community as a whole in the early-mid 2000′s.

While Sweatson Klank is both busy with musical projects and running the label Tone and Manor, we were fortunate enough to sit down and get his perspective on the current musical climate.

Dust-Tone: When did you first start making music and what got you interested in it? Early influences?

Sweatson Klank: I started making music when i was 13. I had a deep connection to music really early on. I got a guitar and took lessons for a year. From there on I jammed with my friends and eventually started a couple little bands in High School. I also got a bass and started playing bass a little here and there. These bands were just little garage bands where we would play parties and wherever we got invited to play, but it was good fun and I learned a lot from those experiences. When i got to college i quickly started looking for other musicians to form a band with but had trouble finding people I related to musically. Around that time I went to a huge house party off campus and really got my first taste of what a dj was truly capable of. This guy, who later became a good friend was rocking a crown of about 300 people with just turntables, records and a mixer. Mind you, this was well before cdjs or Serato. At the time is was still really special to witness a dj playing records and doing so with a technical prowess I hadn't ever seen before. I had an epiphany, that night. I watched this dj just control a crowd and they were loving it. I had been having trouble forming a new band because I had a really strong opinion of what i wanted it to sound like and others didn't seem to see eye to eye with me. I was always telling people how to play and what to play with their instruments. As you can imagine, no one really liked that hahaha. Little did i know i was a producer in the making. I had all these ideas but I wasn't capable of playing them or truly expressing them yet. So back to this party, I was shocked to see this dj setting the vibe and expressing himself through playing records. I sat there all night bugging him to let me try it. Of course, he kept saying no, get lost. Finally as it got later and he got drunker, he told me " If you want to make a fool of yourself go ahead" and handed me the headphones. I had never touched a turntable or mixer in my life, but i had been watching him do it all night. So i got up there and started flipping through his records, which i knew absolutely nothing about, they were all house records. The only record i knew was a Micheal Jackson record - " Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" so i grabbed it and somehow magically blended a perfect mix on my first try and the crowd went nuts!! Most likely because it was MJ and that song gets any party hype hahah.. So i grabbed another record i didn't know and tried again and completely train wrecked and the dj grabbed the head phones back from me and went back on. That one moment of glory though was enough to set it all off for me. The next week i was at his house begging him to teach me and practice on his turntables. Its just snowballed from there. i was hooked, started buying records, eventually got turntables, a club night, started dj'ing all over. I learned to dj playing house music but i was much more into Hip Hop and Funk and Soul. After about a year, i realized i wanted to actually make tracks and not just be a dj. So i got a drum machine, and then a sampler, and a four track and there you have it, i was on my way to doing what i still love to do today.

DT: What are you currently listening to? Does this affect the evolution of your current sound? Do you find yourself holding onto influences and themes of the past over new music tendencies or is how you make music flowing more with the changing of the times?

SK: That question is pretty difficult because I listen to so much music all the time. I really don't listen to any one style of music constantly. I love to discover old music that I didn't know. Record collecting is still one of my favorite hobbies so Im constantly finding stuff from the past that is incredibly inspiring and influential in the music i make today. I think i am much more inspired by the sounds of the past than i am the sounds of most fo todays music. As an artist, your tastes are constantly evolving, and to me thats a beautiful thing. It shows your own growth, and life is all about growing. When I am not in the studio working, i generally prefer to listen to old records. Jazz, Brazilian, African, weird electronic library records, New Age music and i love 80's Soul/R&B boogie stuff!

DT: You've been a pretty important staple in the "beat scene" for over a decade now. Low End Theory (which has now sadly come to a finale), Dublab, AllCity, Warp, Ghostly, Poobah, Project Mooncircle, even BBC and so many more love you. You are the modern hero to the independent beat maker. Do you feel like growing up on the west coast had any impact on early exposure to this musical way of thought? Able to meet the right people, get pushed in the right directions, etc?

SK: Thanks man, so nice of you. I think just having a forward thinking attitude about music and life really helped me most. Low End was a great place that helped me get noticed and meet tons of incredible people who shared similar perspectives on music. Before Low End though, we had a night called Sketchbook which was essentially an early version of all of that. Our goal was just to push the weirder left field side of hip hop and downtempo electronic music before it was actually cool. It was an uphill battle at first but but we just did it out of love for the music and a passion to play stuff no one else was playing.

DT: How has the "beats" community changed since you first entered it? Some would argue what was once a niche LA sound has spread worldwide and transformed through the different cultures. Does this influence your music?

SK: When we started doing this, it was just our own form of expression, we had no idea it would eventually grow into the "Beat Scene" and now in turn, people call it Lo Fi hip hop.. i just laugh. Its all good. I think there are tons of great producers out there making really interesting beats!! So Im happy to maybe have been a part of the birth of whatever the movement wants to call itself now. I think I am more in awe and influenced by the OG's than the new comers. To me everyone has one great record in them.. But to put out great music for years and years, thats a different story. That is what inspires and influences me the most. When i leave this earth, I want to leave behind a vast catalog of musical creations, regardless of if any of it was commercially successful or popular. Just like most of the records I admire most from 30-40 years ago. They were never hugely popular, but they were incredible!

DT: What is your creative process like? Do you start with the tool or from the imagination? Or both? Do you find yourself ever using traditional methods for making music or do you normally stick to the DAW? (which DAW/gear do you use?)

SK: My process really varies. Sometimes I start with a sample, other-times i just lay out a chord progression on the piano or a synth and build from there. I try to find new ways to tap into creativity so that im not bored. There is really no one single approach to making music. I use Ableton as my main DAW but I also use a ton of external instruments like synths, guitars, bass, drum machines, percussion instruments, vinyl samples.

DT: Fine Lines, your latest release from FoF Music is incredible. Did you have a specific aural goal with this album or did you just create and let the sound emerge naturally? Are you currently working on anything for the future or currently focusing more on support for your latest release? Anything exciting planned for 2019?

SK: With the 'Fine Lines' album I really wanted to create a cohesive album that embodied a specific vibe. How that vibe is perceived is up to the listener of course, but i sought out to make something that was indicative of my life during the making of these songs. In its most basic explanation its a story of growth, love, battling darkness both inner and outer and the never ending search for true happiness hahha. Yes I have a bunch of stuff slated for 2019. First off i just launched my label Tone and Manor. We just released our first compilation " All Over the Place" Vol. 1 and have Vol. 2 coming out in November. The Tone and Manor label is a passion project of mine. I teach music production at Point Blank Music Academy and I mentor a lot of young producers and beginners and the label is a way for me to help some of them get their music out there into the often confusing music sphere. I also have a new album coming out in 2019.. Im really excited about that. For this one I am really going back to my roots. Analog synths, samples, instruments and in general a more organic vibe to the music. Its getting closed to finish and im really hyped to share it when its ready. The first single will likely come out early 2019.

DT: Do you find that switching your name brought any confusion? Do Sweatson Klank and TAKE focus on separate sounds or do they have a similar theme you aim for?

SK: Switching my name from Take to Sweatson Klank was purely for the reason that Take became increasingly impossible to find online, being that its a verb used in every other sentence. It was a bit hard at first to re-brand but im glad i did it. The sound has always been me. Its the evolution of me as an artist. If i was still TAKE the songs I've released as Sweatson Klank would be the same. It was really just a name change, not a style change. The intention hasn't changed.

DT: Please recommend something you're currently listening to, favorite place to get food in LA (are you an LA native), and a film or book if you have had time to indulge.

SK: Currently as i write this i am listening to a track from 1985 called 'Plastic Love' by a Japanese Female Soul artist named Mariya Takeuchi. The list of things i listen to could fill up 3 pages hahaha. Lets just say i listen to everything!!! I stay up on the latest hip hop, house, techno but I find more pleasure in digging through old records and discovery things from different times and countries!! Yes, I would say I am an LA native, I moved here from Paris, France when I was 5. Favorite place to eat really depends on the mood! Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo is definitely a regular in my rotation. Current read; The book of Joy by Douglas AbramsI just want thanks for taking the time to shine a light on me and my work, I hope your readers enjoy.

Sweatson Klank’s music is available direct from the artist through bandcamp: https://sweatsonklank.bandcamp.com

And his label’s discography as well: https://toneandmanor.bandcamp.com

Huge thanks to Tom Wilson for taking the time to talk with us and give a window to his world.

#features #take #sweatson klank #los angeles #dublab #sketchbook #low end theory #beat scene #alpha pup #brainfeeder

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dust-tone · 7 years ago

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Dust-Tone Interview: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

art by dusq.

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson is your favorite musician’s favorite musician. Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, conductor and collaborator with everyone from Dr. Dre to Ray Charles. His reputation precedes him. Looking at his selected discography you see works with Robert Glasper, DMX, Flying Lotus, The Roots, Seu Jorge, Thundercat and literally too many more to name. In addition to that he has put together the incredible 60-piece “Suite For Ma Dukes,” an official orchestrated tribute to the late J Dilla.

In between recording sessions, numerous collaborations and finishing up his debut solo album, Miguel took time out of his very busy schedule to share some thoughts and give insight as to what goes on in the mind of arguably the world’s hardest working musician.

DT: Hey Miguel, thanks so much for being so down to do this interview and for your support in general. It means so much to me coming from you!

M: My big pleasure man, thank you for having me Ray!

DT: When did you first start making music and what got you interested in it? Early influences?

M: I started taking weekly violin lessons at age 4 at my own request. I was influenced by the fact that my parents when leaving me in my crib alone as an infant, would have repeat tapes of Mozart, Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, Brahms, etc, being played around the clock. Additionally, my Father, Steve Ferguson is a genius pianist and songwriter whom I would hear practicing on the regular. So, music was essentially all around me almost all the time. Bach was my favorite composer growing up.

M: Since my bud Carlos Niño introduced me last year to the absolutely wondrous music of Einojuhani Rautavaara, I have been pretty much most impressed with him. I go through a significant amount of music every morning as part of my morning ritual where I add to an ever growing playlist I have been curating for sometime. Right now, it totals 8,225 tracks of my favorite recorded music over the last 100 years spanning every genre of music. The compositions and recordings of Einojuhani Rautavaara however, have been a major epiphany for me overall as of late. I make sure not to be influenced by anything too much, but I have been finding that studying his music has been encouraging me to continue to embrace and work on my own unique artistry.

DT: You’ve done tons of various musical work with tons of great artists. Do you find yourself approaching arranging the same as strictly instrument work? What were some of your favorite projects/musicians to work on/with?

M: I approach each person and each project the same. I try to be of service and enjoy myself as much as possible. In my opinion, everyone is equally God and every project regardless of money or popularity of the artist, is just as important as the other. I give my all as sincerely and authentically as I can to every project. Some of my favorite people that I have worked with are Anderson .Paak, Austin Peralta, Azar Lawrence, Bilal, Billy Higgins, Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade, Carlos Niño, Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave, Dwight Trible, Eddie Murphy, Flying Lotus, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Heath Ledger, Henry Mancini, James Gadson, J Rocc, Kamasi Washington, Kamau Daaood, Karriem Riggins, Lady Gaga, Lianne La Havas, Marcus Gilmore, Mary J. Blige, Nai Palm, Nate Morgan, Pharoahe Monch, Pino Palladino, Questlove, Quincy Jones, Raphael Saadiq, Ray Brown, Ray Charles, Robert Glasper, Seu Jorge, Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner, Stevie Wonder, and Wayne Shorter.

DT: What do you think of the current music “scene”? Being in the center of such a complex musical world- jazz, hip-hop, electronic, classical- do you find genuine themes and ideas being diluted through independent music scenes or as more people gravitate towards the Flying Lotus/post-genre type sound does it bring you joy to see your musical seeds blooming all around the world?

M: The word ‘scene’ to me doesn’t sound as supportive as the vibe in an artistic ‘community.�� In a scene, I think people are more influenced by ‘fads’ and people are just trying to fit in and impress each other, there is a lot of posturing. In communities however, there can be fads too, but overall, I feel like there is more of a support system that encourages people to foster their own authenticity and uniqueness. Perhaps i’m just tripping out over vernacular, lol, sorry! In terms of ideas and art being diluted because of the influence of a few, I think it is only natural for some to hugely influence others. I don’t see it as diluting or potentially negative, I just see it as part of a bigger process of people finding and creating their own voice. We’re all influenced by each other and we’re part of a much bigger river of life. We’re all standing on the shoulders (in a variety of ways) of those that came before us and around us. We’re all just trying to add to the discussion, we’re trying to contribute to society in a way that will add value to humanity beyond our lifetime.

DT: What is your creative process like? Do you start with the tool or from the imagination? Or both? Do you find yourself sticking to more traditional methods of songwriting or could we also find you working through a DAW like Live or Reason? Has working with Dublab changed your process at all? M: I try to be a gracious dance partner with the spirit of creativity and magic. I never want to be demanding of magic and creativity. I try just to set a good mood and open up space for magic to make an appearance. I let Magic and Love be in charge, not my ego. I try to be a servant to the vibration of Love. I sit at my keyboard and simply enjoy myself. I write what is coming to me down with pencil and paper, and then I put it into the computer using my software program called ‘Finale’. Working with Dublab hasn’t changed my process at all, but it has been a very encouraging, positive, and fruitful relationship.

DT: What are you currently working on? Rumors of a Brainfeeder release keeping popping up and that is clearly very exciting. You’ve been collaborating with Flying Lotus for the better part of a decade now if I’m not mistaken, so I’m sure he was eager to have you release a full length album. Any tours, releases, special projects we can expect this year? M: There are numerous projects that are still secret, but i can say that currently I am finishing orchestrating new albums by Anderson .Paak, The Cinematic Orchestra, The Gaslamp Killer, and Flying Lotus. My main focus is trying to finish my first solo album, which will be a double album entitled Les Jardins Mystiques released [in] 2019. Albums that I have finished working on that are soon to be released include releases by Brandon Coleman, Dwight Trible, and Marcus Gilmore, and a multi episode bio pic for Apple starring Dr. Dre called Vital Signs that I orchestrated.

DT: recommend something you’re currently listening to, favorite place to get food in LA (are you an LA native?), and a film or book if you have had time to indulge.

M: Right now, my favorite composer is Einojuhani Ratauvaara and my favorite eatery is Hwang Hae Do Korean BBQ (yes, I am a LA native having grown up in Topanga Canyon). The last two films I saw happened to be in the theatre and were ‘Sorry To Bother You’ and ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’. Both were utterly brilliant and the Fred Rogers film made me cry. Both films were inspirational and very well made. I am usually reading 10 books at any one time. Right now, the three main books i’m reading are ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare, ‘Reaching Beyond’ which is a discussion between my mentors Herbie Hancock, Daisaku Ikeda, and Wayne Shorter, and ‘Fundamentals of Hawaiian Mysticism’ by Charlotte Berney. All three books are utterly fascinating.

DT: Huge thank you! M: Huge thank YOU bro!

Unbridled and sincere thanks to Miguel for taking the time to chat.

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