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| Interview with bleubrid, by zane, march
2006 |
|
Hi! |
| Hi, I am bleubird, endemik music. Transplant from Florida to Montreal. I'm a traveller, never stay in one place long enough to make anything, like hold a job or get my teeth fixed, anything like this. |
| This is not the first time you're in Europe. So, what do you think about the countries you've seen so far and the people you've met here? |
| I love it man! It's very hard for me to tour in the states, but I do tour the states. Usually I end up losing money and not all shows are that good. Here it seems that there's much more appreciation for what I do, for what we do. Also in general, there's more art and culture understanding and people are more open-minded. |
| So what do you know about the European and the Swiss scene? |
| Oh. Europe is huge… I work with Belgians, Swedes, Germans, and French. as far as Switzerland, I'm friends with the guys from quiet, dani goeldin, bit-tuner, goran, 88:komaflash… but as far as Europe, there's so many, I worked with cavemen speak, stacs of stamina etc…gunporn, shadowanimals… |
| Speaking of the Shadowanimals, who are also here tonight with Tom, Nomad and Marcus, how did you get in contact with them? |
| The first time I was in Europe I was on tour with grand buffet, as their driver and merchandise guy. I only played that one song with them, America, and that's it. And I just made as many contacts as possible. We played in Paris at a festival. There I met caveman speak. And actually I was in contact with Johann from stacs of stamina when I was recording sloppy doctor. He was supposed to give me some beats, but we never came together and so it didn't come along unfortunately. And so I was at the festival and met cavemen speak, and they said that stacs of stamina are in the crowd. I turned around and saw Johann and Marcus and asked: which of you is Johann ??!! And that's how I met them. |
| Yes, isn't it always the same with those names and the persons behind... |
| Yeah and everybody has like two names. Their rap-names and their real names, so it gets confusing... |
| Did you also play in Switzerland on that tour? |
| Yes we played in Zurich at the ego. They were in Zurich the second time then. |
| Your first album that I know of was "sloppy doctor". Have you made any records before that one? Or was this your first release? |
| It was my first release on a record label. Before that, I was in a band in Florida, called "the nature kids". I was just like an extra rapper. There was too rappers and a full band. And that's were I started kinda playing out. We also had a hiphop side-project called "smith". It was the guys from the band, the guitar-player rapped and the drummer was the dj, and there was me and the other mc. and that was like my first album I've ever recorded. But we broke up on the day of our cd-release-party. So it never got released and I started doing things on my own. I had a cd-r that I released, with producer sign-one. He produced 2 songs on sloppy doctor as well. I used to live with him in Orlando. We had a crew called "jerk circuit", with me, sign-one, filkoe76 and dj spytek. I'm still in contact with them and both sign-one and dj spytek are on my album. And I recently got back in touch with filkoe and we recorded a song for my new album and the nuccini album, an Italian project. |
| What's your motivation of making music and touring all around the world? Do you just use it as a good occasion to see the world or is there more behind it? |
| It's definitely not that I only want to see the world. But there's definitely something about travelling based on making music, on something you have a passion for. You know, I don't mind working. It's not that I'm escaping work. I worked as a dishwasher, masoner for years, did all kind of construction and restaurant work. And that's something that really bothers me; it's hard to make a living, to survive with my music. And I never want money to be my focus. But the more and more I try to do... you know like the harder it is to survive as an artist. But it's like the only thing... no not the only. But music is the thing in my life I feel most passionate about. I love the feeling of exchanging the energy and the ideas with people. And that's why I love travelling. And making music. Like that I get to go to these places I'd never go normally. Exchanging feelings, ideas, emotions with people that think differently than me, that were raised differently than me, and that see things differently than me, is the best learning. |
| (You mean) It's like seeing another world with other places and people, almost like beginning a new life. |
| Exactly. You go to another place, like to another world and it's like a rebirth. And then you get back home and everything is the same as when you left it. And then you fall back into the same routine. You know, everybody that I grew up around on my very close friends, they're all still in south Florida. But, that's not bad for them. But for me, I need to see more. Like how you know that you're wife or the woman you gonna marry lives in the place you were born. Or even in the same state or country. She could be from the other side of the world. You never know. |
| And besides that, you make new friendships and learn about other people's cultures. |
| Yes I'm very interested in other people's culture and learn the way they see my culture. You really learn a lot about where you come from when you hear it from other people from other countries and cultures. |
| Many or basically all the songs on your last album contain political and sociocritical content. Is it one of your main objectives to change the world by delivering a message to the people you meet on your trips? |
| Yes of course. It's a constant battle... the more I see and learn, my opinions and ideas constantly change. So I try not to take one standpoint, so that people say I'm on the left or I'm on the right. I like to stand somewhere near, not near the middle, like I'm sitting on a fence, and I wont go either way. But you know, I believe some things are right and some things are wrong. It's all about the emotion I'm feeling at that moment when I'm freestyling or making a song. And also I change my ideas a lot; I'm a little bit over here, a little bit over there. But I definitely feel that there is a need for people, especially in music, because you have the form... when you're a musician and people listen to your music, they listen to what you say. And that's my biggest critique of like radio music. Because they have such a mass audience and they choose not to say anything. Because they have reputations to lose. |
| They're afraid of it... |
| Yeah exactly. Like the whole fuck bush thing. Right now it's almost like cliché, not to say it's cheap. Four, five years ago when it needed be said, nobody was saying it. And then everybody started saying it, short before the elections, without any effect on them. And it became like "when I say hip, you say hop", "when I say fuck, you say bush". And it sucks! Because it still needs to be said! But it's like so cliché now... |
| If you say that now on a show... |
| Yeah everybody says "oh that's solo old"... But still fuck him though!! - But definitely I try to motivate people as much. But then my inner battle is always: well, I say a lot, and say a lot. This is wrong and this is wrong. But what do I actually do. You know, what am I doing to change things besides trying to motivate people? That I could spend more time in my life, actually helping people. Or being an activist, directly feeding people, you know? Or I can say, you can rap all you want about, there's a problem about world hunger. But when it comes down to you, are you really helping, or are you just ringing the bell? - Which is necessary, but personally I would like to do more that I actually can, or than I'm doing now. And that's always the battle. |
| So you would never fit into any political party or anything. Because all of them have their good sides and their bad sides... |
| Yeah... but some of them have no good. (laughs) But you see, there are still people with good hearts in those right-wing parties, which really believe they're doing good. |
| For some people they're doing good… |
| For rich people yes...(laughs) But as with anything, you have to accept the good with the bad. you never are going to erase all the bad. There would be no balance. |
| And also you wouldn't see and appreciate the good anymore. |
| Exactly. |
| Speaking of the good and the bad. The media is showing bad news from all over the world all day long. People get used to it. How can you really re-activate people, and make them care, so they're not just consumers? |
| If you think about the things you used to see about
ten years ago and the things now. For example the war in Vietnam, and
the war in Iraq. There was horrible atrocities happening, slaughters
of women and children, complete villages destroyed in Vietnam. But that
wasn't televised, they weren't showing you all this on the TV. You knew
there are things happening, but not exactly what was happening as now
in Iraq. They still kill a lot of innocent people. But there are cameras
everywhere and they really have to watch what they're doing because
everybody's watching on TV. But as far as your question, what to do to stop people being discentified... I mean, people really must learn to think for themselves. Right no everything that comes out on the news is what everybody thinks. Oh birdflu! Everybody's going to be sick, no chicken! Now who's paying that: the pharmaceutical company who's producing the medicine against birdflu? Or S.A.R.S. The same thing: scare tactics. And its really hard... a lot of people are so busy with their lives, their family and their lovelife. They don't wanna think about the horrible things that are happening to people on the other side of the planet. That's just like a collective consciousness, which is slowly going towards the bad side. And the only thing you can do is trying to shake people out of it. It's like everybody's in a coma and I think that is why I'm all the time aggressive and say things that you're maybe not supposed to. Because then, people stop and are like: oh yeah, he's right! |
| Like to shock them. But what after, if they get used to the shocks? |
| Yeah in five years you have to double-shock them (laughs). I really don't know man... its all getting worse. |
| Yes. - What will your new album be like? |
| My new release is a 12" EP first. "Pilgrim of St. Zotique", that's the name of the street I live in Montreal with Scott from endemik. Comparing with sloppy doctor, my new EP has changed. Back then, when I was recording sloppy doctor, my live was different. I was working all the time. And I've been more immersed in my music and a lot of the music business. I think I've become jaded. And the more I learnt about music business, the more I valued friendship. As far as I go. And I can tell, I had to stand back and because while I was making music, I wasn't thinking about it. Now that I stand back and look at this EP, it's really critical and jaded about what's going on in the music business right now. From all different angles. From making music with different people to distribution. The general attitude of people making music. It still has a bit of everything, just as I like to put it in my music. A little bit of this, a little bit of politics... |
| Sarcasm and irony... |
| Yes (laughs). As serious as I am, or want to be. I never can take myself too seriously. You know, I am a very light-hearted and happy person. But I'm also very cynical. And I like to give that to you at the same time. |
| That's what I personally appreciate about your live shows. You're entertaining but, at the same time, you're also making people listen and think about the things you're saying on stage. |
| (laughs) Yeah I'm trying to give you the sugar-coat
containing the dark messages, with some laughters. Because if you're
just standing up there shaking your finger, it's really hard for people
to take and not very entertaining. And I realize, I don't have a band
and can't afford to travel with a band and dj. It's just me and my cd-player
and so I have to be the entertainer. But I'm not like just making people shaking their asses and dance. I try to entertain in a different way, to make people listen and think about. If I can make you think just a little bit differently than you did an hour ago, or yesterday, then I've like accomplished my mission. If you enjoyed it, thought differently or heard something new. |
| Say if you weren't able to rap and make music you would probably be writing a book? |
| I'd love to. I still maybe do in the future. |
| Who's making the beats for your new album? |
| There's 3 beats from alias... |
| He already made 2 or 3 on sloppy doctor, right? |
| Just one. He wanted to give me more, like two or three. But I was like, just give me one beat. You know, because everyone's so hungry... can I have beats from you?! So I didn't want too much, just one beat. And maybe if you like my stuff we can work together more in the future. And in the 2 years since sloppy doctors, alias and I did a lot of shows together in Europe and the use, and we've become closer. And that's kinda what I was waiting for. So this time I actually went to San Francisco and stated his house for a week. I sat there while he made the beats and I wrote and recorded two of the songs with him and one when I got home. |
| So it was not only you going to him begging for beats, but really a collaboration. He also wanted to work with you. |
| Yeah exactly. And that's
what I like about it. Because right now in the industry, everybody's
like: "Oh if I get some beats of this guy, because he's on this
label and worked with them and them, this will get me more credibility".
But of course, I admit, when I started and needed beats, I was very
upsound, woah alias! But I'm more like having a personal connection
with someone, because my music is very personal. And maybe now I can
afford it because I'm friends with a lot of people who make the beats
that I love. So it helps. But you know, its really different recording
this album than sloppy doctor. There's the three from alias, and then
there's one beat from Scott da Ross from endemik. It's me and subtitle
rapping on it, which is great, because we met in Montreal and recorded
the song two days later. It wasn't planned. He was just there for a
few days and we met at a festival and we headed off automatically. We
were friends in the internet a little bit, myspace. So he was there
for a show and I went on stage and freestyled with him and the band,
the islands (fka the unicorns), and it was like we've been friends and
rapping with each other for 15 years. And the next day we recorded the
song, and I was so excited. And also there's a beat from dj mayonnaise on it. And it's really great, I've always been a fan, deep puddle dynamics, so called artists... and I've been friend with him as well. Because he moved back to Portland, Main, where jd walker lives. Ehm yes I have like another family in Portland, jd walker and his wife Sontiago, dj mayo and his wife. |
| Sontiago, the female mc? |
| Yes they just got married last year. It was great, at
the wedding, me, Scott da Ross, dj mayo, k the I??? , jd and Sontiago.
Sole's parents were there. It was like a big hiphop-wedding (laughs) So that's also another thing, that I have a personal relationship with everybody I work with. The last song is collaboration, between sole's production and skyrider from Florida. |
| Skyrider has a 7" out on endemik, too... |
| Yes, the masters of deception, and a full length cd. Right now skyrider has actually turned into a band. So I got beats from sole some time ago and I gave them to skyrider. He remixed them and we got David Pastorious from the band wheaterreport, a famous bass player. |
| (Was he) One of the guys of the band who was on tour with sole, telephonejimjesus and pedestrian last year? |
| No no, but the drummer from the band twelve from Spain is on that track too. |
| Oh yes! He was playing here. His experimental drum playing was crazy. |
| Yes, that was a great tour. So he plays drums over the electronics from sole and skyrider. And we have a guy playing guitar and cello. There's two more songs we did like that, that are going to be on the full length album as well. |
| And when is the full length album coming to stores? |
| Hopefully I'm finishing it after this tour, when I get home in April. I got like 4 or 5 more songs to record and it will come out one or two months after the EP, so we haven't figured it out yet really. |
| What about future collaborations with the guys from shadowanimals or other artists from Europe? |
| Yeah right, I'm on the zucchini drive album. Then there's the album called nuccini, coming out on 2nd rec. It's with one of the guitar player from the Italian band called giardino di miro, a really good postrock band. And this guy nuccini made amazing beats. He's like one of my favourites I've ever worked with. I was so excited. I was supposed to be on like 2 songs, because it was actually tom's project, from the shadowanimals. So I recorded 2 songs with them and they all liked it so much that right now I'm like on 6 songs. And I got my friend filkoe76 on one of the songs as well. So he's coming back around now too. And it should be out on 2nd rec on April / May as well. |
| That seems really a phenomena of this hiphop-scene, especially the underground scene, that everyone connects and collaborates with everyone. And in a personal way, not just for business reasons. |
| Yes and it seems that in the radio- or normal hiphop-scene it's not that strong like here. And it's great. Everybody helps each other out and that's like our weapon against the money-machine. They don't have that kind of brotherhood and camaraderie that we do. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for cavemen speak. I wish I could return the favour for them in America but unfortunately the crowd there wouldn't be so acceptable to listen to the music like here. |
| That's what I like about that scene, that everybody knows each other and that you get the possibility to talk to the artists and get to know them. That's not possible at like an eminem show or something... |
| Yeah you'd have to pass some security posts and be female and almost wear nothing for that. Hahaha. And there are thousands of people there and the shows are quite impersonal. And that's what I love too, to play in small venues. Because I like to talk to the people and see how they react. And I base my show on how they feel and react on what I do. |
| So sometimes the shows get, like, interactive. |
| yeah and I love it. That's my favourite. Oh yes I forgot to say, I really learnt how to perform and be an entertainer from grand buffet. They took me on tour with them before I even had sloppy doctor out. Because they used to tour with our band all the time. And when the band broke up lord grunge said to me: I'll make some beats for you, I want to see you continue and we will help you coming out as a solo artist. And that's what I did and I went on a tour with them. And if you want people to remember you after they've seen grand buffet at the same show... you know their live shows... you really have to step it up. It was really the greatest learning experience I've ever had. And also what they do is really different. Especially in America, they tour constantly and they play at a lot of places, and they go in front of a cloud that doesn't want to hear what they do. And I watched them to turn a situation from really bad into... wonderful! And that's really the best learning experience a performer can have: bad shows. If you play good shows all day and everybody's cheering you up, you're not going to change or develop. |
| So they influenced also your music, or just your performance? |
| Both, my music, my attitude, my performance... a lot. They were the first people to bring me to Canada, the first people to bring me to Europe. So they really did so much to me and I owe a lot to them. I love them. They're my favourites. |
| Ok yes. I think that's a good end right here. I think they already wait for us at the venue... Thanks for the interview. |
| Thanks you too, it was really nice talking with you. |
| Yeah, I hope to see you again in the future. |