Kreative Kontrol

Ep. #45: Nick Thorburn of Islands

Post author By vish
Post date October 22, 2013

Nick Thorburn is a gifted musician, singer, and songwriter who fronts an American-based Canadian band called Islands. The new Islands record is called Ski Mask and it was released Sept. 17 via the band’s own Manqué label. They’ve been on tour over the last few weeks and make a stop at the Halifax Pop Explosion on Saturday Oct. 26. This past summer, Thorburn and I met on the patio of Toronto’s Saving Gigi and discussed his state of mind, how he’d like to die (drowning vs. smack OD), anger and intimidation towards the music industry, validation, his thoughts on contemporary music, his film school roots, his lack of musical training, how Ski Mask is a progression of the relationship themes on the previous Islands LP, A Sleep and a Forgetting, the Gordon Brothers’ contribution to Islands, his potential plans for a record with EL-P, the future for his bands Mister Heavenly and Human Highway, the song “Hushed Tones” and more.

Related links: islandsareforever.com vishkhanna.com

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Tags Human Highway, Islands, Jim Guthrie, Mister Heavenly, Nick Thorburn, Saving Gigi

News Podcast

Ep. #44: Shad

Post author By vish
Post date October 18, 2013

Shad is one of North America’s most thoughtful and skilled hip-hop artists and we here in Canada are proud to call him one of our own. The gifted MC has won a Juno and been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize twice, most recently for his record TSOL. Its stunning follow-up is Flying Colours, which is out now via Black Box and brings Shad to a city near you on his extensive North American tour. Here he discusses his recent stint co-hosting the Polaris Music Prize, his new album and why we’re all doing ok, stepping up his skills, Jay Z’s recent output, hip-hop’s fascination with guest stars, Canadian politics and multiculturalism, the song “Yall Know Me” and more.

Related links: shadk.com weareblackbox.com vishkhanna.com

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Tags Flying Colours, Jay-Z, Polaris Music Prize, Shad

News

Ep. #43: Del the Funky Homosapien + Kid Koala + Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030

Post author By vish
Post date October 16, 2013

Dan the Automator Nakamura, Kid Koala, and Del the Funky Homsapien make up the legendary hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030 who just released their long-awaited second album, Deltron 3030: Event II. After making landmark records with Kool Keith and forming Handsome Boy Modelling School with Prince Paul, the Automator furthered his rep by spearheading Deltron 3030 with Del the Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala and releasing their classic, self-titled debut in 2000. Kid Koala is a brilliant man who calls Montreal home. A highly respected turntablist and gifted musician, Koala brings sweet spice to Deltron. Del The Funky Homosapien was already a gifted hip-hop artist before the release of the Deltron 3030 album 13 years ago. The Oakland-bred MC goes all out on every record but the Deltron concept has really sparked his imagination, inspiring a bleak vision of the future. In individual conversations, all three discuss their new album, their fascination with time and the future, how the present isn’t all that great, Deltron’s connection to the film Looper, why Joseph Gordon-Levitt wanted to be on the new record, their current and upcoming projects (including Got a Girl and Beat Intellectual Project), why Deltron might be done after this record, sci-fi, and why even 40 year-old rappers need to land an ollie every once in a while.

Related links: bulkrecordings.com kidkoala.com delthefunkyhomosapien.bandcamp.com vishkhanna.com

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Tags Dan the Automator, Del the Funky Homosapien, Deltron 3030, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kid Koala, Looper