Ty
UK MC/producer Ty looks back on the making of his album Closer, the follow-up to 2003’s Mercury-nominated, Upwards. ‘Generally, everything just came together really well. Everyone’s intentions, as far as getting the music done, were great. It all came together through a constant chopping of ideas. Sometimes I would leave an idea alone for a while and we would come back to it later. And some songs just happened. For example, ‘Hustle’ just happened. It was written in New York with Rich Medina. We were kicking it and it just leapt out’.
When Ty first broke onto the burgeoning hip-hop scene in the mid-90s, he found himself surrounded by only a few likeminded artists who similarly eschewed the American version of the genre, determined to put their own British stamp on things and consequently rejecting the commercial rules of the industry. These days, very little has changed. Except that Ty is not so lonely anymore. ‘Rap music is dead’, he proclaims.’Hip-hop music can be resurrected, but only in the hands of people who understand and appreciate its importance. Modern day conglomerates do not understand that at all’.
Creating a soulful blend of funk, jazz and hip-hop delivered with a serving of thought-provoking lyrics designed to both humour and attack, Ty refused to conform to any one genre or style. From his 2001 debut, Awkward, to 2006’s Closer, he has thrown spoken-word poetry, Nigerian and afro-beat into the melting pot, a direct influence of the eclectic childhood he experienced.
Growing up in Brixton, Ty was put into fostering for a brief period before returning to his Nigerian parents. Their strict nature forbade him from playing any popular music, and he was forced to listen to what he could secretly. He would memorise the lyrics and melodies in an effort to prolong the music in his head long after the radio was furtively hidden away. The leap into music occurred after a few years of immersing himself into the spoken-word scene and being heavily involved in the Ghetto Grammar organization – a group that strongly encouraged the DIY aesthetic that remains in his work today. ‘I decided to follow my dreams when I felt confident enough to do that’, he explains. ‘It was hard and still is. But I’m glad I did it. The worst part of this decision to make music, however, was having to accept the fact that race will always play a hand in how far I can go. I wish it wasn’t true, but I can’t lie – it really seems to be!’
The Mercury-nominated Upwards, documented this very subject, with Ty tackling the topic in a honest and thoughtful way. But now with Closer having just been released, Ty says that this is an album purely crafted for the enjoyment of music, and nothing more. ‘Closer is different from the last in that it’s a different tempo, harder, more in your face and bangs on the eardrums. There is no real message. This is simply music to enjoy and to dance to’.
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Also by NATALIE LIECHTI
Current UK beat-boxing champ, Beardyman, recently kept impatient crowds entertained between sets at London’s Lovebox Weekender. We spoke to the Brighton resident about his offbeat style: ‘I’ve been doing it since I was a baby, but I never knew it was called beat-boxing. I thought it was just a habit, like biting your nails, and people were always telling me to stop. Being a good beat-boxer is a mixture between being a good DJ, a cheesy street magician and a vocal athlete’.
Sydney-based artist, James Jirat Patradoon on his career defining moment: ‘If I could trace my artistic inspiration back to one event, it would have to be the Neo Tokyo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2001. I had never seen art like that before; I didn’t know you could be so playful with it. I vividly remember the Yoshitomo Nara sculptures made out of bandages, and Kenji Yanobe’s atom suit and Godzilla/Astro Boy sculptures that blew bubbles. It was just so fun. I think because a lot of Japanese art contains references to pop culture, it’s more accessible for audiences. They aren’t so intimidated by it because it can be quite light-hearted but still have a serious undertone to it’.
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Our friends over at the inspiring blogzine, Flak Photo, which features ‘work from an international community, promoting interesting visual approaches to seeing the world and celebrating the art of exhibiting quality photography online’ have teamed up with David Wright and Ethan Jones to show a selection of images [including the one above by Alejandro Cartagena] from the photographic book, Pause, to Begin. Read more
Located just off of the J train on the Marcy stop is Marlowe & Sons at 81 Broadway. Whatever the night of the week, this place seems to always be packed. Dimly lit, and intimately laid out, Marlowe & Sons offers a low-key vibe, with a great selections of cheeses and meats, as well as a limited dinner selection. It’s a great place to head to when all you want is to unwind from the frenzy of Manhattan. Consider this your first tasty rest stop in Brooklyn.
It’s a recession and I don’t need to buy any more handbags. But these? Umm, too awesome to pass. The ad photos are as fantastic as the products. My favorite is Pursuader. But don’t go to the airport with one! Read more
Oh man! I just want to curl up inside one of Will Cotton’s artworks and immerse myself in the sweetness of its surrounds. Read more
We invited Greg Gillis, aka Girl Talk, who aside from being the DJ of the moment is also the remix whiz behind tracks from Beck, Tokyo Police Club, and Grizzly Bear, to give us a rundown on the songs he’s wearing out right now for our sister site, My Secret Playlist. He started off by propping Beyonce’s anthemic single, Single Ladies [listen below]. Go figure! ‘This is one of my favorite Beyonce tracks ever. It has so much energy, and the chorus gets dark in a great way. The clapping never stops. The video is a flawless execution of a performance style clip. It’s perfect’. Read the rest of Girl Talk’s Secret Playlist.
The very talented Jess Snow, the first video artist to be featured by Female Persuasion — the original site for provocative and political female artists — has created this ethereal short video for Lost At E Minor. We feel it. We love it. [see also the promo video Lifelongfriendshipsociety created for us]
With Lungfish guitarist Asa Osborne’s latest project, Zomes, he continues to explore loops and cycles with endlessly repeating musical phrases, this time played on circuit-bent keyboards. The resulting tracks sound at times like medieval court music at others like the soundtrack to a Hal Hartley movie.
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With the recession still biting, it may be time to whip out the glue and the cardboard and make your next pair of cool kicks. Don’t know how they’d manage in the rain though? Read more
Yum, yum, cupcakes are fun. These creations are so clever, so arty, so damn bizarre that it would almost be a shame to eat them. Almost! Read more
Scanners’ new single Salvation
I love this track by London based rock group, Scanners, which is off their latest album, Submarine. Having toured with acts such as The Horrors, The Wedding Present, The Charlatans, Electric Six, and Juliette & The Licks, Scanners could well blow up in 2010. Figuratively speaking, not literally. No, that wouldn’t be fun.
Our celebrity-saturated culture makes many of us irrationally hateful of the faces we see on our TV screens and magazine pages. Good thing there’s Celebrity PunchOut to let off some of that steam.
1970s and 80s Soviet Union buildings
Cambodian born photographer Frederic Chaubin is the editor of French magazine Citizen K. His photo series on bizarre buildings built in the former Soviet Union during the 1970s and 80s is absolutely fascinating. Read more
Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more
Australian fashion label Das Monk is my new favourite t-shirt label and this shirt is more comfortable to wear that a thousand pairs of Ozone socks. Super soft 100% cotton. Grab one now from the Lost At E Minor store for $35. Read more
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