Friday, November 28, 2014
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Fiendsh: Interview
"I started making beats after the almighty pope told me to try make some beats one night when we were freestyling, I must have been like 17"
Can you explain the meaning of "Fiendsh"? How did you come up with the name?
I belong to the Hut of Friendship, first and foremost. I started out DJ’ing in Thailand and went by DJ Friendship so people would remember the name. It worked and I got to DJ a couple gigs. When I was releasing instrumental hip hop I wasn’t dj friendship, so I cut a bunch of letters out from dj friendship and ended up with Fiendsh.
Was there a music scene in the area you grew up in? If so how would you describe it?
Grew up in BKK, Thailand, moved to Chicago a year ago for college. Bangkok is home to me.
Yea there was music, but I wasn’t into the scene there at all, thought it was all bullshit. It’s just all a bunch of depressed emo motherfuckers singing into mics about how they're depressed motherfuckers.
Which cultures have you been influenced by?
I grew up in Thailand and there is a heavy Buddhist culture there, I’ve never been an avid Buddhist so I can’t say that it’s affected me tremendously.
How does the music you create describe yourself?
Its laidback, and I’m a chill guy, don’t really sweat about much, I just kinda sit back, and make music, so I’ve always been a fan of hip hop. I was never a fan of that thug g shit, I preferred other vibes, that slow and chill vibe, sing about me – Kendrick Lamar, you know how we do it – Ice Cube, the message – Dr. Dre. So I wanted to create music like that, a whole album like that, and album that’s really laid back and chill throughout.
"I used to release a new EP every week, I did that for like 6-10 months and posted it on my soundcloud page every Friday. The EP’s were always between 4-7 tracks"
What does Flawless Leauge mean to you?
Ulysses hit me up on soundcloud a while back, I forgot how long ago it was now, asking if I wanted to join, I checked his shit out and saw that he knew how to promote and was serious about this shit, so I decided to join, thought why the hell not. And now I’m really happy I joined, Ulysses is flawless and flawless is him.
Are there any producers you would recommend that are pushing the envelope right now?
No new producer has made a big impact recently, the best producers currently are
Fiendsh/ Kanye/ Madlib/ B!nk/ NO ID/ Statik Selektah/ By Like/ Just Blaze/
Who are your main influences?
My main influences have been Kanye and Dilla no doubt. My beats have got that Dilla aesthetic while it has the Kanye ambition.
Why is sampling important?
Hip Hop started out with sampling, sampling is true to hip hop as the kick and snare, it’s that raw aspect of just taking some shit you love, looping and and adding some drums on top, its way for the outsider to step in and create as well.
"I was tired of releasing material so often, so I decided to not release anything for 4 months and create 1 EP instead, that EP was Al Capone. I made over 70 beats during those 4 months and cut them down to just 5"
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
(Ulysses) AKA Man Bites Dog: INTERVIEW
"My name is Ulysses, I'm 16, and founder of Flawless League. I started making music when I was 13. Born in Mexico, raised in Chicago. Right now living in Mexico. Mexico is a pretty dark place to me so I just like keeping my mind distracted with music, videos, projects, whatever I can get my hands on."
How many aliases do you currently have and what makes each one unique?
Right now about 8 even though I've only released projects from 3 of them, each alias is just a different section of music I want to touch. I don't want to be known as just a hip hop producer but I understand having all my projects under the same name would be confusing, so I give all of them their own little identity. I debut a new alias once I think its sound has become complete and can hold its own ground as far as originality goes. For example Man Bites Dog, it took me about 3 EP's (which where never released) to find the dark funky sounding Man Bites Dog. Also I consider each alias as just practice runs, soon I'll combine each alias to make Ulysses, which will be my official debut album titled "Eternity". Under my aliases name I'll drop countless of releases but as Ulysses I'll only make 3 official albums which will be "Eternity", "Infinity", and "Forever".
What made you realize that you wanted to create music?
Ever since I was a little kid I always had a special connection with music, my cousin always told me I was weird for taking music so serious. I just understood what music can do to people, how it can make them feel and act. I wanted to be apart of music really, I wanted to do the things my heroes were doing. As much love I had for music I didn't get my first instrument until I was I think 10, it was a cheap Casio piano I bought from a garage sell, costed me $20 and it was worth every penny. I had no idea how to play it at the time but I would practice it a lot. I still have it even though it doesn't work anymore. 2 years passed and I bought one of those cheap $100 guitars you see at Target stores that comes with the little amps, the thing really threw me off and I never really got the hang of it, all I learned how to do was guitar solos which I'm fine with, but one of these days I'm gonna start practicing it again and hopefully learn more from it. A few months later around my 13th birthday I found a program off the internet called fruity loops, a DAW for composing and producing music, the thing just blew my mind, I would practice the DAW as much as I could, messing around with synthesizers, making drum loops and experimenting with the tempo, listening to how it would change a song completely, I was hooked. I knew right then music is what I wanted to do and an artist is what I wanted to be when I grew up.
How has your music progressed from being 13 to now being 16 years old?
Well of course my music has changed completely from when I was 13. In the early days I would just make songs based on what I was really vibing with which at that time was dub-step (or bro-step). I don't think I uploaded any of my music to the internet when I was 13, I would just show it to my friends at school, which of course they would make fun of me because the music was real mediocre, bland, mastering was off completely, basically it was ear piercing barely understandable dubs and a kick going at 4/4. Good times, you might be able to find one of those tracks if you go searching for them on the internet even though I don't know why you would want to hear such chaos, anyways around the time I was 14 1/2 I was completely done with dub step, I ditched the dubs and the drums and started concentrating on synths again, making light house tracks and it continued like this for a while until a friend of mine that I met at a party showed me a very important album that changed the way I saw music completely, Madvillainy by Madvillain. At that time I thought hip hop like this was a myth that only existed on Adult Swim. I never heard an album so complete, it told a story, no fade ins or outs, the whole thing is like one big song. I wanted to make music like this so badly even though I had no idea what sampling was and all I knew was synths. I was stuck and got discouraged thinking making music like this was impossible. I went on like this the only thing being able to do was recreate the drum beats of Madlib but only that. Soon after I moved to Mexico, feeling even more discouraged, I gave up making music for a few months. All I wanted to do was study music and find new artists and albums, figuring out their techniques and ways of thinking, I found 2 new genres that showed me a new path, Post-Rock and Ambient. These 2 revived my spark for making music, practicing ambiance for a while I learned to experiment. Learned to combine 2 different things to make something new or at least new to me. I started making Ambient beats, I'd make an ambient track and layered drums on them. I soon started making trap and drill beats. I was never really satisfied with these 2 but hey, practice is practice, even dropped a 10 track EP that's floating somewhere on the web. Soon after now being late 15, I started getting more experimental with my tracks, heavily influenced off Kanye West. I started making really heavy almost boom bap beats but real grunge like, started bringing my guitar skills into it and distorted it heavily and layered it with synths, this was the start of my 2 aliases, Ulysses and Man Bites Dog. Ulysses being a lot more synth based with minimal drums and Man Bites Dog being minimal on synths and depending a lot more on percussion. I learned to sample one day by experimenting with MBD making a beat like usual but this time trying to sample a track I really liked that had some nice violins that drove me crazy. This made the first official MBD track which is Teeth. I soon learned more about sampling, learning to experiment with it and mix it with my synths. Fiendsh was the one who taught me how to layer my drums with samples of percussion. I started practicing a lot by making new beats tape ( that i haven't released ). Started making ambient songs again which made Viva. Starting new projects every day and finishing them soon after. Which leaves us now to today me being 16 with 4 albums, 2 demos. 3 EPs, 3 beat tapes and 3 singles, all from this year being official flawless releases, and some waiting to be released sitting on my laptop.
In your introduction you described Mexico as a "dark place" can you explain why?
I experienced heavy culture shock in Mexico. Even though life wasn't so safe in Chicago life became very real in Mexico. Instead of reading the dangers of the world from a newspaper or online it all started happening in front of me. Started living very unconformable with my parents, them only bringing in about 2000 pesos a week (about 180 dollars) and me helping with whatever I make from my music. School being hell with me barely being able to speak/read/write in spanish. Making friends is hard so I mostly keep to myself here, I'm not use to the culture here so I still get hazed from my peers in school being in easy target.
Has the move from Chicago to Mexico affected you musically or mentally?
Both. Musically I got more involved with my craft. If I was back in Chicago I know for a fact I wouldn't have had the time to study up on music and find post rock and ambiance, I would have never gotten experimental with my music. I don't know where I would be if I was in Chicago but I know I wouldn't be at this level, flawless leauge wouldn't have happened, none of my music would have happened, it almost seemed destined doesn't it? Mentally I became more real. I stopped living the little safe fantasy I had in Chicago. I became more independent, strong minded. But most times I do feel sad, knowing about all the things I'm missing out on right now, it sucks. But thats a whole other thing I don't want to get into. Got to concentrate on the positives and the life I'm living now.
Why did you start Flawless League?
Because the day I go back to Chicago I don't want to go back to no one and nothing, the day I get back everything will be set for me and flawless will become even stronger, I also made it to help out my friends and people who I see as talent but don't know what to do with it. Also because having a collective with just my aliases seems too alone to me. Im tired of being alone.
In the future what ways do you hope Flawless League will grow?
I don't know. But I'll make sure it will keep growing, while I was over here I picked up a love for films. I really want to stared making my own films one day. I think I have more ideas for films than music. Will see.
How have people responded to your project Noir?
I had no idea how Man Bites Dog - Noir was gonna be received and honestly I didn't really care and I still don't. I feel like I'm way past trying to impress people. Now I just make music for me. Its the reason I have more unreleased done projects then released done projects.
What does your album Noir mean to you?
Noir is my second concept album (my first being Made In America which still hasn't released yet) it means a lot to me being my first official concept album released. But it being my 2nd and I already have the 3rd one coming out soon as Viva and with Kyle TM, it feels like the middle child. I love it but my attention is more on my first one and the latest one, I don't know its weird to explain. As a whole I love it but as time passes I cringe at certain parts because as I progress as an artist I can pin point the parts where I messed up, like I didn't loop something right or the chop was too messy. Artistically I think I got the message across which I'm happy for, technically I know I can do better now.
Are there any messages or feelings that you try to create with the projects you release?
Yeah, Of course. Every alias of mine has its own meaning, Viva showing my sadness, Man Bites Dog showing my anger. Its the main reason I have aliases. I just can't make one style of music I want to make and learn everything I possible can.
Lastly why should people care about you and the other members of Flawless League?
I don't know. I feel like everyone now a days listens to music more for their image than for themselves. Everyone is always trying to prove themselves to others. I just don't get that, i don't understand it. If people likes flawless then fine cool, and if they don't then fine cool.
Also If anyone wants to interview me then they better do it now cause once its 2016 I won't be getting on interviews, no Sway in the morning or nothing. Interviews aren't for me.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/i7kbjn1a01d2dii/Man+Bites+Dog+-+Noir.zip
https://flawlessleaugecollection.bandcamp.com/album/man-bites-dog
https://flawlessleaugecollection.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten-vols
http://www.flawlessleauge.com/
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