REVIEWS
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ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
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EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL
(press release - does anyone have the balls to review it?)
Trillion's videos have received over half a million combined youtube views. His music hits a chord with many people who are looking for answers within the matrix of political lies and health issues. His music also breaks down age and gender barriers, many of his fans are not young men but women old enough to be his mother. And nearly all his fans live outside of his homeland of New Zealand. Trillion has been at the forefront of riding a new wave of music recently named 'truth music'. It is music that is not just catchy and clever, but contains researched facts and information that will change peoples lives. It is music that awakens people to the mass of lies and propaganda which is fed most often via the television sets, radios, newspapers and magazines, hospitals, doctor and dentist surgeries, schools and universities, churches and government departments. Trillion takes particular topics or products and turns them inside out. One viewer said 'it's like watching a documentary on fast forward'. This is where his success lies; in a fast world, no one has time to sit down and watch hour long documentaries on everything. But everyone has time to watch 4 minute music videos on youtube. So Trillion set out to perfect the catchy song/music video/documentary, and time after time he has come up with the goods. Enough goods to make an entire 80 minute album out of the music. Tired of the music scene, his initial intention was to use his talents to make a couple of songs to help make people aware of a few common toxins in everyday processed foods. Then the list of lies kept getting longer, and the drive to keep raising awareness stayed. It was a natural process to compile all these songs on one album. With the slump of physical cd sales and because Trillion's new fan base is spread world wide (in the past it has been near impossible to distribute cds in other countries), he has made a wise decision to make the album download only. SILENTinvisible
It seems as though Jody Lloyd releases an album a year, but this one apparently took him over three years to complete. On delving into this brilliant masterpiece it is easy to see and hear where all the time went. On the surface it seems like a collection of well-crafted rap songs interspersed with random spoken word interludes, but on closer dissection one will find that like an ecosystem, everything in SILENTinvisible is cleverly and intricately linked. Lyrically, this album adventurously travels to uncharted territories and uses complexities in language and rhyme seldom seen in New Zealand music.
"...gravity has cursed height, kept us down – but look a covert kite berthed right above your birth site with a search light, passing high on an angle it's the last strangle hold, glassy eye in a triangle in a star spangled mould. This farce is a controlled shambles a vicarious mess, a hairy inquest into an Aryan crest, you see the whole system is but a rolling pin, tryna roll me thin and fold me in like a cola tin. now the old rhythm of the soul within, has been stolen and our whole of kin are bowling pins. a bowl once brimming – rim with golden trim, now we're cold and dim, shoulders thin, swollen limbs and we're told a spin... whoever controls the wind, the rain and seasons, control the world and can change its reason." (from Freedom Train) And the whole album is as good as this... For one hour it goes on; interesting, attention grasping and fluent, I couldn't stop listening. I couldn't actually pick a cliche or bad lyric on the entire album. The praises don't stop at the lyrics, musically, Lloyd's production techniques are of a high international standard. Interesting instrumentation, timeless beats and layered textures deliver SILENTinvisible as perhaps NZ's finest home grown hip hop album to date. Everything you hear and see is Jody Lloyd original. From art design right down to the assembly of his subtly charming packaged discs, Lloyd does all the work himself. With every release Lloyd is ascertaining a comfort zone within his art, and on this album he truly shines. To strengthen his views on his natural accent debate, he features rap talents from across the globe including Ammunition from Ireland, Ozi Batla (the herd) from Australia and Wayne Lotek (lotek hifi, roots manuva) from UK. Lloyd also manages to pay homage to the motherland of hip hop by inviting on board respected underground American rapper Sankofa. With this palate, Lloyd paints us a vivid picture that rapping in native accent is very normal and seriously acceptable. It is here to stay, so you'd better get used to it. I could conclude using words like genius, clever, talented and brilliant but none of those would do justice to the artist. And it is art that Lloyd is creating. Remember, he was the first guy to rap with a New Zealand accent, about local things. And his record label is dedicated to encouraging other like minded musicians with their art; this, the music that gets over looked by the media and funders, music which Lloyd sees artistic wealth and reason in. Support the cause - get the album – and lose yourself in it, before we lose him to more welcoming overseas arms! 5/5 reviewed by Tim O'Connor Trillion: SILENTinvisible By Steph Gray for NZ Musician Magazine - june 2008 As Trillion, Jody Lloyd cares enough about his raps to print the words to each song artfully onto strips of paper attached to the sleeve of this sixth album. It’s the touch of an artist who wants his non-preachy messages of community breakdown, chemical overload, genetic modification and marine pollution made accessible to listeners who miss the occasional word - Lloyd is after all (in his own words), one of New Zealand’s only true natural accent rappers. Described as an album of hip hop-inspired songs for smart people, ‘SILENTinvisible’ is lush with beats, synths, samples and scratching, masterfully composed and produced by Lloyd with the help of friends with accordions, pianos, flutes and a bouzouki. Lloyd grew into his baggy trousers as a high-school rapper with Dark Tower in the ‘90s and has since developed a fine ear for beat poetry and spoken word that he weaves through the album in interesting interludes. The GRAY BETWEEN SHADOW and SHADE
'If Jody Lloyd lived in Wellington and this album had been recorded at The Lab, this disc might well be hailed as a work of genius by all and sundry. However, with Lloyd being a Mainlander and Trillion's album being created in the small but no doubt perfectly formed 'She'll Be Right' studio. it will only be the lucky few that will chance upon 'The Gray Between Shadow and Shade' and realise this album is no monotone creation but a sparkling jewel. Lloyd created the bedrock for the Trillion sound but a host of guest stars - including Jeremy Taylor, Flip Grater, Demarnia Lloyd and Lindon Puffin - have helped fles out the sound. Trillion uses a grab bag of sounds (few local records released this year will feature both bouzouki and marimba) to create an appetising kalidescope of sound. Hardcore indie one moment, danceable the next and even on occasion sounding ethnic. Trillion has a hard sound to describe, but the sum of all its parts adds up to a juicy whole. 4.5 stars. Mike Houlahan. Christchurch Press 11/3/2006.
THIS WORLD and the SADVIPRA DIVERSION
Before the recent consensus that Kiwi music has come of age, Jody Lloyd was already making hip-hop with a proud Kiwi accent. As part of Dark Tower, he delivered broadsides that could be both brutal and brilliantly funny, and always unmistakable in their New Zealandness. (His sampling of Fred Dagg's motto "Kick it in the guts, Trev" was just one memorable piece of appropriation.) Since Dark Tower's demise, he has been going it alone under the banner of Trillion. Trillion's latest disc falls into two halves. This World is the first part and finds Lloyd combining the type of tough beats and vernacular rhymes that characterised Dark Tower's hip-hop with soaring pop melodies that might have come from some 60s songbook. Instrumentally, it's audacious, with trumpets, bouzoukis, violins and music-boxes weaving unpredictable paths through the guitars and drum programmes. There are gorgeous backing vocals and the usual apposite soundbites. Lyrically, it's Lloyd at his most personal and revealing, bewailing a love affair turned obsessive. At its best, these tracks are as hooky as "How Bizarre", as inventive as Beck circa Odelay, and more emotionally charged than either. In the second half, the disc takes on a darker hue. Consisting of half-a-dozen songs, which Lloyd collectively calls The Sadvipra Diversion, it was begun after Lloyd hit a creative impasse while working on the initial set. Funnily, for a passionate advocate of locally flavoured lyrics, Lloyd's outlook in these latter songs tends to be global. In tracks like "Let Dogging Lies Sleep" and "Crawling Is Easy" he vents against war, consumerism and inter-national heads of state, to tough and at times chaotic beatscapes. Though the gear change between the two halves is abrupt, Lloyd was ultimately wise to combine the projects. The folk-hop of the earlier tracks tempers the angry rants of the second half. Nick Bolinger - The Listener
This World and The Sadvipra Diversion mix two different themes, one is Trillion’s personal life and the other, a more spiritual/political message... Trillion a.k.a. Jody Lloyd is a tough nut. His latest album is hard to fathom – a concept album or a real out-pouring of feeling? Touted as two EP’s, combined into an album. This World and The Sadvipra Diversion mix two different themes, one is Trillion’s personal life and the other, a more spiritual/political message. “Profit means there is always more revenue than outlay. What happens if you keep taking and taking? One day there will be nothing left.” “I’ve brought my poetry book, to recite to you again.” These lyrics above, are clear examples of the mix Trillion has brought to his work. Fifteen contributors and musicians all bring something with them. Trillion makes good use of a wide range of vocals, which helps the transition between the different themes he portrays. The end product is an erie organic soundscape, into which Trillion mixes vocals, with seeming ease and professionalism. Another interesting technique, is his penchant to go more into hip-hop vocals for his “political” styled songs, whilst singing his more personal songs. An obvious distinction only noticed after a few close listens. I felt that his last solo album At The Lucid End was not as accomplished as his material in hip-hop outfit Dark Tower. But with This World and The Sadvipra Diversion Trillion mixes the two subjects closest to his heart and melds them together well. Joel -The Package Dark Tower's man Jody Lloyd has a new album as Trillion. A double bill of 'This World' and the 'Sadvipra Diversion', the CD is the latest 'entertainment with a message' offering from this hip-rap poet/musician. You wouldn't know it from NZ Idol, but music has always had the power to stimulate change in cultural development, and Lloyd's music is all about entertaining and educating. The pop-appeal of 'This World' has the confidence of Lloyd's past successes, and with words, sounds and music his warmth and wit is eloquently offered once again. Sadvipra is one who stands up for societal justice, and Lloyd the soap-boxer lays his thoughts on thick and proud on the latter part of the album. The music of Trillion underpins words of criticism and hope, as a platform for political and Governmental insight. Brent Cardy - Real Groove Between its messages and the computer-styled hip hop vibe, this album displays an intellectual depth that New Zealand music often lacks.Split into two distinct parts, This World is mostly made up of beautiful, mellow fragments, while The Sadvipra Diversion (the angry half) is best described as political poetry - how corruption is destroying us and our world (which is interesting, but I like the first half better).Though I'm still not sure what to think of this, it's worth the listen since tracks like Sing Hallelujah show something so different from anything else on the music scene. Mere Teinaki - Tearaway Trillion This World and The Sadvipra Diversion Jody Lloyd is a clever chap. And through his musical aliases (Dark Tower for quirky fun-filled hip-hop, Trillion for a more mature mix of hip-hop and languid downbeat styles) he has released some suitably intriguing lo-fi gems over the past couple of years. This second Trillion album is a real mix of styles - comprising two separate projects. The first eight tracks constitute This World, featuring plenty of guests (Leila Adu, Bronwen Robertson, Ben King) with Trillion contributing everything else (vocals, samples, production). SJD's Lost Soul Music has clearly been a template for tracks like Onward Forward Downward and Incomplete Rug - and there's delicately soft snatches of melody that recall Cloudboy. The second half of the album, The Sadvipra Diversion is a satirical set of tunes focusing on the evil of giant corporations and profit-hungry empires, with Crawling Is Easy and Confessions of a Mud-Guard sounding more like Dark Tower; mixing acoustic guitars, rapping, organic instrumentation and samples. For some reason I think of TISM's De Rigueurmortis. Jody Lloyd continues to make fascinating, subversive music that is comfortably diverse, knowingly wise and easy to recommend. by Simon Sweetman from 'The best NZ albums I have reviewed' http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/blog-on-the-tracks/3674342/The-best-NZ-albums-I-have-reviewed LOOPS OF LOVE
by Daphne Noel (presto magazine)
10 km of coloured thread, 6000 reprinted Polaroid photographs, 28 square metres of recycled card, 2 rubber stamps, 1 crochet hook an onion and a whole lot of love. Jody O Lloyd’s debut album, Loops of Love, is not only timeless it is time consuming. With approximately 10 minutes and 20 inconspicuous fingerprints devoted to the assemblage of each album, Jody Lloyd and his inventive companion, Devika Bilimoria, compile a neat work of art. This tantalising work consolidates music and visual art within one novel pouch. It is tactile, audible, and visual. If you’re lucky you can smell the sweet scent of labour, and if you were that way inclined, it could also be consumed. In the mouth of each CD pouch rests an onion stamped disc and a tight stack of 12 coloured cards detailed with exquisite images and thoughtful text. Eggs, oranges, loops, spheres, ‘o’s, circles and the like were in question and enjoyment when Jody and Devika met. Both having a keen interest in loops, musically and philosophically, they created an intimate language that then became the basis of the music and album art. The loop themed images within the album are made with a unique Polaroid process, where Devika constructs her own negatives from found object (i.e. peas, foil, sections of vegetables) and liquids. As she speaks of her camera-less photography she states, “the notable thing about these images is that it is a photograph with a pea not of a pea…they seem to be a distant relative of the Photogram.” With hundreds of images to her name, Devika has been nurturing this ingenious analogue process for five years with numerous group and self-curated exhibitions in Australia, and is here to exhibit her art for the first time in NZ in conjunction with Jody’s music. In Jody’s eclectic style Loops of Love is the yin to his Silent Invisible’s (Trillion) yang. Both albums are cleverly pieced together with seamless ingenuity. The funk, hip-hop, blues, electronic and soul in Loops of Love are elegantly woven together with Jody’s classic beat know how. It is a stunningly crafted album reminiscent of DJ Shadow, Beck, Buck 65 and RJD2, where your body and/or mind moves gracefully from the couch to the dance floor. Jody is prolific but seldom heard. For 20 years he has been creating music but it has often fallen upon deaf ears. “Making music and running She’ll Be Right Records was often a thankless task”, he says, so he relocated to Melbourne and found a space with some fresh inspiration and support to create music for himself. Jody states, “the intention of this album was for the audience of one, and now that it is complete I can share it knowing that my motivations were genuine”. You can purchase a handcrafted album and limited enlarged prints of the beautiful images by Jody and Devika at their Loops of Love exhibition as apart of NZ music month in May. REVIEWS Loops of Love, She'll be Right Records - Otago Daily Times CD Reviews - Sat, 16 May 2009 by Shane Gilchrist - 4 stars (out of 5) Now based in Melbourne, former Christchurch resident Jody Lloyd continues his prolific output with Loops of Love, which, as indicated by its title, is a collection of beats craftily woven with staccato lyricism, bluesy guitar lines, electronic dabblings and a spoonful of soul and funk. Lloyd has been doing this sort of thing for two decades now and his ear for a good tune and knack for adding just the right amount of homespun grit remain undiminished. Inspired, inventive yet unassuming, this is hip-hop the way it should be. Single download: Move Your Hips For those who like: Beck, De La Soul, DJ Shadow. Jody O Lloyd - Loops Of Love - NZ Herald - Thursday June 11, 2009 by Scott Kara - Rating: * * * * Verdict: Debut solo album by former Dark Tower lad is his best work yet. There's something hokey about Jody Lloyd. There always has been, ever since the Kiwi music producer was part of parochial, Fred Dagg-style hip-hop crew Dark Tower. These days, in collaboration with various artists, he releases music as Trillion and now the Melbourne-based musician is going it alone under his own name on debut solo album Loops of Love. And what a loping, laid-back, beat-driven marvel it is - while still retaining hints of that hokey charm (especially the blatant Kiwi accent in the vocals, which unlike Dark Tower is kept to a minimum here). Me and You has a simmering intensity like DJ Shadow at the height of his powers; Move Your Hips has a Shaft-meets-Superfly pimp roll groove to it; and the deadpan Recipe For A Perfect Nap - with the lyrics "One me and one you. Take an empty afternoon and gently combine the ingredients" - is so cute and cool yet ever so slightly kooky. It's the subtleties, such as the creepy piano on Empty Hands like someone sneaking along a creaky staircase, and the out of kilter instruments on Eggs From Eltham, that makes Loops of Love a low key yet inspired gem. In keeping with Lloyd's DIY ethic the album package is also a beautifully makeshift affair, made of cardboard and bound together by strands of cotton. It's an excellent package and the music is the best thing about it. JODY O LLOYD: Loops of Love - By Martyn Pepperell for NZ Musician Magazine. With his first full length release under his real name, Jody Lloyd (Dark Tower, Trillion) displays a deft understanding of the instrumental hip hop production techniques pioneered by UK record label Mo’Wax during the nineties. In a contemporary context, the likes of Buck 65 and RJD2 are perhaps more appropriate touchstones, but regardless, ‘Loops of Love’ bears obvious allegiance to the first wave of that form of sample collage beat music. Despite the emphasis placed on instrumentals, this album finds Lloyd once again stretching his vocal cords as a rapper/spoken word artist, and bringing a few feature guests along for the ride. His rap style is defined by his take on the Kiwi accent, and as a result tends to polarise listeners. While I’m not completely sold on the vocal/lyrical quotient of this release, the music and production is impressively executed. Jody O Lloyd - Loops of Love by Jess Hartley for Amplifier It’s hard to know what to expect from an album housed in an adorable homemade cardboard CD wallet and wrapped in coloured thread. Even more so when that wallet reveals its visual art collaboration; 12 printed cards containing beautiful photographic images by artist Devika Bilimoria, which correspond to each track’s illustrated lyrics on the flip. Over the last 18 years, Jody O Lloyd has been involved in the local music industry in several different capacities – in Christchurch hiphop outfit Dark Tower and recently as rapper Trillion – and given the length of time, I was surprised that Loops of Love is Lloyd’s first solo project. It appears though that it was critically important to Lloyd to create an album for himself, without the interference and compromise that collaboration with other artists necessarily requires. To write the lyrics, Lloyd ‘shut himself in a dusty room with pen and paper and channelled John Lennon for 22 days, eating cornflakes and Asian takeaways.’ The result is Loops of Love. Musically inspired by an interest in loops, the music with its simple hiphop beats and funk and disco samples easily draw comparisons with DJ Shadow and RJD2. But there is something slightly kitsch about his combination of samples. And when combined with Lloyd’s relaxed and kiwi-accented vocals, the sound is an interesting hybrid which reveals its influences while remaining clearly New Zealand. For example ‘Recipe for a Perfect Nap,’ with its spooning instructions has a sweet sincerity that makes it my fave. Loops of Love is a beautifully presented, poignant and very enjoyable listen, best appreciated by people who live in Grey Lynn. SHADOWS ON A FLAT LAND
Shadows on a Flatland
Reviewed by: Chris Andrews on: 2003-09-01 As the primary voice of the South Island of New Zealand late 90's hip-hop scene through through his contribution to the group Dark Tower, Jody Lloyd has been making heads turn since 1995. Dark Tower have always been the ultimate example of kiwi-pride, referencing factors of New Zealand culture that only a kiwi (or a handful of Aussies) would understand. But, what is even more amazing about this is that the excellent 'Zeal Man' EP was released while Jody (AKA Earl Deviance) and partner in crime Eli (AKA The Eel) were still in high school. But during the past 7 years, only the original EP and a number of singles were released, until in 2001 when Dark Tower finally released their (rather disappointing) full-length debut. Fortunately in 1998, though, Jody set about putting together a concept album based on trip-hop rhythms with aspirations of being an exploration of the harsh Canterbury plains.To bridge the gap, Jody pulled together a number of local musicians, including his talented sister Demarnia Lloyd (of Cloudboy fame), old school hip-hop hero Mark Duff, guitarist James Wilkinson, and a number of other diverse characters - yet the album still holds together well as a complete piece. The album opens with the quirky sounds associated with Jody on the open cut of 'Dark and Dreary' - unusual keyboard riffs and samples, and quality scratching by Orion Waldergrave. Jody wastes no time in developing the album's motif, tracks like 'Land of the Freezing Days' and 'Wanderings' paint a very vivid picture of the New Zealand country-side and the album flows from start to finish as a journey of exploration and survival. Tracks like 'The Deep Sleep Song' and 'Take Me Away' show the strong grasp for song dynamics that Jody has, carefully fitting musicians that would normally fit in traditional folk, hip-hop, and even ethnic music genre's into a cohesive whole. Few other trip-hop or hip-hop albums from the late 90's could admit to having mandolin, piano, accordion, violin and tabla instrumentation! Luckily, the album doesn't fall into 'Canterbury Drafts' problem of feeling over-produced, it ebbs and flows from track to track nicely. In contrast, a number of the songs on the Dark Tower debut gave the impression of being endlessly remixed - to the point were they lost an element of the original naive charm. Overall it's a very enjoyable album, flowing between folk and trip-hop aspirations with ease, and is sadly one of the most overlooked albums in recent history. AT A LUCID END
Melodic, soothing and diverse, Trillion bring a mixture of hip-hop, reggae and summery sounds with a huge catalogue of instruments. Real and original, the Kiwi accents make this album a must have, and the laidback style makes it a perfect album for the summer. (even though it's good in the winter too)
Reuben Bonner - PULP Freetime aug 03 Trillion is the solo guise of Christchurch's Jody Lloyd (Dark Tower).The music of Trillion does not easily fit into any catagories, but mashes up styles/beats/samples in a totally absorbing blend. Unlike Dark Tower, whose Canterbury Drafts depended on the snappy rhymes for much of its impact, At A Lucid End offers up musical machinations intriguing in their own right (although the words are not forgotten - check the excellent 'Show & Tell'). The other stand-out or me is the delightully silky 'Clouded part 1', but there is so much to explore here, it's hard to pick favourites. Easily, one of the year's best. Nick Gormack - ChCh Press 14.8.03 Trillion is music that sways comfortably between hip and trip hop, actual songs, and cinematic-style themes. The second solo album from Trillion [aka Jody Lloyd, one half of Dark Tower] is a pleasure to listen to. An array of instruments make up the eclectic Trillion sound including an accordion, violins, and on one curious occasion, a bouzouki, creating a kindergarten-like sound. Dark Tower's baggy trousers may well have tapered on this brilliant offering. Phil Bostwick - 4/5 star review: RipItUp #294 aug/sept 03. On the back it says that "a whole lot of mind body and soul went into the creation of At a Lucid End", and you can hear every ounce. This is conscious hip hop at its realest - the words address everyday life and hard learned philosophies. Whatever the word for the opposite of bling is, that's what this is. The mood is downbeat, and all the tracks are really musical - there's a lot of instruments playing here and some wicked arrangements. At times, it?s not a million miles away from wahwah funky, Check Your Head era Beastie Boys, except it's a 110% New Zild product (no shout outs from Mobb Deep here...), right down to the scratchy kiwi vocal samples in 'For the Record'. This is from a man who sampled the Country Calendar theme song, after all. A couple of standouts for me are the dirty analogue bass driven 'Farewell' (hints of Boards of Canada), and the gentle 'Show and Tell'. The breathy 'Something' (which featured on a capitalrecordings comp a year or two back) also sounds pretty money. Overall, the quality of the production and songwriting here is fucking excellent. If the NZ market was a bit bigger, this would blow up big time. Who knows, maybe it still will - go get yourself a copy. Ren Hoek - The Package Trillion, AKA Jody Lloyd, is all about ‘minimal promo CDs’. Gosh, I already feel special, before I've even assembled the album from the kit. Seriously. Lloyd was previously a part of Dark Tower, the hip-hop duo from a few years back who once had a hit sampling the Country Calendar theme – remember? The rapping is still as ‘New-Zillund’ as ever but a year or two has passed and his music is a lot more special. Borrowing exotic rhythms and vocalists, he has created a mellow but powerful collection of tunes to be proud of. There’s more cutting-and-pasting than Santa’s workshop, and haunting harmonies, turntablism and percussive flavour also feature strongly. A nice solo effort. John Faulding - Tearaway |
UNDERGROUND LIGHT
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FEATURES - Trillion and Billy Wilson: The Other Side
from: http://www.threedworld.com.au/homebase_magazine/hb_magazine_article.php?id=275
(Oct 2005)
While most New Zealand hip-hop sounds like it stepped straight off the A-Train, rappers Trillion and Billy Wilson aren’t afraid to leave the American accents behind and instead let their inner Kiwi shine. Fresh from a stint at Sound Summit (This is Not Art) 3D World caught up with the leftfield hip-hop artists as they continue to tour Australia in aid of their new album The Great Divide.
New Zealand seems to be a pretty cool place to be if you're a hip-hopper at the moment. Why do you think it's become such a fertile pasture for home grown hip-hop?
For us it's a cool place to be because we can be unique. Most NZ hip-hop fits nicely into the 'commercial' box. This works well for radio, sponsorship and funding. On Billy Wilson's The Great Divide’ a wee bit of soil was taken from the 'fertile pastures' and sprinkled into a planter box on the She'll Be Right window sill. Some of the tracks use the language of hip hop as a springboard to launch outside of hip-hop, other tracks leave the language behind. This is not a commercial approach.
The NZ Government seems to be quite forward thinking in its approach to arts (specifically music) funding. Have you guys been the recipient of any assistance?
The grants situation is a funny one, without getting too involved in the politics of it all – there are two main grant funding bodies – creative NZ and NZ On Air. Creative NZ fund things like books, theatre and the NZ symphony orchestra. NZ on air fund music videos and recording for commercial pop music, so if you are doing something different (like most decent people) it's easy to fall between the gaps and receive no funding. Instead the acts and major labels who deserve it least (because they are already successful or a multi-national corporation) get all the funding. It's a weird situation, and quite wrong for a government to mix art and commerce in such a matter that quashes anything creative. I am more likely to receive funding from Creative NZ, and I did for my latest Trillion LP.
What does the description 'non hip-hop' hip-hop mean to you?
There's a certain school of thought that says' if you make hip-hop, the style of beats, music and lyrical content should be a certain way'. I think this is stifling to the artform. You can't live in a box – so why should hip-hop stay in a box. I take all the things I love about hip-hop and try to make something new – thus I'm almost making an opposite version of it.
Jody: your work has been studied as part of the NZ high school English curriculum (again very forward thinking). Do you have any idea what sort of themes they've found/explored in your work?
I'm not too sure on all details – mostly it's been used as an example of how NZ English and kiwi-isms can be used in a modern way. Because Dark Tower were pretty much the first (and only) hip hop act in NZ (and the world) to do this we've sort of become part of the NZ cultural history book.
What did you initially think when you found out about it?
We were pretty flattered really. Not only on an intellectual level, but imagine all the kids going through high school – most of them will know about us in some form. You can't buy that sort of exposure.
Explain for us the appeal of fried egg and gherkin sandwiches. Do you think you could have made The Great Divide without them?
Possibly not… when boys have their heads in a project; it becomes the main focus. They can't be bothered stopping to prepare a four course meal like girls would. So it's necessary to have things that are quick and easy to prepare.
Fresh from Sound Summit in Newcastle you can catch Trillion & Billy Wilson Thursday 13 at Esplanade Hotel, St.Kilda and Friday 14 at the Hopetoun Hotel, Surry Hills, Sydney. The Great Divide is out next week through Obese Records By JP
(Oct 2005)
While most New Zealand hip-hop sounds like it stepped straight off the A-Train, rappers Trillion and Billy Wilson aren’t afraid to leave the American accents behind and instead let their inner Kiwi shine. Fresh from a stint at Sound Summit (This is Not Art) 3D World caught up with the leftfield hip-hop artists as they continue to tour Australia in aid of their new album The Great Divide.
New Zealand seems to be a pretty cool place to be if you're a hip-hopper at the moment. Why do you think it's become such a fertile pasture for home grown hip-hop?
For us it's a cool place to be because we can be unique. Most NZ hip-hop fits nicely into the 'commercial' box. This works well for radio, sponsorship and funding. On Billy Wilson's The Great Divide’ a wee bit of soil was taken from the 'fertile pastures' and sprinkled into a planter box on the She'll Be Right window sill. Some of the tracks use the language of hip hop as a springboard to launch outside of hip-hop, other tracks leave the language behind. This is not a commercial approach.
The NZ Government seems to be quite forward thinking in its approach to arts (specifically music) funding. Have you guys been the recipient of any assistance?
The grants situation is a funny one, without getting too involved in the politics of it all – there are two main grant funding bodies – creative NZ and NZ On Air. Creative NZ fund things like books, theatre and the NZ symphony orchestra. NZ on air fund music videos and recording for commercial pop music, so if you are doing something different (like most decent people) it's easy to fall between the gaps and receive no funding. Instead the acts and major labels who deserve it least (because they are already successful or a multi-national corporation) get all the funding. It's a weird situation, and quite wrong for a government to mix art and commerce in such a matter that quashes anything creative. I am more likely to receive funding from Creative NZ, and I did for my latest Trillion LP.
What does the description 'non hip-hop' hip-hop mean to you?
There's a certain school of thought that says' if you make hip-hop, the style of beats, music and lyrical content should be a certain way'. I think this is stifling to the artform. You can't live in a box – so why should hip-hop stay in a box. I take all the things I love about hip-hop and try to make something new – thus I'm almost making an opposite version of it.
Jody: your work has been studied as part of the NZ high school English curriculum (again very forward thinking). Do you have any idea what sort of themes they've found/explored in your work?
I'm not too sure on all details – mostly it's been used as an example of how NZ English and kiwi-isms can be used in a modern way. Because Dark Tower were pretty much the first (and only) hip hop act in NZ (and the world) to do this we've sort of become part of the NZ cultural history book.
What did you initially think when you found out about it?
We were pretty flattered really. Not only on an intellectual level, but imagine all the kids going through high school – most of them will know about us in some form. You can't buy that sort of exposure.
Explain for us the appeal of fried egg and gherkin sandwiches. Do you think you could have made The Great Divide without them?
Possibly not… when boys have their heads in a project; it becomes the main focus. They can't be bothered stopping to prepare a four course meal like girls would. So it's necessary to have things that are quick and easy to prepare.
Fresh from Sound Summit in Newcastle you can catch Trillion & Billy Wilson Thursday 13 at Esplanade Hotel, St.Kilda and Friday 14 at the Hopetoun Hotel, Surry Hills, Sydney. The Great Divide is out next week through Obese Records By JP
[INTERVIEW] Trillion and Billy Wilson (by Oops, Australia) 2005
Trillion (AKA Jody Lloyd of Dark Tower fame) and Billy Wilson are two love-'em or hate-'em rapscallions from New Zealand. Lloyd is somewhat of a kiwi hip-hop veteran who has been fending off claims that his left-field take on hip-hop isn't true to the genre for around 13 years now. Wilson is his live-stage virgin who was sacrificed in Sydney at "Back 2 Basics" only weeks ago. Billy's a fluent rhyme-smith and far from being a new-jack, he just hasn't faced an audience before this Australian tour. These two cheeky lads took time out of their working holiday to answer ten quick questions for Ozhiphop.Com.
1. You both have a new record that's just recently been released. Can you both tell us a little about each others record(not your own)?
TRILLION: I think Billy's album is really unique and groundbreaking. It covers ground which hasn't been explored within the hip-hop genre in NZ and Australia. Musically and lyrically it's very unique and diverse. Billy uses language which doesnt normally appear in the hip-hop spectrum and a lot of his his flows are also very unique and complex. Having produced it and watched it shape into something from a beat and a rhyme to it's own identity and package is an exciting thing. If i didn't think it was a worthwhile project i wouldnt have been involved. It's actually brilliant.
BILLY WILSON: Load up 'The Gray Between Shadow And Shade' in your iPod to follow after 'The Great Divide'. Sick. Trillion's new album follows up 1997's
hit record 'Shadows On A Flat Land' which is a collaborative effort with musicians who are a part of Jody's life. Check out this guys repitoire. Sick. We are
lucky to have a guy like him in NZ. Oh yeah, the new record features the only track in exsistence which is exclusively Darktower and Billy Wilson. Bloody
collectors item.
2. Part of the reason to come out to Australia was for Sound Summit. What are your thoughts on the event and do you feel that it was helpful to you as
artists?
T: Yeah, I thought it was a good thing. Perhaps it would have been better if there were more people attending. It is part of a festival encompassing
a lot of different things, perhaps this is slightly detrimental to it as there are so many things on at the same time it becomes overwhelming and made me
feel like not going to anything. As an artist (or just a person) it was great to meet other people. I met some really great people who i'm sure i will stay
in touch with for a long time.
BW: I really enjoyed the panel discussions. Lots of interesting people. It was really good to meet people and I reckon that was very helpful as an artist.
Hopefully future relationships will be established as a result.
3. You both rap in NZ accents, something that is strangely rare for the New Zealand hip-hop scene. Also, the music you make is somewhat different to the
majority of what is coming out of NZ. Are you accepted by the NZ hip-hop community or would you consider yourselves as outcasts?
T: A few years ago Dark Tower were outcasts. We were never included in magazine articles about the 'thriving NZ hip-hop scene' and we were never asked to perfrom at things like the hip-hop summit, we were dissed on the radio shows and our music videos were shunned. This has sort of all blown over. There are still some who think we are completely wack, but generally I don't think they think about us, they are so much into their own world that they don't even think we are part of the NZ hip hop scene. I am not so much an outcast, rather I purposely keep a fairly low profile as I don't really want to be associated with such a lame, try-hard hip-hop scene.
BW: Im not sure that the NZ hip-hop scene knows I exist, and I'm not sure what would be made of tracks like 'The Plunger' and 'Hand Cannon', which are
the two most 'hip-hop friendly' tracks on the album. I've read a few comments from kiwi hip-hoppers on net forums in response to 'The Plunger', and they
consider the style not 'street' enough. Maybe a lot of people associate natural kiwi accents with the cringworthy kiwi subject matter of gumboots and buzzybees. 'The Great Divide' doesnt go there so I'm not sure how it will be recieved.I reckon if the writing is good and the flows are on point, a natural accent only makes things better.
4. What are you trying to achieve with your music? Are you trying to subvert the local culture or are you simply expressing yourselves naturally?
T: It would be great if there was a supportive natural accent and non-ego driven hip-hop scene in NZ. If what I do encourages to build something like
this then that's cool, but generally what I do is simply self-expression. I really like making music and words, so it's what I choose to do with most of
my time. If others like it then I'm doing my job well.
BW: With few exceptions, rappers communicate within the space of hip-hop culture. Within this space exsists a whole system of langauge which is native to this culture. For some people this space has become very claustrophobic as the meanings of words in the language are taken for granted and the same things are said over and over again with minute variations. I think this endless repetion has caused some rappers to do two things, one is to shake the language up a bit and re-order it, often subverting it, the other is to step outside the space of hip-hop altogether and occupy a different one. I reckon stepping outside actually informs the space of hip-hop and breathes new life into it, and a more natural expression comes out. For many though, rap ceases to be of any interest once it steps too far outside hip-hop culture. To an extent 'The Great Divide' does both these things. Hip-hop culture has been a huge influence on what I do, but it is not the only one, so it is natural that my creative output will occupy other spaces.
5. As artists/musicians, how does your experience in NZ compare to your experience in Oz? What are some of your observations?
T: It's hard to approach it from such a simple comparison. I prefer to perform in Australia. I feel I'm not being judged so hard, which makes performing easier - less self concious, etc.
BW: We have been celebrated by the Australian hip-hop community here because I think that New Zealand has been seen as a dried up vein for rap music with less of an American slant. People in Oz seem overjoyed that we are doing what we do, the fact that it's really quite good helps a lot too. (laughs) Maybe In NZ our audience is not the hip-hop community, but everyone else. These people are our hip-hop community.
6. Tell us a little about the tour and how it's gone down so far. What are the highlights and lowlights? What's the funniest and worst experiences from the tour up until today?
T: The tour has gone as good as a first tour could go i think. People have generally been really supportive. It's never really a good feeling when people
leave halfway through a set. But then if people arent enjoying themselves they shouldnt be there as this would just bring a bad vibe to the gig. The worst
things for me have been carrying really heavy gear and not having enough money to catch taxis.
BW: The lows I reckon are realising mid performance that maybe that verse was a bit too much of a mouthful to put with that tempo. The highs are the
interviews, and performing 'Hand Cannon' live with Proffessor Lloyd.
7. Tell us about your hook up with Obese. You are distributed by those guys now, how'd that come about?
T: We met Reason when he came over to NZ a while back. I actually organised a gig in Christchurch which he perfromed at. We stayed in touch and I decided to have a trip over to Melbourne in January this year. I met Pegz through Reason and he offered a distro deal. Obese has a strong natural accent vibe and being the only of our kind in NZ of course they wanted to be involved.
8. Somehow I feel that artists such as yourselves may be able to sustain a music career and have a greater opportunity to be successful with your music
in Australia compared to your homeland. Do you think we'll be seeing you back here again any time soon?
T: Yes - probably. I've been working on music for some local hip-hop acts and have been asked to guest on a few tracks too. So it's all looking good here!
BW: The nature of my return will be determined by future material. I have little idea what form the next project will take. Whatever it is will determine
audience and venue...
9. There's two shows left, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. Are we likely to see Trillion and Billy Wilson go out with a bang?
BW: Fuck i hope so. These are perhaps our two most important shows. We are at a point now where we know what has be working live and what hasnt. with a few adjustments things should work out rather well.
T: Yeah, because this is our first tour together we are just getting the hang of things. We keep having new ideas to make the shows more interesting. Songs
that we think aren't working are getting ditched and because we're not trying to impress chicks (we are too old) or be macho, it makes it easier to get loose with no baggage. We're just having fun, and if it's not fun then I'm not really interested.
10. You've be given an assignment to design a custom postcard to send home to your friends, family, and your peers. What does it look like?
T: It's of a scene from Newcastle. On one half there is a croud of arty, hippy bohemians getting jiggy to electro noise, a zine and comic stall and psychedelic video projections. On the other half is the local town people trying to be involved with a crap local high school art stall, lame circus rides, a childrens cheerleaders competition and an outdoor night movie - The Sound Of Music. The phrase on front reads "Shit can't pose as art very well."
BW: Me and Jody dressed up as Big Owl and MC Yellow Breasted Warbler. TA-WIT TA-WOOOO!!!
1. You both have a new record that's just recently been released. Can you both tell us a little about each others record(not your own)?
TRILLION: I think Billy's album is really unique and groundbreaking. It covers ground which hasn't been explored within the hip-hop genre in NZ and Australia. Musically and lyrically it's very unique and diverse. Billy uses language which doesnt normally appear in the hip-hop spectrum and a lot of his his flows are also very unique and complex. Having produced it and watched it shape into something from a beat and a rhyme to it's own identity and package is an exciting thing. If i didn't think it was a worthwhile project i wouldnt have been involved. It's actually brilliant.
BILLY WILSON: Load up 'The Gray Between Shadow And Shade' in your iPod to follow after 'The Great Divide'. Sick. Trillion's new album follows up 1997's
hit record 'Shadows On A Flat Land' which is a collaborative effort with musicians who are a part of Jody's life. Check out this guys repitoire. Sick. We are
lucky to have a guy like him in NZ. Oh yeah, the new record features the only track in exsistence which is exclusively Darktower and Billy Wilson. Bloody
collectors item.
2. Part of the reason to come out to Australia was for Sound Summit. What are your thoughts on the event and do you feel that it was helpful to you as
artists?
T: Yeah, I thought it was a good thing. Perhaps it would have been better if there were more people attending. It is part of a festival encompassing
a lot of different things, perhaps this is slightly detrimental to it as there are so many things on at the same time it becomes overwhelming and made me
feel like not going to anything. As an artist (or just a person) it was great to meet other people. I met some really great people who i'm sure i will stay
in touch with for a long time.
BW: I really enjoyed the panel discussions. Lots of interesting people. It was really good to meet people and I reckon that was very helpful as an artist.
Hopefully future relationships will be established as a result.
3. You both rap in NZ accents, something that is strangely rare for the New Zealand hip-hop scene. Also, the music you make is somewhat different to the
majority of what is coming out of NZ. Are you accepted by the NZ hip-hop community or would you consider yourselves as outcasts?
T: A few years ago Dark Tower were outcasts. We were never included in magazine articles about the 'thriving NZ hip-hop scene' and we were never asked to perfrom at things like the hip-hop summit, we were dissed on the radio shows and our music videos were shunned. This has sort of all blown over. There are still some who think we are completely wack, but generally I don't think they think about us, they are so much into their own world that they don't even think we are part of the NZ hip hop scene. I am not so much an outcast, rather I purposely keep a fairly low profile as I don't really want to be associated with such a lame, try-hard hip-hop scene.
BW: Im not sure that the NZ hip-hop scene knows I exist, and I'm not sure what would be made of tracks like 'The Plunger' and 'Hand Cannon', which are
the two most 'hip-hop friendly' tracks on the album. I've read a few comments from kiwi hip-hoppers on net forums in response to 'The Plunger', and they
consider the style not 'street' enough. Maybe a lot of people associate natural kiwi accents with the cringworthy kiwi subject matter of gumboots and buzzybees. 'The Great Divide' doesnt go there so I'm not sure how it will be recieved.I reckon if the writing is good and the flows are on point, a natural accent only makes things better.
4. What are you trying to achieve with your music? Are you trying to subvert the local culture or are you simply expressing yourselves naturally?
T: It would be great if there was a supportive natural accent and non-ego driven hip-hop scene in NZ. If what I do encourages to build something like
this then that's cool, but generally what I do is simply self-expression. I really like making music and words, so it's what I choose to do with most of
my time. If others like it then I'm doing my job well.
BW: With few exceptions, rappers communicate within the space of hip-hop culture. Within this space exsists a whole system of langauge which is native to this culture. For some people this space has become very claustrophobic as the meanings of words in the language are taken for granted and the same things are said over and over again with minute variations. I think this endless repetion has caused some rappers to do two things, one is to shake the language up a bit and re-order it, often subverting it, the other is to step outside the space of hip-hop altogether and occupy a different one. I reckon stepping outside actually informs the space of hip-hop and breathes new life into it, and a more natural expression comes out. For many though, rap ceases to be of any interest once it steps too far outside hip-hop culture. To an extent 'The Great Divide' does both these things. Hip-hop culture has been a huge influence on what I do, but it is not the only one, so it is natural that my creative output will occupy other spaces.
5. As artists/musicians, how does your experience in NZ compare to your experience in Oz? What are some of your observations?
T: It's hard to approach it from such a simple comparison. I prefer to perform in Australia. I feel I'm not being judged so hard, which makes performing easier - less self concious, etc.
BW: We have been celebrated by the Australian hip-hop community here because I think that New Zealand has been seen as a dried up vein for rap music with less of an American slant. People in Oz seem overjoyed that we are doing what we do, the fact that it's really quite good helps a lot too. (laughs) Maybe In NZ our audience is not the hip-hop community, but everyone else. These people are our hip-hop community.
6. Tell us a little about the tour and how it's gone down so far. What are the highlights and lowlights? What's the funniest and worst experiences from the tour up until today?
T: The tour has gone as good as a first tour could go i think. People have generally been really supportive. It's never really a good feeling when people
leave halfway through a set. But then if people arent enjoying themselves they shouldnt be there as this would just bring a bad vibe to the gig. The worst
things for me have been carrying really heavy gear and not having enough money to catch taxis.
BW: The lows I reckon are realising mid performance that maybe that verse was a bit too much of a mouthful to put with that tempo. The highs are the
interviews, and performing 'Hand Cannon' live with Proffessor Lloyd.
7. Tell us about your hook up with Obese. You are distributed by those guys now, how'd that come about?
T: We met Reason when he came over to NZ a while back. I actually organised a gig in Christchurch which he perfromed at. We stayed in touch and I decided to have a trip over to Melbourne in January this year. I met Pegz through Reason and he offered a distro deal. Obese has a strong natural accent vibe and being the only of our kind in NZ of course they wanted to be involved.
8. Somehow I feel that artists such as yourselves may be able to sustain a music career and have a greater opportunity to be successful with your music
in Australia compared to your homeland. Do you think we'll be seeing you back here again any time soon?
T: Yes - probably. I've been working on music for some local hip-hop acts and have been asked to guest on a few tracks too. So it's all looking good here!
BW: The nature of my return will be determined by future material. I have little idea what form the next project will take. Whatever it is will determine
audience and venue...
9. There's two shows left, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. Are we likely to see Trillion and Billy Wilson go out with a bang?
BW: Fuck i hope so. These are perhaps our two most important shows. We are at a point now where we know what has be working live and what hasnt. with a few adjustments things should work out rather well.
T: Yeah, because this is our first tour together we are just getting the hang of things. We keep having new ideas to make the shows more interesting. Songs
that we think aren't working are getting ditched and because we're not trying to impress chicks (we are too old) or be macho, it makes it easier to get loose with no baggage. We're just having fun, and if it's not fun then I'm not really interested.
10. You've be given an assignment to design a custom postcard to send home to your friends, family, and your peers. What does it look like?
T: It's of a scene from Newcastle. On one half there is a croud of arty, hippy bohemians getting jiggy to electro noise, a zine and comic stall and psychedelic video projections. On the other half is the local town people trying to be involved with a crap local high school art stall, lame circus rides, a childrens cheerleaders competition and an outdoor night movie - The Sound Of Music. The phrase on front reads "Shit can't pose as art very well."
BW: Me and Jody dressed up as Big Owl and MC Yellow Breasted Warbler. TA-WIT TA-WOOOO!!!
JODY LLOYD - REINVENTED by Tim (2002) for bands.co.nz
Meet the new Jody Lloyd...we call him Trillion
If you live in Auckland and work in a cafe or a clothing store you may have been approached by a man trying to sell you a cd...he is dangerous, the best thing you can do is buy his wares.
"It's like taking the shop to the people instead of trying to get the people into the shop. With no promotions or radio play how do I get the people into the cd store and get them to choose my cd?... I don't and i can't, instead i take it to them. let them play it for a few hours - go back and more times out of none it's a done deal." says Jody Lloyd after trying to sell his latest release, just to scrape enough cash to get the print run of his actual cd covers.
I thought it was modern age busking, in a digital society he thought it was a bloody good idea. So here's this cd that everybody likes, "It's in every cafe in Auckland" he chuckles to himself,.
"Who needs fickle radio play with solid cafe air time: pro: they don't just choose one song, they play the whole thing. con: my shoes are wearing down fast" it's a whole new approach from the underground hiphop shenanigans of Dark Tower, it's real and personal - it's the artist dealing directly with the clientele.
Fresh Jams is not only the launch of the new 'She'll Be Right Records' but is also the launch of Jody's new solo persona Trillion, so on that note we caught up with him.
Jody so your stepping out of the recording room into the shelves once again, what have you got for us this time?
It's a compilation style cd called fresh jams, mainly instrumentaly niceness. I came up with the concept - cos compilations seem pretty hip at the moment but instead of asking people to submit tunes - i submitted them all myself. half of the music is stuff i've done with other people and the other half is all my own doing
Did you approach it with different styles - each track being totally different?
No it didn't - i was more like, i have all this music sitting around . and now what do i do with it. I cant say it's all mine. and they are all a bit different to each other so would fit as a 'these are all by the same artist' album. so the best thing for them was to all end up on a compilation together
In saying that does it feel like an offcuts record - full of ya old junk or scraps?
Kind of - but more like the best treasures from the best sessions. although it crosses style barriers it's still a very cohesive and well planned journey through them.
Who are these other people?
Duff, francis hunt, the brunettes, mike from bazuki joe.
Who do you think your ideal customer is, to purchase this compilation?
Interesting: i've been selling them myself to shops and cafes. and it seems that everybody really likes it, from designer clothing stores to rugged streetwise style cafes. so it's a good all rounder i think.
Can we keep our eyes open for another record similar - could this be a regular occurrence?
Since making this one i have totally been inspired to just do whatever and get it out, i've always had this fear of 'there's no point in putting it out if it's not done properly'. that is just a load of total bollox - thats the industry talking and trying to uproot any creative kind of process
Has a record company come up to bat for you on this one - and pick up the tab?
Fresh jams is the new start for She'll be right records. and my approach is kind of an anti industry one - kind of bypassing the pricks and going straight to the streets. i have had a few annoying experiences with record companies - and what it boils down to, is that everyone has their own agenda - and i guess i dont fit in to any of them.
This doesn't make much business sense- would you rather the street 'cred' than the cash?
I'd say give me the money - i've been doing music for 10 years now and have always been struggling, money helps get the balls rolling: I have three albums finished and ready to pressed, i just need the dollars. so yeah i'd rather sell a nana a cd and have her dig it, than be on any BFM top ten chart.
Fresh Jams the title sounds like your almost mocking other recordings - is there any kind of sarcasm in this name?
It came about when about 3 years ago i was in Dunedin - i went to find a concrete wall that i heard about - that had 'fresh fruit jams' profiling out of the wall - i took a bunch of photos of the fresh and the jams and that became the cover and concept // then i developed the whole jams pun and included jam recipes, plastic jar seals, rubber bands and jar labels in the cd.
Do you feel like your selling home made jam?
Haha - the cd will be good for those cant go to sleep late night sessions - you chuck the cd on and then decide to make a pot of jam. perfect it's all there.
In your Darktower work - alot of it is reflected and influenced by New Zealand the land and the people. Do you feel the same theme comes across in this ?
um... not sure
What is the best thing that could happen to this record?
moby status & a few movies
.....and the Worst case scenario
moby status
If you live in Auckland and work in a cafe or a clothing store you may have been approached by a man trying to sell you a cd...he is dangerous, the best thing you can do is buy his wares.
"It's like taking the shop to the people instead of trying to get the people into the shop. With no promotions or radio play how do I get the people into the cd store and get them to choose my cd?... I don't and i can't, instead i take it to them. let them play it for a few hours - go back and more times out of none it's a done deal." says Jody Lloyd after trying to sell his latest release, just to scrape enough cash to get the print run of his actual cd covers.
I thought it was modern age busking, in a digital society he thought it was a bloody good idea. So here's this cd that everybody likes, "It's in every cafe in Auckland" he chuckles to himself,.
"Who needs fickle radio play with solid cafe air time: pro: they don't just choose one song, they play the whole thing. con: my shoes are wearing down fast" it's a whole new approach from the underground hiphop shenanigans of Dark Tower, it's real and personal - it's the artist dealing directly with the clientele.
Fresh Jams is not only the launch of the new 'She'll Be Right Records' but is also the launch of Jody's new solo persona Trillion, so on that note we caught up with him.
Jody so your stepping out of the recording room into the shelves once again, what have you got for us this time?
It's a compilation style cd called fresh jams, mainly instrumentaly niceness. I came up with the concept - cos compilations seem pretty hip at the moment but instead of asking people to submit tunes - i submitted them all myself. half of the music is stuff i've done with other people and the other half is all my own doing
Did you approach it with different styles - each track being totally different?
No it didn't - i was more like, i have all this music sitting around . and now what do i do with it. I cant say it's all mine. and they are all a bit different to each other so would fit as a 'these are all by the same artist' album. so the best thing for them was to all end up on a compilation together
In saying that does it feel like an offcuts record - full of ya old junk or scraps?
Kind of - but more like the best treasures from the best sessions. although it crosses style barriers it's still a very cohesive and well planned journey through them.
Who are these other people?
Duff, francis hunt, the brunettes, mike from bazuki joe.
Who do you think your ideal customer is, to purchase this compilation?
Interesting: i've been selling them myself to shops and cafes. and it seems that everybody really likes it, from designer clothing stores to rugged streetwise style cafes. so it's a good all rounder i think.
Can we keep our eyes open for another record similar - could this be a regular occurrence?
Since making this one i have totally been inspired to just do whatever and get it out, i've always had this fear of 'there's no point in putting it out if it's not done properly'. that is just a load of total bollox - thats the industry talking and trying to uproot any creative kind of process
Has a record company come up to bat for you on this one - and pick up the tab?
Fresh jams is the new start for She'll be right records. and my approach is kind of an anti industry one - kind of bypassing the pricks and going straight to the streets. i have had a few annoying experiences with record companies - and what it boils down to, is that everyone has their own agenda - and i guess i dont fit in to any of them.
This doesn't make much business sense- would you rather the street 'cred' than the cash?
I'd say give me the money - i've been doing music for 10 years now and have always been struggling, money helps get the balls rolling: I have three albums finished and ready to pressed, i just need the dollars. so yeah i'd rather sell a nana a cd and have her dig it, than be on any BFM top ten chart.
Fresh Jams the title sounds like your almost mocking other recordings - is there any kind of sarcasm in this name?
It came about when about 3 years ago i was in Dunedin - i went to find a concrete wall that i heard about - that had 'fresh fruit jams' profiling out of the wall - i took a bunch of photos of the fresh and the jams and that became the cover and concept // then i developed the whole jams pun and included jam recipes, plastic jar seals, rubber bands and jar labels in the cd.
Do you feel like your selling home made jam?
Haha - the cd will be good for those cant go to sleep late night sessions - you chuck the cd on and then decide to make a pot of jam. perfect it's all there.
In your Darktower work - alot of it is reflected and influenced by New Zealand the land and the people. Do you feel the same theme comes across in this ?
um... not sure
What is the best thing that could happen to this record?
moby status & a few movies
.....and the Worst case scenario
moby status
