Ghost interview

This UK Hiphop producer and DJ with over ten years experience has developed his own unique take on the sound of Hiphop. His sound firmly cemented in the past of the boom-bap era he is always progressing and pushing his music forward. Numerous releases in the last three years have met with critical acclaim leading to him being touted as one of the UK’s premier producers. Now with the release of his new album Seldom Seen, Often Heard on the independent label Breakin Bread he is set to make an even bigger mark on the growing scene. So we caught up with the Ghost of a man who’s seldom seen but often heard. Intrigued? Then please read on…

How easy has it been to establish yourself within the Hiphop scene and how many years has it taken?
It’s not been easy, I’ve been working hard for a number of years. I originally got into production in 1991 when I was pretty young and from then I concentrated on building my skills. I didn’t want to release anything until I felt I was ready, I didn’t get properly serious with doing music until 2000. From then I’ve worked very, very hard making links with people and improving my music. I’ve been trying hard to get organized, as that’s as important as having the music. I like to do everything the right way as much as possible and have learnt a lot through the years, it’s helped me work out a plan about how I’m gonna go about my business, and the people I need to have around me to do that.

Tell us about your connection with the Breakin Bread Label and how did the link up 1st come about?
I met them through my mate Tuf Kut who was an original part of Breakin Bread. I’d known him for years so I used to go to the Breakin Bread club night and linked with the other guys at the label. We hooked up about foru or five years ago, and we all got along, they liked what I was doing and said they wanted to put out an EP I was working on at the time which was ‘Ghost Stories’. We have a good thing going on, they’re doing a good job taking care of business so I don’t have any complaints. Since then we’ve just been building and working hard pushing the label and my music as well…..

Why did you choose the title Seldom Seen Often Heard for the LP?
Well I think the title sums me up since I’ve been doing music, you might not see me for a while but you’re gonna hear what I’m doing. Since I got serious with music I have periods where I just stay in the lab making music and I won’t be seen for a while. I’m just happy to be working hard doing music rather than chatting about what I’m doing or being out biggin up my music for it not to come out. My priority is making music and I’ve had production out on other people’s releases as well as my own stuff cause I get my shit done.

Who has worked with you on this particular project and why?
For the bulk of the LP I worked with people I’ve known for a while and have worked with frequently over the past 4 years. Artists like Kashmere, Asaviour and Verb T, who I worked with on my previous EP’s and have done stuff for their solo projects. After a while of working with someone you get a good working relationship going. I knew they’d be able to get what I was doing in terms of the music and they’d come up with the goods, as I wanted them, and they did. There was also some other fresher faces on the scene I wanted to include, people like Dubbledge who I met fairly recently and he came with some next shit, he’s on fire right now. Also Lowkey who I’m a big fan of, we recorded a track a while back and when it finally got mixed he came with some serious business too. As well as Mudmowth from Wales, he just came with some light hearted shit, good punchlines.
Couple of emcees from stateside, Finale from Detroit who has some ridiculous flows, he’s making moves over there at the minute. Also Abstract Rude from Project Blowed in L.A. I met him at a show I was doing at Cargo a while back, we were just chatting about music and I played him some stuff, he left the UK and when he came back he called me up and was like let’s do this. A singer called Devorah, she added some extra flavour on the LP and just brought the track what it needed, a great voice, and some live flavour with Biscuit handling duties on the flute, we were just on the same vibe with music so it’s easy working with people on your level like that. Lastly DJ IQ featured on some cuts, he’s just quality…….
Bottom line is the people I get on a vibe with and they can feel the music and write to that, they’re the people I want to be working with now and in the future.

What are your future plans/projects in the pipeline etc...
Well really I’m looking to get out and do as many show’s as possible, U.K and overseas. I love playing out especially now since I’ve been locked away for so long getting the album together and mixing it etc. Other projects are already in the pipeline and have been for a couple of months, I’m looking to get my head into the next album as soon as I can, I got some idea’s and concepts to try out. I’ve produced a track for Asaviour’s new LP ‘Borrowed Ladder’ I did the title track, something for Kashmere’s forthcoming LP, some new tracks with Dubbledge, Genesis Elijah, Parke to name a few. I’ll keep doing some odd bits of production and mixing for other people’s projects I enjoy doing that. Hoping to get the Invisible Men project up and running, that’s Kashmere, Verb T, Asaviour, and me. Hopefully we’ll all find the time to get an album/EP together by the end of the year…….  Other than that I’ll keep working hard trying to make the music the best I can and just be out there doing my thing.

Breakin Bread website

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