DECEMBER 2 0 1 8 ISSUE 03

JESS
GLYNNE
IN THE EYE
OF THE
STORM

7 STEPS TO
BAG A GIG

Music from Chicago

you must hear!

NEO CLASSICAL GENIUS

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
+
THE BEST GIFTS
FOR AUDIOPHILES
 PRS for Music members Dreamwife performing at PRS Presents
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2 DECEMBER 2018
 UPFRONT

EDITOR’S
PUBLISHER
Hey Music
LETTER
EDITOR
Lesley Wright
lesley@heymusic.com

NEWS EDITOR
Kristan J Caryl
kristan@heymusic.com

MARKETING DIRECTOR
Darren Haynes
darren@heymusic.com
The Haçienda Classical album has found a
IN-HOUSE permanent home on my old but trusty iPod since
CONTRIBUTORS its release in 2016. Full of seminal club classics
Antoinette Smith reimagined into orchestral compositions, it’s as uplifting as a
antoinette@heymusic.com
ride on a hot air balloon on a clear day.
Aiez Mirza Ahmed But listening to classical versions of old school house
aiez@heymusic.com anthems through my earbuds or on the stereo isn’t a patch
on hearing them live – something I finally, and joyously,
CONTRIBUTORS discovered when Haçienda Classical, with original Haç DJs
Danny Veekens, Jim Graeme Park and Mike Pickering, conductor Tim Crooks, the
Butler, Mike O’Cull, Nick
Rice and Tarak Parekh Manchester Camerata Orchestra, Peter Hook and a string of
guests rolled into Dubai Opera.
I’ve been to more gigs than I can remember but there’s
@heymusicofficial zero chance I’ll ever forget this one. Wrapped in the acoustic
@heymusictweets brilliance of the venue, the tunes took on an almost divine
dimension – jolting every goosebump to attention, opening
@heymusicofficial
the endorphin floodgates and swelling my heart until it was
@heymusicofficial fit to burst. As Eddie Amador’s timeless track from the late-
www.heymusic.com ’90s so eloquently puts it: “Not everyone understands house
music, it’s a spiritual thing...”
LOCATION: London From a spiritual trip down memory lane to a jaunt into the
unknown, my next music adventure takes me to Mumbai, in
India, to see in the New Year at a Bollywood bash with friends
who live in the city. I know diddly-squat about Bollywood
music but I’m looking forward to my crash course.
Wherever you’re celebrating New Year be sure to have a
good one – with a cracking soundtrack.
Hey Mag is published by Hey Music.
All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part without written
permission is prohibited. The publisher
regrets that they cannot accept liability
for error or omissions contained in
this publication, however caused.
The opinions and views within this
publication are not necessarily those of
the publisher or editors. All credits are
accurate at the time of writing but may
be subject to change. Lesley Wright

HEYMUSIC.COM 3
4 DECEMBER 2018
 UPFRONT

CONTENTS
UPFRONT 6
6 NEWS
What’s cooking across the UK
and around the world

FEATURES
14 IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
British singer-songwriter Jess Glynne
44
on her latest album and coping with
the pressures of fame

18 GLACIAL COOL
Ólafur Arnalds opens up a gateway
into beautifully classical sounds

22 CITY FOCUS
Five emerging acts from Chicago

26 IT’S A WRAP
Gifts for the audiophile in your life

30 THIRD TIME CHARMER

The Boxtones aim for the treble

34 HOW TO…
Seven steps to bag your band a gig

36 ON REPEAT
Our albums of the year 14
40 MUSIC BY NUMBERS
The Arcadia Spider

42 A PRECOCIOUS TALENT
The journey of LA-based singer-
songwriter Kennedi

44 THE HUMAN TOUCH

How Japanese hip-hop producer
Shin-Ski’s music is evolving
40
BACKSTAGE
46 THE MAIN EVENT
The real life of an event manager
42
HEYMUSIC.COM 5
UPFRONT AROUND THE UK

DISCOVER: Maisha
There Is A Place (Brownswood, 2018)
London group Maisha are one the many young and contemporary acts making jazz cool
again, and November saw the release of their debut LP on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood
label. This is a hugely spiritual, organic and compelling album that rides on rhythmic
drums and bass, with uplifting trumpets and deliciously rich melodies.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Despite constant stories of club closures
and ever more draconian councils, there
is good news on the horizon for London
clubbers: the people behind the mighty
Printworks venue are opening a new space
in Greenwich in summer 2019.
As well as a 3000-capacity indoor space,
Magazine will boast an outdoor area that can
accommodate 7000 people for fine weather
festivals. The multi-million-pound venue will
also host concerts, exhibitions, ceremonies,
conferences and other events from its
location overlooking the Thames.
Work will start on the brand-new building
in December and, given the big impact
Printworks has made in a short space of
time, it promises to be a vital new addition.
See you down the front.

6 DECEMBER 2018
A SWEET
NIGHTMARE
The 20th year of the
much-loved Back to Mine
mix series will kick off with
a new entry by Nightmares
on Wax. The dub, soul and
world music producer is a
perfect fit for a series that
encourages artists to serve
up the sort of sounds they’d
play at an afterparty or lazy
Sunday session.
The Leeds-born, Ibiza-
based DJ, live act and party
curator had a fine 2018 that
saw him release his latest
album Shape The Future,
assemble an Essential
Mix and remix greats like GRIME BOOK
TO BE MADE
Moodymann. His Back to
Mine mix – scheduled to
drop in January – features
cosy, colourful tunes from
his own archive, plus hip-
hop act Children of Zeus and
INTO TV SHOW
house man Soulphiction, Earlier in 2018, esteemed music writer Dan Hancox
making if perfect for intimate released his essential non-fiction book Inner City Pressure,
groove sessions. which charted the rise
of grime in the UK in the
early naughties. In it, he
considers what socio-
political conditions gave
rise to the genre, as well
as detailing plenty of
razor-sharp anecdotes
to make for a landmark
written history that draws
on more than 12 years
of interviews.
Television rights to the
book have now been
picked up by Pulse Films and Paramount Television.
“I think people really recognise that you can’t tell the
story of grime without telling the story of the city and
society around it,” said Hancox. “And likewise, if you
want to understand London, its politics, poverty, riots,
gentrification, frustrations, tensions and joys, there’s no
better insight into the first two decades of 21st-century
London than grime.”

HEYMUSIC.COM 7
UPFRONT AROUND THE UK
BRIGHTON MUSIC
CONFERENCE REACHES
NEW HEIGHTS
The UK’s annual electronic music
conference is a perfect place to meet, share
knowledge, expertise and help drive the
scene forward. Next year the Brighton Music
Conference is on the move from Brighton
Dome to the British Airways i360 beachfront
centre. The event runs from 24 – 27 April.
The new venue also boasts the British
Airways i360 Pod, the UK’s tallest ascending
observation tower, and naturally organisers
are planning to put the iconic structure to
good use. Golden Tickets for the event will
include entry to a special live panel and
8 DECEMBER 2018
networking party in the tower, 450 feet
above Brighton.
Brands like PRS For Music, Loopmasters,
Pioneer DJ, Defected Records, Beatport,
Hospital Records, R&S Records, Shogun
Audio, Ultra Music and many more will
take part in the talks, panels, workshops
and seminars that are all scheduled for the
conference. Production workshops are also
planned with leading labels, as are a series
of club events over the four days and a
‘demo zone’, where young producers can
showcase their music to experts.
BLEEP GOES
PHYSICAL
Online record store Bleep.
com has opened a pop-up store
in Dalston, London. The shop
will run until February and will
also host regular in-store events
with NTS Radio, Hessle Audio’s
Bruce, Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder
and more. Stock-wise, expect
the finest collection of electronic
music from grime to techno.
SIR ELTON ANNOUNCES
FAREWELL UK SHOWS

Back in January, Sir Elton John announced
he would be touring one more time to bring
his 50-year career on the road to an end. The
ambitious 300-date marathon known as the
Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour – named in
reference to his 1973 album Goodbye Yellow
Brick Road – will take him to five continents
over three years. The reason for the grand
goodbye is so he can spend more time with
his children, who will be eight and 10 when
it concludes.
The tour started in September 2018
in Pennsylvania and lands in the UK in
November 2020, when 13 shows will take
him from London to Leeds via Birmingham,
Liverpool, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester
and Liverpool. Sir Elton is promising the UK
leg will be “incredibly special”. He added:
“The UK is home and where my heart will
always be.”
A biopic called Rocketman is also due to
hit cinema screens in May 2019.

REDISCOVER: Don Cherry

Organic Music Society (Caprice, 1973)
This album is the ultimate folk, afro and indigenous jazz experience. Over 80-odd minutes,
trumpeter Don Cherry layers up worldly percussion, meditative chanting and myriad guitars
and keys into an intoxicating soundtrack that is filled with tropical jungle imagery. It’s
wonderfully adventurous and takes you to places you’ve never been.

HEYMUSIC.COM 9
UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Idris Elba
Liam Gallagher
THE GREATEST
SHOW ON SNOW
Snowbombing celebrates its 20th
anniversary next year with a killer line-up.
Stormzy, The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim are
among the acts heading to the slopes of
Mayrhofen, in Austria, for the six-day festival.
More than 100 acts will be playing across
a string of unique venues – think pop-
up butcher shop parties, igloo raves and
enchanted forest gigs – with Andy C, Bicep,
Camelphat, Craig Charles, Fleetmac Wood
and Sub Focus also confirmed for next year’s
event, which runs from 8 – 13 April.
10 DECEMBER 2018
Photos_Andrew Whitton & Jenna Foxton
As well as a fit-to-burst quality line-up and
650 kilometres of piste suitable for boarders
and skiers of all abilities, the organisers are
promising that the 20th birthday bash will
be “downright sillier than ever before”. Get
involved in some chairlift speed dating, the
snowlympics and Austria’s biggest fancy-
dress street party, just for starters.
Last year’s event featured the likes of
Liam Gallagher, Rudimental, DJ Yoda, Idris
Elba, Mistajam, Dizzee Rascal, Craig David
and Big Narstie.
 DUBAI BOUND
Jay Kay and Jamiroquai
are heading to the UAE
early next year to headline
Dubai Jazz Festival. The
band has been touring
throughout 2018 following
Photo_Douglas Kirkland

the 2017 release of their

album Automaton – their
first new material in seven
years. They’ll hit the stage
on 21 February, after Snow
Patrol rock the opening
HERBIE HANCOCK night. Alicia Keys will close
the three-day event.
HONOURED BY
JAZZ INSTITUTION
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will be renamed
in honour of Herbie Hancock from 1 January 2019. The
American composer, band leader, jazz pianist and all-
round musical icon has been the Chairman of the Institute
for the last 15 years. In his long career he has worked
with legends like Donald Byrd and was a key part of the
Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped refine the role of a
jazz rhythm section, as well as working with a dizzying
array of contemporary stars such as Flying Lotus, Kamasi
SUPERFLY
Washington, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg. Spiritual beat maker and
The Grammy-winner said the honour was “tremendously Brainfeeder boss Flying
humbling” and a “profound moment” for him and his family. Lotus has scored and
“I’m looking forward to continuing in my role as Institute produced Yasuke, a new
Chairman and carrying on and expanding the organisation’s anime series on Netflix. It’s
important worldwide jazz education and humanitarian “based on the historical
initiatives,” he added. samurai of African origin
“We will continue teaching the history and importance of who fought with Oda
jazz, its traditions and improvisation, along with exploring Nobunaga”, and follows his
new directions and horizons for the future. Of utmost gory 2017 feature film Kuso,
importance to the Institute and our programmes is to and the 2016 score of sci-fi
highlight the ethics of jazz, which are humanitarian in nature.” movie Perfect.

HEYMUSIC.COM 11
UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
BJÖRK TO PREMIERE
NEW SHOW AT THE SHED
Scheduled to open in spring 2019, new
Manhattan venue The Shed is “made to
commission, produce and present the full
spectrum of performing arts, visual arts
and pop culture”. It will feature the world
premiere of multidisciplinary artist Björk’s
new concert production Cornucopia as part
of its opening season.
While dates have yet to be released,
the Icelandic icon said she was “very
excited” to be involved, adding: “This
winter, I will prepare my most elaborate
stage concert yet, where the acoustic
and digital will shake hands, encouraged
by a bespoke team of collaborators.”
12 DECEMBER 2018
Those collaborators include seven-piece
female Icelandic flute ensemble Viibra, with
media artist Tobias Gremmler imagining
the digital visual design in an environment
created by stage designer Chloe Lamford.
The opening programme will also include
Soundtrack of America, a multi-dimensional,
multi-part concert series tracing the
connections between styles and genres
of African American music from the 17th
century to the present. It will highlight “how
this rich heritage – spiritual and blues, jazz
and gospel, R&B, rock & roll, house, hip-hop,
and trap – shines through in the thrilling work
of a new generation of young artists”.

MOBY’S NEW
MEMOIR
Following on from his
much-loved, candid and
often amusing memoir
Porcelain from 2016, Moby
is releasing a follow-up in
June. And Then It Fell Apart
documents his journey
into fame, the demons and
addictions that come with
it, as well as funny stories
involving Trump, Putin and
various other characters.
FESTIVAL
AWARDS
Belgium’s Pukkelpop,
Danish festival Roskilde
and Spain’s Bilbao BBK
Live have been nominated
for Best Major Festival
in the European Festival
Awards – the annual
celebration of the continent’s
best music events. The
Awards ceremony will
take place on 16 January,
in Groningen, The
Netherlands. Exit Festival
in Serbia (above) picked
up the gong in the same
category earlier this year.
DETROIT’S
TECHNO STORY
SET STRAIGHT
The earliest story of techno is one that is well known:
Detroit friends Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick
May, Eddie Fowlkes, Blake Baxter and Santonio Echols
pioneered the genre and turned out a number of definitive
tracks that became local hits. It wasn’t until a London
label licensed the tracks for release in the UK, though,
that wider attention was brought to the genre.
With that, Atkins, Sauderson and May quickly started
earning but everyone else was left out of the picture with
no apparent knowledge of the deals that were being
made. As such, Blake, Eddie and Santonio were left in
the shadows, written out of the history of techno and to
this day remain uncompensated. 
New film, God Said Give ’Em Drum Machines: The
Story of Detroit Techno, by Motor City natives Jennifer
Washington and Kristian Hill, tells that story and
investigates how techno was the foundation of what is
now a global $7.1 billion industry known as EDM.
Of the film, which is due for release in 2019, the
producers say: “As of 2018, there are no African-
Americans listed as top earning artists. It has been our
personal mission to set the record straight and bring
this important but overlooked part of black history to
mainstream audiences.”
HEYMUSIC.COM 13
FEATURE JESS GLYNNE

It’s been an incredible

few years for British pop
sensation Jess Glynne.
The famous redhead talks
to about her latest
album and coping with the
pressure of fame

IN THE
EYE OF
THE STORM
The last four years have been life
changing, most of it a dream that
I couldn’t have even dreamt.”
So says Jess Glynne, the much-loved
British singer songwriter who recently scored
her second UK No.1 album with Always In
Between – knocking Lady Gaga and Bradley
Cooper’s A Star Is Born soundtrack off the
top spot in the process.
The follow-up to her three-times platinum-
selling debut album I Cry When I Laugh, the
new longplayer spawned Glynne’s seventh
No.1 smash I’ll Be There, which propelled
Jess to the position of scoring the most UK
No.1s by a British solo female artist when
it rocketed to the top of the singles chart
earlier this year. Follow-up tracks All I Am
and Thursday have been no slouches either,

14 DECEMBER 2018
 thing or another. It’s okay to cry and feel low
and it’s okay to feel happy and feel strong
and empowered. Each song represents a
different emotion.”
Faced with penning the new album
following the phenomenal success of her
debut longplayer, Glynne admits to trying
“lots of different things” to get in the creative
zone and ward off any hints of Difficult
Second Album Syndrome. “I’m not going to
lie, there’s always going to be pressure,” she
says, “but you have to disconnect yourself
from it all and immerse yourself in the music.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the hype.
It’s better to focus on your music and make
sure you love it than worry if someone else is
going to like it.

“I just want to make music

that feels amazing and
sounds like an honest
piece of material”
Words_Tiffany Hart/The Interview People Photo_Mario Cinquetti

“I went to America and wrote loads of

amazing songs but I didn’t feel content with it.
Both the label and I felt it wasn’t the best me.”
Eventually, most of the album was recorded
in the UK after Glynne moved to a house in
Sussex with a crew of 10 people.
“It wasn’t a studio. We just set up in all
the rooms there and had the most free
experience. I felt I had to not be under any
pressure or be in a space that felt restricted
or felt clinical. I wanted everyone to come to
one place, eat good food, create when they
wanted to create, be leisurely when they
wanted to be and make music for what it is,
rather than thinking about making a hit or a
smash or whatever anyone likes to call it.
both breaking comfortably into the Top 10. “That’s not how I write music. I don’t think,
“I’ll be honest and say that it’s broken ‘This needs to be a No.1’. This has to be
me but it’s also made me,” says the North Top 10’. I just want to make music that feels
Londoner of her new album. Going someway amazing and sounds like an honest piece
to explaining its title, she adds: “The album of material.”
is like a journey of emotions from strong to After signing with Atlantic Records, Jess
insecure to powerful to powerless. It’s okay first came to prominence in 2014 as a
to not always have an answer, it’s okay to featured artist on Clean Bandit’s Rather Be
live in the middle and not have to be one and Route 94’s My Love, both of which went

HEYMUSIC.COM 15
FEATURE JESS GLYNNE

to No.1. Both tracks were nominated for

BRIT Awards and Rather Be also scooped
Best Dance Recording at the Grammys.
Since then Glynne has appeared on tracks
with Tinie Tempah and Rudimental, and
collaborated on songwriting projects with
Iggy Azalea, Little Mix and Rita Ora. She
bagged her first No.1 solo single with Hold
My Hand in early 2015.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing though.
In 2015 Jess had to pull out of the
biggest festivals of the summer, including
Glastonbury, T in the Park and the Isle of
Wight Festival, as she recuperated from an
operation on her vocal chords.
“Having an operation on your voice is not
fun. I never want to go back there so I’ve
made sure my schedule will never override
my health again,” says Glynne. “Flying and
travelling is a lot, it’s a lot on the voice.”
Recalling her operation in 2015, she
remembers: “We sent my doctor my
schedule and he was like, ‘This is a joke.
You want to keep your voice? You won’t be
having a voice if you carry on like that’.
“If you’re not a singer or somebody who
uses their voice like that you’re never going
to know the strain that you put on it. I do
understand why the label didn’t understand toured the length and breadth of the UK.
from that point of view at first and put all that Her Always In Between tour picks up again
stuff in [the schedule] because they thought across Europe next March before heading
it was exciting and amazing. It takes a lot stateside until May. She’ll also be joining the
to be like, ‘Guys, I’m not sure...’ Thankfully I Spice Girls reunion tour next summer as a
spoke up and got checked out.” special guest.
Of course, as is the way in the music But this time around Glynne is putting her
industry a new album is followed by touring, health – and her voice – first.
and at the time of writing Glynne had just “I don’t do too many shows in a row.
I’m careful. I’m very aware that my voice
is sensitive. Anyone who’s had a major
procedure has to be careful of the wound,
“Having an operation on so I’m aware. I drink a lot of water. I do a lot
your voice is not fun. I’ve of exercises. My voice is fine. I just need to
made sure my schedule look after it.”
She also makes sure there’s ‘me time’
will never override my worked into her schedule. “I got so ill [from
health again” over working] I wouldn’t want to go back to
it. It’s really important to allow yourself time.
When you’re on the road it’s easy to get

16 DECEMBER 2018
 “Since the first record, like anybody
with relationships, friendships, life you go
through... No-one will ever understand what
it’s like going from a normal life to the life
that I’ve had unless you do what I do. You
go through an immense amount of ups and
downs. I’ve learned a lot about myself over
the years and about what I want and how I
want things to be for myself. And how I don’t
want them to be.
“I wanna do what I wanna do. I want to
focus on myself. I want to focus on the fact
that I’ve started something and I want to
continue that. I also want to have a calm life
behind closed doors.”
Asked if she’d like to follow in the footsteps
of Florence and The Machine and become a
female Glastonbury headliner, Jess replies
modestly: “I don’t know if I’m big enough. I
would love to. We’ll see if I could cope with
that. I’m not sure. I would never turn that
down. It would be amazing.”

carried away with everything and everyone.

It’s important waking up in the morning and
having your time. Going to bed at night and
having your time.”
That said, Jess admits she still loves to go
out. “I will never deprive myself of a good
time. I don’t think that’s fair. But it’s like as
and when.”
The majority of people Glynne worked with
on her last album, like Jin Jin, Starsmith,
Knox, Steve Mac, Cass Lowe and James
Newman, were recalled for Always In
Between, along with new faces Jae5 and
Bastian. But it’s Glynne’s life lessons over
the past few years that have informed the
album’s songs.
“There was a point when it was so crazy
and I was like, ‘Woah’. You do lose yourself a
little bit. Thankfully I’ve got amazing people
around me who definitely pull me back in.

HEYMUSIC.COM 17
FEATURE ÓLAFUR ARNALDS

GLACIAL
COOL
18 DECEMBER 2018
 While he won’t pigeonhole himself
as a classical composer, Icelandic
multi-instrumentalist and producer
Ólafur Arnalds certainly opens up a
gateway into beautifully classical
sounds for a new generation.
investigates…
Words_Jim Butler

The chapter in the book detailing

musical Damascene journeys
from hardcore/metal to neo classical
is, to the best of our knowledge, rather
brief. But that’s not to say musicians that
have explored one of these sonic terrains
are precluded from making a name for
themselves in the other.
Take Icelandic artist Ólafur Arnalds, for
example. The 32-year-old has, on occasion,
been known to bash the sticks for hardcore
bands with such defiantly unapologetic
names like Fighting Shit. And yet, he’s also
heralded as the auteur behind heart-swelling,
impossibly serene pieces of music like his
most recent album, re:member.
If there is a contradiction between the two
sounds – and arguably we’re searching for
some sort of narrative or insight – it doesn’t
seem to have affected Arnalds. When
asked for a description of what it is he does
so beautifully, he is endearingly modest,
claiming that he doesn’t regard himself as a
musician, or a composer, or a producer.
“When people ask me, I usually fall back
on ‘artist’. Of course, this week I might
be a producer and next week I might be a
composer, but in terms of my solo work, I
don’t really know if composer is the right
word. I think what I do has more in common
with producing.”
His refusal to bow to any lazy, knee-jerk
characterisation extends to the question
of whether his sounds – constructed both
traditionally and in an utterly modern style
(loops and beats abound) – are in fact
redolent of classical music and whether he
is a neo classical, indie classical,
contemporary classical or whatever-
classical-phrase-du-jour avatar.
On a number of occasions, he has said
that just because he uses traditional
instruments and is influenced by what is
nominally known as classical music, this
doesn’t actually make him part of that
world. He doesn’t, he avows, have much in
common with classical composers.
Arnalds, who won a BAFTA for
his soundtrack to popular ITV show
Broadchurch, claims: “I don’t think my music
is classical, but more just uses classical
instrumentation, like piano and strings.
There’s not much in the actual music,
sounds, perception or its approach and
structure that is classical. Therefore, I don’t
want to say that I’m hoping to change the

HEYMUSIC.COM 19
FEATURE ÓLAFUR ARNALDS

course of classical music, but I’m happy if

it opens doors for people to enjoy
instrumental music and makes it more
relatable for my generation.”
Either way, his haunting sounds render
such discussions, if not irrelevant, then
certainly secondary. His latest album – his
fourth official solo release – re:member is a
magical piece of work. It brings to mind his
fellow otherworldly Icelandic compatriots,
Sigur Ros, and the crepuscular electronica
of Jon Hopkins and Four Tet, as much as
Nils Frahm, Peter Broderick, Nico Muhly, A
Winged Victory For The Sullen and other neo
classical figureheads.
Announcing the album earlier this
year, Arnalds declared re:member as his
“breaking-out-of-a-shell album”, adding:
“It’s me taking the raw influences that I have
from all these different musical genres and
not filtering them. It explores the creative
Photo_ Max Milligan

process and how one can manipulate

that to get out of the circle of expectations
and habit.”
Another landmark first with re:member is
his use of a new software programme he
devised with his friend Halldór Eldjárn called
Stratus. In essence, Stratus transforms
the traditional piano into a completely new Arnalds’ interest in player pianos was
instrument – in short, two self-playing pianos first piqued when he toured with Ryuichi
that are triggered by what Arnalds plays on Sakamoto in 2011. The Japanese electronic
his primary piano. The process has been pioneer used them in his shows, and over
described as creating randomized feedback the last couple of years Arnalds and Eldjárn
and can lead to musical progressions that devised the software as a way to develop
are unplayable in a conventional setting. new sounds he wouldn’t otherwise think
of playing.
“I would also see [player pianos]
in airports playing Beatles songs,”
“I don’t want to say that I’m he told Too Many Blogs. “I thought
hoping to change the course of this was a cool gimmick, but it
classical music but I’m happy if it also made me think that there was
opens doors for people to enjoy something more to this technology
and set out to look for ways to
instrumental music” manipulate it. I then applied this
concept to a synthesiser, looking at

20 DECEMBER 2018
 station’s Slow Sunday was a beguiling slice
of contemporary electronica and featured a
track by the band he would most like to be
in: Radiohead.
Is the glacial cool that he exudes in the
studio a characteristic that he shares with
his fellow Icelandic musicians, Sigur Ros and
Björk? Florid descriptions of them in the past
continually fell over themselves to link their
music to its place of origin. Unsurprisingly,
Arnalds is sanguine about critics using his
place of birth as a metaphor for his music.
“Yes, it’s easy, but it’s good that it’s
easy because it gives people an image of
Icelandic music. If it wasn’t so easy, they’d
probably have no image. Their [Sigur Ros
and Björk’s] success helped because it
encouraged people to listen to me — “Oh,
he’s from that place.’”
So there you have it; an Icelandic
polymath, who defies description but
allows for bewilderingly complex
narratives in any case. Best just to listen.
And float downstream.

what synths can do and why pianos could

not do the same, and set out to combine it.”
He’s described the improvisational process
as being akin to being in a jazz trio – but
with robots. “You have these other players
insisting, ‘I’m going to do something
different’. Anything I play on my piano gets
turned into rhythmical textures on the others.
I then hear those and react to them in turn.”
Whatever the method, the results are
spellbinding. Across 12 tracks, Arnalds
skates around the ambient-electronic-folk-
synth-pop melting pot with assured dexterity.
There’s little wonder he was pinpointed
by the influential British radio station,
6 Music, as one of the primary exemplars
of downtempo recently – his mix for the

HEYMUSIC.COM 21
FEATURE CITY FOCUS

CHIGAGO
ACTS YOU
NEED ON
YOUR RAD
Chicago is and has always been a
city full of music, catering to fans of
just about every genre. Here are five
emerging acts from the Windy City
most deserving of your attention
Words_Mike O’Cull

BEV RAGE & THE DRINKS

Bev Rage and the Drinks is a pop/punk queercore rock & roll
band fronted by inimitable drag vocalist Beverly Rage. The self-
described “queerest band in the land”, Bev and company have
a new cassette/CD ready to drop called Cockeyed that should
do much to put them on the regional map. The advance video
for the single Limp Wrist is supremely entertaining and just
one example of the creativity flying under the media radar in
this town.
Rock & roll is supposed to be audacious, outrageous
and fun, and by that set of metrics Bev Rage and the Drinks
is already a huge success. Highly recommended.
bevrageandthedrinks.com

22 DECEMBER 2018
U

AR!

HEYMUSIC.COM 23
FEATURE CITY FOCUS

CAT ROLFES
An engaging and talented roots rock vocalist and
songwriter based in Chicago but originally from
New Orleans, Cat Rolfes writes funky swamp R&B,
southern rock and blues into her own take on
American music and tops it all with a clear, sweet
and soulful vocal style with hooks that are instantly
memorable. Hwy 55 is her first full-length record
and it’s one of the strongest independent releases
out of Chicago in recent memory.
Her stock in trade is a vintage southern soul
sound built on cracking pocket drumming, clean-
toned guitar, horns, piano and Hammond organ
wrapped around original songs with hooks that go
on for days.
Opening track Momma Said is a prime example of
Cat’s magic. It’s Muscle Shoals-inspired groove feels amazing and her vocals and wisdom-
filled lyrics will put you in the palm of her hand. The rest of the set is just as much fun and
highlights include That’s How It Goes, Was It Real and Going Home.
Fans of all that is funky, bluesy and lyrical will want to hop on Hwy 55 as soon as possible.
facebook.com/catrolfesmusic/

KEVIN LEE & THE KINGS

Kevin Lee & the Kings is ready to hit
the bricks behind new album Sticks
and Stones. The sound is straight-
up pop/rock packed with big guitars,
indelible hooks and soaring vocal
harmonies that are all wrapped around
Lee’s razor-sharp songwriting. The
songs deliver the kind of car-radio
greatness that launches careers and
tracks like On Top of the World, Tell the
Truth and Nothing to Lose will do much
to remind you of why you loved rock &
roll in the first place.
This is a bit of a Midwestern super
group. Lee, himself, is a veteran solo
artist with arena-sized credentials that
include tours with Cheap Trick, Matthew
Sweet and Pearl Jam, bassist/vocalist Patti Prendergast toured internationally with Bitch
and Tough Love, and guitarist/vocalist Michael Kurtz has been part of popular acts like
Madfox, Bombs Away and Dark Star Records artist Half Bitten Moon. Drummer Erik
Strommer, meanwhile, first made his bones on the East Coast in bands like Broken Arrows
and Catfish Hunter.
The four roadworthy veterans combine to make a sound that mixes the best parts of
the classic rock era with 21st century energy and timeless songwriting.
kevinleeonline.com

24 DECEMBER 2018
 JILL M. STONE
A Chicago songwriter and poet who
works in a soulful, dark and meditative
style that is instantly alluring, Jill
M. Stone doesn’t give up a lot of
information about herself, preferring
to let her work do the talking. Her first
album, No Cure For Loneliness, is a
deep and emotional journey into life’s
struggles and her latest release, Taught,
builds on that journey.
Stone has that rare ability to fully
capture the listener’s attention with
quiet sounds, not bombast, and makes
music perfect for the overnight hours.
She is fairly new to the music scene but
those in the know expect her profile to
THE PRAIRIE FIRES rise with the new record. Anyone who
The Prairie Fires is a Chicago band likes their songwriters on the artistic
creating a new generation of guitar-and- side should find Jill today.
vocal rock music that blends the roots- jillmstone.com
based approach of greats like Petty and
Mellencamp with ’90s-influenced pop
songwriting inspired by bands like Gin
Blossoms and The Wallflowers. Energetic,
tuneful, raw and real, the band’s new
release, All New Kinds of Strange, is
one of the best local efforts of 2018.
The band takes its name to honour
its Midwestern home but also to keep
focused on starting fresh no matter one’s
circumstances. Fire burns the prairie down
to its bare essentials and gives it a chance
to recreate itself.
Band members Collin Marks, Mason
Hadley, Christian McCann and Dan
Beasley are clearly taking advantage of
this rebirthing process and have written
and recorded an album of songs capable
of being meaningful in an age of plastic
emotions. The sound is deeply connected
to the analogue world of the 20th century
but is also fresh and original enough to
stand on its own.
Fans of loud guitars and lyrics that matter
will latch onto The Prairie Fires at first
listen. The band wears its emotions on its
sleeve instead of indulging in the macho
posturing that ruins most young rock
musicians – and it makes all the difference. Written by independent music journalist Mike O’Cull.
theprairiefires.com Check more of Mike’s work at www.mikeocull.com

HEYMUSIC.COM 25
FEATURE GIFT GUIDE

IT’S A
WRAP! takes the stress out of buying for the
music lover in your life with a fine selection of gifts
covering a range of budgets and niche interests

Art Vinyl Play and Display 12” Record Frame

£39.99 artvinyl.com
Vinyl enthusiasts are often as fanatical about the artwork on record sleeves
as they are about the tunes contained within. The Play and Display Flip
Frame – available in black and white – lets vinyl junkies turn their home into
a personalised gallery exhibition. What’s more, record sleeves can be easily
changed without removing the frame from the wall.

26 DECEMBER 2018
Klipsch HP3 Heritage Headphones
£1,012, tecobuy.co.uk
An extravagant gift for someone special if
they’ve been really, really good this year,
these triple-vented semi-open back over-ear
headphones are as technically accomplished
as they are aesthetically pleasing. The
solid wood earcups are complimented
by the cowhide headband and magnetic
removable sheepskin ear cushions, while
sound is delivered by way of a pair of 52mm
biodynamic drivers. Tasty.

Fender Newport Bluetooth Speaker

£190, amazon.co.uk
Designed to look like the celebrated brand’s classic
’68 Custom amp, this speaker has retro grills, a fat
knob for volume, treble and bass, with a chunky on/
off switch. It’s lightweight and transportable so you
can take it with you round the house and garden,
and next to the authentic look it packs a powerful
sound that has various presets to bump up the
drums or texturise the guitars as you wish. It’s nice
and loud, too, which is always vital.

Personalised Mixtape Pillow Door Harp

£46, uncommongoods.com £91, uncommongoods.com
Ah, remember the days when you’d make A centuries old tradition in
a mixtape for your crush? If that question Scandinavia, door harps
brings gawky memories flooding back, buy are mounted inside the
a bit of nostalgia for your other half with door to a home to
this personalised mixtape pillow. greet visitors with
a warm welcome.
Beautifully
handcrafted from
maple, padauk
and canary wood,
this ethereal harp
by Californian-
based maker Bob
Murphy emits a trio
of tranquil notes, and
comes with a tuning wrench.

HEYMUSIC.COM 27
FEATURE GIFT GUIDE

Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century

£21, amazon.co.uk
There is so much jazz history that there will never be enough
books written to cover it all. This one deserves your attention
though. It offers richly detailed portraits, is steeped in authority
and offers strong arguments about why the complex genre has
endured and even thrived, with 2018 bringing a renewed interest
in jazz from the younger generation. Origins, commercialisation,
the link between jazz, hip-hop and r&b and much more are all
explored in fascinating detail.

Illustrated Musical Map

£31.99 (without frame) £56.99 (framed),
gettingpersonal.co.uk
There are only so many records you can
hang on the wall but why not switch it up
with this hand drawn musical map? Many
different versions are available covering
everything from New York’s hip-hop heritage
to London’s diverse mix of artists, venues
and labels. They’re intricate pieces that will
keep eyes engaged for ages.

Haynes Electro Synth Kit MasterSounds Radius 2

£27.50, juno.co.uk
Haynes have turned their attention to
build-it-yourself synth kits. Each one
requires some basic soldering but
lovers of bands like Depeche Mode can
be taken right back to that golden era
by playing on the completed synth. It
features a pre-assembled circuit board,
four micro push-buttons, loudspeaker
and battery box amongst other bits,
which should keep the recipient busy.
Black Mixer
£1350, mastersounds.co.uk
Rotary mixers are used by super
respected DJs like Theo Parrish and
Floating Points, so come highly rated.
This new range from MasterSounds is
hand-built in the UK and looks great, with
loads of features. These include high-
class components, discrete amplifiers,
easy-reading back lit VU meters, a
responsive Master EQ/Isolator, a smooth
natural sounding Hi-Pass Filter and Aux
Send on each channel.

28 DECEMBER 2018
IE 40 PRO

More me.
When the show is underway, your monitoring
is crucial. It keeps you connected with the
others — but above all: with yourself. We have
further developed dynamic drivers that fit
the smallest of spaces. Powerful monitoring
sound for loud stages remains precise with
solid bass whatever the sound level. Sounds
like more — like much more.

www.sennheiser.com/moreme
FEATURE THE BOXTONES

With a new album slated

for 2019, The Boxtones –
one of the UAE’s biggest
bands – is ramping up
for a rocking year…
Words_Nick Rice

THIRD TIM
There is change afoot in the
ranks of the UAE’s hardest
working rock band. The close-knit five-piece
C
are bidding farewell to their Canadian bassist
Patrick Thibault. The Boxtone’s benevolent
dictator, guitarist and vocalist Gary Tierney
says: “Pat is going back to Canada so we
have a new guy arriving on 11 December to
pick up where he left off. He’s called Jean- for life, man,” Tierney says, adding: “We’re
Louis Wittinger and we met him in Canada. all family, pretty much. My sister Gill is
He’s been in bands for 20 years and he was the drummer and she’s married to Will the
really interested in coming out [to Dubai]. keyboard player, while me and the singer
Pat’s been amazing, he’s been with us for Louise are married and we have a 12-year-
seven years, but he said he wanted a quieter old kid, so we can’t leave, we’re in it for the
life so we respect his wishes and say good rest of our lives.”
luck to him.” This steely resolve has stood them in good
There’s no winding things down for the rest stead so far. Soon after forming, the band
of the band though – they’re all committed took the bold decision to bypass the cover
to making The Boxtones work. “We’re in it band career route and instead plumb for the

30 DECEMBER 2018
ME
CHARMER
real dream of making a living as a bona fide
rock band.
The music industry is distinctive in the
UAE as corporate gigs, brand alignments
and sponsorships for bands comprise a
major part of the music scene eco-system.
Accepting this as par for the course, The
Boxtones earn money with these types of
collaborations and from playing some cover
residencies, and then plough the funds back
into their evolution as an original band. They
released debut album In the Pockets of
Clowns in 2013.
Since then, the band has opened for
the likes of Bryan Adams, Stereophonics,
Razorlight, Liam Gallagher, Biffy Clyro, Travis
and Blur. As well as supporting big league
performers, The Boxtones became one of
only a few Middle East-based artists to be
signed to a major label when they joined
Universal in March 2015. Their second LP,
Home, followed in 2016 and now they’re
HEYMUSIC.COM 31
FEATURE THE BOXTONES

focussed on a big gutsy rock sound for their basically written about the underprivileged.
third LP next year. We like to write anthems and for causes too.
The incoming bassist has already been It’s an epic ballad we’ve been sitting on for
hard at work. Tierney says: “We gave him about a year now. We’d like to release it on
a list of about 350 a global scale rather
songs and said, than local so there’s a
‘Right mate, on you lot of research going
go, learn them’. So “We’re going back to into that now, how
he’s been working his our rock roots… expect to release it and get
ass off trying to get positive traction for
all the tracks down, more attitude” a good cause.”
as well as learning With the bassist
all of our original due to hit the ground
stuff, which is a back catalogue of around running in December, the band will be
50 to 60 songs, so it’s a bit intense for him – cramming in the studio hours early next
everything from Sepultura to Frank Sinatra, year, aiming for the third album release by
the whole spectrum.” the spring.
There might also be a new single released Upbeat and ready for the work ahead,
before the year is out, but it depends on the Tierney says: “There’s no title for the new
right fit with a suitable organisation. Tierney album just yet but we’ve got about 15 songs
explains: “We’ve got a new song written with penned down and it’s going to be a lot
a charity in mind that’s gonna be released rockier than our last record. We’re going
towards the end of the year, or maybe back to our rock roots… you can expect
early next year. It’s called Humanity and it’s more attitude.”

32 DECEMBER 2018
HEYMUSIC.COM 33
FEATURE HOW TO...
Every band has to
start somewhere…
The helpful people at
Maa’ana Music have
put together a little
guide to getting a leg
up on the gig ladder
So you’re the best thing since One
Direction/Metallica/De La Soul/The
Chemical Brothers/Oasis. You’ve
written some great songs and
want to share them with the wider
world and bask in the adoration
of an actual audience – not just
your mum poking her nose into the
garage while you and your band
are rehearsing. But how do you get
those first gigs? These seven steps
will help you on the way…
7 STEPS TO
BAG YOUR
BAND A GIG
34 DECEMBER 2018
1
Be ready. Have your music ready and recorded
and have a bio, press shots and EPK – that’s an
Electronic Press Kit. You need to be able to tell
promoters/venue owners what you sound like,
who you are and your story.
Create a list of the bars, clubs and
2 venues where you’d like to play.
With your (realistic) venue list
drawn up, it’s time to go around and
meet-and-greet. Get in touch with the venue
in advance and ask for the relevant person to
meet, the main promoter, the actual owner,
etc. Head down for one of their gigs, show the
venue support and bring a USB loaded with
your music and your press kit. You are your best
PR, so do it face-to-face.
 Don’t ask for the moon on

3 4
If you really, really can’t make it
to the venue, email them or get
in touch via social media. Be
professional, be polite and get to the point –
no waffle, just a straight up ‘Hi, we like you,
maybe you’ll like us’ pitch. The bigger you
get, the more your name, previous gigs and
social media profile will work for you and the
less you’ll have to glad-hand promoters and
venues. But in the early days, you’ll have to
do the majority of the heavy-lifting and ask the
questions. Don’t be afraid of rejection.
a stick. Yet. Be humble,
be patient and be aware
that you’re starting out.
Your first gig might be an amazing
opportunity supporting your favourite
band and a record contract falls in
your lap off the back of it. It’s more
likely that you’ll be playing at 6pm
and the sound engineer is the only
one paying attention. Lower your
expectations, bring a smile and enjoy
the first gig however it goes. 

Work with
5 other bands
and promoters
to put on your
own night. Round up five
bands to bring along 20
people each and you have
a guaranteed crowd and
support network. Grow
your own series of gigs
and build up brand and
band awareness.

Network, network, network.

6 Get out and about and meet
people, be excited about your
band, go to other people’s
gigs and support the local scene. It’s
tiring, but if you’re passionate about
music it shouldn’t feel like work and
you’ll get to meet all the right people.
CHECK OUT
maanamusic.com
To find out more about music promotion,
music marketing, how to promote your
music and PR services, book a chat with
tobie@maanamusic.com

Know your facts and figures. Know the venue

7 capacity, ask how many times the venue has sold

out in recent times. Find out what the backline
consists of and if it includes the services of a sound
engineer. Inquire what rider – if any – you can request and the
number of free tickets or guestlist spots on offer per artist. Get
as much info as possible on the venue, the promoter and what
to expect. Ask who gets the money from ticket and the bar
sales, and if there is a chance to get a slice if you pull in the
numbers. Then get out there and spread the word.

HEYMUSIC.COM 35
FEATURE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

ON REPEAT
One man’s meat is another man’s poison, as they say,
and the chat in the office can get a bit heated at
times over new music. These are the albums that have
caused the odd fight over the stereo this year…

Max Cooper
One Hundred Billion Sparks (Mesht)

With a PhD in computational

biology and an interest in
psychoacoustics, 3D sound design,
field recordings, proper melody,
ten-dimension shapes, virtual
reality, data representation, and much more, Max Cooper
is not your average dance musician.
For his latest album though, the Belfast-born artist
holed up in a remote cottage in Wales with no phone
calls, no emails, no messages and no human contact
for a month. One Hundred Billion Sparks
is Cooper expressing “what was there
after I had removed my everyday life”.
As such, it’s at times haunting,
claustrophobic and paranoid. Identity
and Reflex wouldn’t sound out of place
on twisted dancefloor at 5am, and
penultimate track Lovesong is the pay-
off, its melancholic beauty drenched
in a sense of optimism, as if purged
of modern day and internal madness,
the artist has emerged with a renewed
sense of wonder at the world. Not
the easiest listen but one that reveals
hidden depths with each play.
Lesley Wright, Editor

36 DECEMBER 2018
Fatima
And Yet It’s All Love (Eglo)

UK-based Swede Fatima kept fans waiting

four years for a follow-up to her stunning
debut album Yellow Memories, but And Yet
It’s All Love was well worth the wait. Where
that debut housed the singer’s caramel tones
in avant-garde broken beats, jazz fusion,
hip-hop and soul, this one allows her voice to take centre stage amongst slightly more paired
back production.
It’s a mature and complex record full of a wider range of more adventurous songs but still
retains the catchiness and undeniably seductive sense of soul that makes her a modern
great. Songs are stirring and involving, from the swaggering and proud Westside to the
pained Somebody Else with its more languid delivery and rueful feel.
Always conveying painfully real emotion, Fatima’s voice goes from minor to major with ease,
and can sound playful and cheeky one moment then devastatingly somber the next. That
range is what makes this such a compelling album. Fresh yet timeless and always intriguing,
it’s her best album yet and one of the best of the year. Kristan J Caryl, News Editor

NAO
Saturn (Little Tokyo Recordings/ Bebe Rexha
RCA Records) Expectations
(Warner Bros.)
British
singer- American artist
songwriter Bebe Rexha’s debut
NAO comes resonates with tales
good with of love, heartache
her and rage – raw
sophomore emotions that any
LP Saturn. young adult can
The East relate to. The title
Londoner flawlessly navigates represents our
a galactic journey of love, loss expectations of the
and personal growth. The most world and the tracks
traditionally R&B track on the dissect how these
album is also the standout; Make expectations are
It Out Alive, featuring SiR, details broken and what
the breakdown of a long-term those experiences do to a person.
relationship in a beautifully soulful Rexha flexes her adventurous nature, flirting
fashion. The album is consistently with different genres and collaborating with
atmospheric and NAO’s signature rapper Quavo, R&B artist Tory Lanez and
vocals flow effortlessly through country’s Florida Georgia Line, but it’s her
pop, electronic and R&B sounds. infectious pop sensibilities that win out. Knees
Daniella Millership, stands out with its tale of a toxic relationship and
Marketing Exec, Hey Music the dark, edgy energy of I’m A Mess gets me
rolling every time. Shahtaj Shahid, Marketing
Intern, Hey Music

HEYMUSIC.COM 37
FEATURE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Bill Ryder-Jones
Yawn (Domino)

At 35-years old, Bill Ryder-Jones has already been in the music business for 22 years, having
started out as co-founder and lead guitarist for The Coral. His career as a solo artist began in
2011 with the cinematic masterpiece If… and on his fourth album Yawn, he continues to mine
a seam of deep emotional honesty.
Ryder-Jones distinguishes himself from so many of his peers with his complex melodies
and brave artistic approach. “I can never write the stock little song that isn’t personal
because I think people will feel short-changed,” he says, and so the album is soul-bearing,
and all the more exceptional for it.
The sense of world weariness in his whispery delivery
is counterbalanced by the rousing wall of sound guitars
and the stirring cello, through which the light gets in and
elevates the album.
Yawn is the sound of one of the UK’s finest musicians
honing in on where it hurts and why, recognising and
accepting the enigma of the mind, taking stock of his
journey thus far, and creating something that will resonate
with and uplift the listener. Nick Rice, Contributor

Father John Misty

God’s Favourite Customer
(Sub Pop/Bella Union)

Where does sincerity end and sardonicism

begin in the world of Father John Misty?
Critics are often perplexed by the
unapologetic playfulness of Josh Tillman’s
musical alter ego. But, in truth, it’s a moot
point. For Tillman’s playful preacher they are
one and the same thing. And nowhere is this
more apparent than on Father John’s fourth
album, God’s Favourite Customer.
Caustic confessionals and outré observations are the hallmark here. So that means
the dark humour of “pointless benders with reptilian strangers” on Please Don’t Die is
balanced by the opening “Sun is rising” on first track Hangout at the Gallows.
Musically, God’s Favourite Customer is another winning mix of the hard-fought
melancholy of ’70s singer-songwriters such as Randy
Newman and Harry Nilsson and the showbiz razzmatazz
of Elton John. In an age of bewildering uncertainty
characterised by the death throes of consensual politics,
Father John’s sonic adventures are the perfect panacea.
You don’t have to believe him or even trust him, just enjoy
the ride. Jim Butler, Contributor

38 DECEMBER 2018
Judas Priest
Firepower (Epic)

This felt like a Judas Priest

comeback. Firepower is their
most solid album since 2008’s
Nostradamus and the 2014
release Redeemer of Souls.
While fans have spoken against
how Rob Halford’s shrieking tone
has subsided over the years,
this is not entirely a bad thing
given that it shows the evolution of Judas Priest’s performances over the decades. To quote
Michael Mann from The Guardian discussing Firepower: “The riffs are strong, choppy, hooky
and powerful: Traitor’s Gate has one that James Hetfield would have killed for.”
Mann hit the nail right on the head. Firepower feels like the sort of album I would’ve enjoyed
years ago when trying to understand metal and finding what style suited my personal taste.
While this album shows a toned down version of Judas Priest, it’s simultaneously reminiscent
of the ‘old times’ when it was all thrash and bash.
I can put Firepower down in the same category as Metallica’s S&M; as in it’s them, but
different. But as a thirty-something who has been a Judas Priest fan since my teenage years,
I’m still me but different too. Firepower is a good change. Aiez Mirza, Graphic Designer

Anderson .Paak
Clean Bandit Oxnard (Aftermath Records)
What Is Love? (Atlantic)
Out on his Aftermath label, Dre has
Coming four years put his ‘OG’ stamp on this and maybe
after the electronic applied a bit too much polish to .Paak’s
music group’s debut gritty sound, but it still lives up to the
album New Eyes, this hype, with J Cole,
long-awaited follow-up Q-Tip, Snoop Dogg
addresses “different and Kendrick Lamar
kinds and stages of all featured.
love” across 16 tracks Full of energy, 6
on its deluxe edition. Summers, where
Featuring Demi Lovato, Solo was such a .Paak throws in lyrics
banger this summer accompanied by an about Trump’s love
awesome video dripping in amazing use of child, stands out and
colour and clever techniques, while Baby Anywhere, with Snoop
sees Clean Bandit hook up with Marina Dogg and the Last
(formerly Marina and the Diamonds) and Artful, Dodgr deserves
Luis Fonsi for a super cool cut flushed with props too for bringing
Spanish guitar and flamenco rhythms, and the West Coast home.
a video depicting a bisexual romance, once Youssef Nasser,
again showing the band’s support for the Hey Music Social
LGBT community. Deeves, Content and Media Producer
A&R Manager, Hey Music

HEYMUSIC.COM 39
FEATURE MUSIC BY NUMBERS

ARCADIA
SPIDER
Made almost completely from repurposed
materials, the Arcadia Spider is one of the
most iconic festival stages in the world.
The fire-breathing spider is the brainchild
of Arcadia founders Pip Rush and Bert Cole,
who came up with the concept in Bristol in
2008. Since then some of the world’s best
DJs have played from its suspended DJ
booth, as the spider has spun its mesmerising
web from the fields of Glastonbury across
Europe, to Miami and Taiwan.
Earlier this year, the spider popped up at
the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London
for a jaw-dropping 10th anniversary show –
its first appearance in the UK capital.
It rounds out its decade year with another
first, making its way to mainland China to
debut at the ISY festival, in Sanya, on 30
and 31 December.
looks at some facts and stats
behind the spider’s nuts and bolts…

40 DECEMBER 2018
 Tonnes: 50

Parts: 6,432, with 95% made

from recycled materials

Body built from: Helicopter tails

Eyes built from:

Spy plane engines

Legs built from: Customs

& Excise scanning units

Claws built from: Log grabbers

DJ booth built from:

Jet engine blades

Hours to assemble: 24 just for

the structure. Rigging for lights
and show takes another day.

Manpower to assemble:
21 people to assemble, 50
to operate a standard touring
show and 70 for the signature
Metamorphosis show.

Full Height: 50 feet

Height of DJ booth: 22 feet

Flame cannons: 15

Shipping containers
required for travel: 5

Height of flames: 50 feet

Combined height of spider

Photo_Luke Taylor

and flames: 100 feet

CO2 jets: 3

HEYMUSIC.COM 41
FEATURE KENNEDI

A
PRECOCIOUS
TA L E N T
At just 20, LA-based singer-songwriter Kennedi has worked
with Snoop Dogg, Britney Spears, Hailee Steinfeld, Demi
Lovato, Bea Miller and more. This is her journey…
Words_Antionette Smith

42 DECEMBER 2018

When did you first discover your love
for music?
I’ve loved music ever since I can remember.
My parents used to make me read so I used
to write stupid songs in my library books
when I was a kid.
What was your introduction to the
music scene?
When I was 15 I got accepted into Grammy
Camp LA. It’s this awesome camp that the
Grammy Foundation puts on every year for
high schoolers in three different locations
around the country.
You moved to southern California to attend
California State University Long Beach but
then put that on hold to pursue a career in
music. What changed your mind?
I never wanted
to go to college,
really. I only picked
Long Beach “I’ve written a million
so I could land
somewhere near
terrible songs and I
LA. Even when I couldn’t have gotten
was there I was to the good ones
skipping class to
go to the studio. without them”
Seems like you
made a wise move considering the artists
you’ve since worked with…
I’ve worked with lots of amazing artists…
a bunch of cool people.
Snoop was probably the craziest. He has
this huge compound out in Inglewood, where
all his classic cars are parked next to his
Pittsburgh Steelers’ tour bus with his face
on it. Once you walk in, there’s a huge Bruce
Lee statue and a bunch of candy jars. He has
multiple studios there, multiple games rooms,
a full basketball court and a casino, and
upstairs is his living quarters. Everything he
says sounds crazy philosophical. I listened to
him for so long. He’s the coolest guy.
Tell us about your songwriting process…
It depends. If I’m going into a session for an
artist I normally ask them what’s going on
in their life, and we go from there. Melody
might come first or the lyrics. If I’m writing by
myself I almost always start with melody. To
me, that’s the easiest way.
If you could work with one person for the
rest of your life who would it be?
Lana Del Rey is the reason I started writing
songs in the first place so it’d be a dream
to work with her.
What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve made
to get where you are today?
I love my job. It’s weird to even call it a job
but I feel like I sacrificed being a normal
18 - 20-year-old kid. I never really got
to do the whole young adult thing. I just
jumped right into working all the time. I’m
surrounded by people a lot older than me
and I miss hanging out with people my age.
How do you find
being a young
woman in such a
huge industry?
When I first started
writing I was really
intimidated and
then I met Justin
Tranter [one of the
most successful
songwriters in pop
music today], who
I ended up signing to. Working with him has
really shown me that I can be comfortable
speaking my mind. He has a rule that he
won’t do a session unless there’s at least one
woman, person of colour or queer person in
the room. He’s opened so many doors for
me. I couldn’t ask for a better mentor.
What’s next for you, music-wise?
I’m finally putting out more music myself.
I had a lot of growing to do as a writer so
I’ve been taking my time. There’s a full EP
coming and surprise collaborations.
What advice would you give to young
songwriters?
Write as many songs as you can. I’ve written
a million terrible songs and I couldn’t have
gotten to the good ones without them.
HEYMUSIC.COM 43
FEATURE SHIN-SKI

THE
HUMAN
TOUCH
Japanese hip-hop A household name in Japanese hip-hop,
producer Shin-Ski describes his latest
album as “a mixture of jazz, minimal, electric
producer Shin-Ski and hip-hop”.
Born Shinsuke Taoka, Shin-Ski is part of
reveals how his music the generation of artists – along with the likes
of Force of Nature, Nomak, Uyama Hiroto
is evolving and the late Nujabes – that brought the
Words_Danny Veekens
chilled, jazzy, experimental hip-hop sounds
of his home country to the attention of the
wider world.

44 DECEMBER 2018
 as well. It’s easier for me to create sounds
or songs that have images of space or
technology. However, I’m interested in mixing
sounds of nature into a space theme lately. It
creates a different soundscape.

Which artists did you listen to during the

creative process of making Virtuality and
how did they have an effect on the album?
Lauded for his cosmic soundscapes, Shin- I was – and still am – heavily influenced by
Ski explores the concepts of space, time Steve Reich. To me, his is the ultimate loop
and technology on his Virtuality longplayer, music. It’s so hard to keep track of what is
while simultaneously giving his music a more going on but at the same time it all sounds
human feel. like a loop. The idea is very close to what I
wanted to achieve on my album.
Virtuality sounds very organic and vibrant.
How has your way of working changed What’s your background in music?
over the years? I’m not from a musical family but I loved
When I started I was more focused on music and started playing instruments in
making beats for rappers with just samples. my early teens. Then I studied music at
It was good and mostly fun. But I realized university in the USA. But I was a young
that it was my music but at the same time it and stupid teenager, and you know how
didn’t really feel like “my music”. The rappers that goes in university… Basically, I didn’t
represented me yet remember a thing
never expressed and I had to restart
how I really felt. So I from scratch.
started adding more
“I believe records should
personal elements, be played and heard, Is there an obscure
such as melodies not sit on shelves to piece of music that’s
and chords. I took be forgotten” influenced you along
that idea even the way?
further on Virtuality. This guy called
My good friend Satoshi Sugiyama, who is a Gadget. He put out an album with Tommy
professional jazz pianist, plays electric piano Guerrero called Hoy Yen Ass’n [in 2000]. It’s
and piano [on the album]. All cuts are done a mixture of abstract hip-hop and a post-
by DMC World DJ finalist DJ Taiji. My friend rock sounds. I have never met anyone who
Jank, who is also a deep house producer, knows about this LP.
plays some guitars and the rest is done by
me. I wanted the music to have more of a What does your own record collection
human feel. look like?
The tracks are based on loops but on top I love records but I don’t consider myself a
of that I added sounds that are constantly collector. I have about 1500 records but I
changing and shifting so none of the songs used to have close to 6000. I cut down my
on Virtuality sound looped. That creates a collection. I believe records should be
different type of emotion or impression within played and heard, not sit on shelves to be
a song compared to my previous beats. forgotten. So I sent a big part of my unplayed
collection to those who do enjoy listening
Space and technology seem to be and playing them.
recurring themes for you. Where does
this interest come from? From Amsterdam, Danny Veekens is a freelance music journalist and
founder of The Find magazine. Over the last decade, he’s published
It started with my dad. He’s always been print magazines and curated a string of vinyl, cassette tape and
into that kind of stuff. It’s now in my blood compilation releases.

HEYMUSIC.COM 45
THE MAIN
EVENT
George Pritchard is Events Manager
and Talent Booker for Glitterbox,
Defected and Classic Music Co. He
works from Defected Records’ London
HQ and on site at various events and
festivals around the world. This takes
him to Ibiza every weekend over the
summer for the Glitterbox and Defected
parties on the island. This is his story…
“My entry into the business was
through my family’s bar/club/record
shop Plastik, in San Antonio, Ibiza, which I
helped run. I networked extensively across
the island promoting Plastik and met a lot of
the movers and shakers of the Ibiza, UK and
European club scenes.
“I spent time as Assistant General Manager
at Ministry of Sound, London, which gave
me a great insight into the inner workings of
the nightlife industry, and I joined Defected
in 2016 as Events and Artists Marketing
Manager from a booking agency called
Blueprint. I’ve since been promoted to
Events Manager and Talent Booker, which is
as exciting and overwhelming as it sounds.
“It’s a full-throttle job that requires focus,
determination and coordination. I spend
Tuesday to Thursday in the office and the rest
of the time travelling and staying in hotels.
“The summer party season is the biggest
challenge. Going to Ibiza every weekend,
often interspersed with a Saturday gig in
Europe or the UK, means I need to be on
the ball. I also have to manage or at least
oversee the people working around me in
event production, tour managers and DJs,
and sales and marketing.
“My role includes booking the artists,
programming the line-ups with Defected
boss Simon Dunmore, organising artist
fees, riders, travel and logistics. However,
46 DECEMBER 2018
problems can arise with flight delays due to
air strikes and flight cancellations. Therefore,
I have to be on the case, rerouting flights,
changing pick-up times and changing set-
times if needs be. Reacting to situations
beyond your control can be very stressful but
we always get there in the end.
“Being an Events Manager involves long
hours in the office, followed by standing in
DJ booths and back offices of clubs and
operations huts at festivals. Thankfully, a lot
of the hard work happens before the event.
“Budding Events Managers should network
as much as possible. You need to be a
great communicator, so it really helps if you
enjoy talking to people and collaborating on
start-up projects. If you’re a wannabe party
organiser learn the game on the ground by,
for example, getting a PR job in Ibiza. You’ll
meet all the other workers on the island and
it’s like being part of a fraternity. You’ll hear
the A to Z of what makes clubs, promotion
and marketing work.
“To make a career in clubland work, you
need to be reliable and consistent, and this
means finding a balance between working
and partying. Prove you can be trusted and
when a problem occurs rally around to help.
There’s nothing more attractive to an
employer than someone who can be relied
upon in a crisis and who makes light work of
the usual dramas relating to nightlife.”
 HEY UPFRONT
CAMPUSES IN LONDON GUILDFORD BIRMINGHAM

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heymusic.com_Oct.2018_47
 HEY UPFRONT

New Year
highlights...
Image © Pierrick Guidou

Sat 19 Jan
Pantha Du Prince
Conference of Trees
Fri 1 Feb
Low
Sat 2 Feb, Milton Court
Irreversible
Entanglements
Thu 21 Feb
Tony Allen & Jeff Mills
28 Feb & 1 Mar, EartH
Late Junction Festival
With Gazelle Twin, This is Not This Heat,
Hen Ogledd, CURL, Chaines, O Yama O

48_Oct.2018_heymusic.com