Publication Date: 19th Novmber 2006
HOME
FIRST PLAY
3 white boys, one Northern city...
It's Hip-hop, not Britpop.
And Duncan, Phil and James
are quite happy to just
speak their mind...
It's Hip-hop, not Britpop.
And Duncan, Phil and James
are quite happy to just
speak their mind...
Duncan Phil James
On the surface of it, this might seem like a crass, overly simplistic statement to make, but over the years I've found 'White' Hip-hop has always had a slightly different agenda and approach to 'Black' Hip-hop.
Obviously we're all shaped by our racial and heritage experience, but I've always found the process of how each race articulates its world view quite fascinating.
SOULS REST is PHIL aka 'JUVENILE DJ', JAMES DODD (DRUMS), and DUNCAN aka 'THE RAWFACE EMCEE'. Three white guys from Liverpool that ply their trade in Hip-hop via the usual sample-and-loop based route, but also add a live instrumentation dimension to proceedings. They kind of remind me of Birmingham's (now disbanded) MICHAELIS CONSTANT who (due to their sound and treatment of subject matter) I assume were also mainly or entirely White.
In both cases the dissemination of the gospel through their particular style of Hip-hop demands commitment from the listener. SOULS REST's sound requires you
Obviously we're all shaped by our racial and heritage experience, but I've always found the process of how each race articulates its world view quite fascinating.
SOULS REST is PHIL aka 'JUVENILE DJ', JAMES DODD (DRUMS), and DUNCAN aka 'THE RAWFACE EMCEE'. Three white guys from Liverpool that ply their trade in Hip-hop via the usual sample-and-loop based route, but also add a live instrumentation dimension to proceedings. They kind of remind me of Birmingham's (now disbanded) MICHAELIS CONSTANT who (due to their sound and treatment of subject matter) I assume were also mainly or entirely White.
In both cases the dissemination of the gospel through their particular style of Hip-hop demands commitment from the listener. SOULS REST's sound requires you
make an effort and engage. No cliché gospel here...
The point to this racial profiling? Everything and nothing, really. White people see things differently to Black, and vice versa. When that's set against the subtext of music (especially one that arouses deep passions in artist and fan alike), then things REALLY start to get interesting.
Graft on top of that our great commission of proclaiming the gospel, the pressures of a developing industry, the argument about whether Christian artists should appear on mainstream performance platforms, the fact that the guys are geographically and metaphorically off-centre (certainly as far as the popular perception of where the heart of UK gospel is at is concerned) and sometimes all you need to do is just light the fuse and stand back...
I don't know if this is one of those times. Check out the piece and make up your own mind. All I know is I can't run a website called 'UK Gospel' and not bring a
The point to this racial profiling? Everything and nothing, really. White people see things differently to Black, and vice versa. When that's set against the subtext of music (especially one that arouses deep passions in artist and fan alike), then things REALLY start to get interesting.
Graft on top of that our great commission of proclaiming the gospel, the pressures of a developing industry, the argument about whether Christian artists should appear on mainstream performance platforms, the fact that the guys are geographically and metaphorically off-centre (certainly as far as the popular perception of where the heart of UK gospel is at is concerned) and sometimes all you need to do is just light the fuse and stand back...
I don't know if this is one of those times. Check out the piece and make up your own mind. All I know is I can't run a website called 'UK Gospel' and not bring a
smogasbord of music, places, people and thought to the table. Enjoy...
Yinka Awojobi
Content Development
UK Gospel.com
Yinka Awojobi
Content Development
UK Gospel.com
THE GROUP'S BEEN GOING...?
We've been going for 4 years, since meeting at Liverpool University. We started out as a 5 piece band with bass and guitar but have since shed a couple of members to produce a more focused, loop driven sound...
We just finished our third CD, (our first as a three piece group), and are currently working on getting into the club scene with greater regularity.
PHIL: From the front!
DUNCAN: ....umm, we approach Hip-hop with the intent of producing music which embodies the genre but runs in the opposite direction to typical gangster content.
We love Hip-hop music but think it has been hijacked by too many mediocre artists intent purely on making cash rather then enriching peoples lives.
We just finished our third CD, (our first as a three piece group), and are currently working on getting into the club scene with greater regularity.
PHIL: From the front!
DUNCAN: ....umm, we approach Hip-hop with the intent of producing music which embodies the genre but runs in the opposite direction to typical gangster content.
We love Hip-hop music but think it has been hijacked by too many mediocre artists intent purely on making cash rather then enriching peoples lives.
CURRENT PROJECTS:
HOW DO YOU GUYS APPROACH HIP-HOP...?
LIVERPOOL - WHAT'S GOSPEL HIP-HOP LIKE OVER THERE?
LIVERPOOL - WHAT'S GOSPEL HIP-HOP LIKE OVER THERE?
It doesn't exist with the exception of the SR! In fact the Hip-hop scene as a whole is pretty small here and a big part of what we are trying to do right now (along with others) is set up urban music nights to make it grow.
We've already had a few nights - some of which have gone well and others not so
well. We're currently working with a collective in Liverpool called URBEATZ and
together we've run a night 'Alternatively Urban' which is going well and is growing in
popularity...
We've already had a few nights - some of which have gone well and others not so
well. We're currently working with a collective in Liverpool called URBEATZ and
together we've run a night 'Alternatively Urban' which is going well and is growing in
popularity...
...We love Hip-hop music but think it has been hijacked
by too many mediocre artists intent purely on making
cash rather then enriching peoples lives...
by too many mediocre artists intent purely on making
cash rather then enriching peoples lives...
WHEN'S THAT LIKELY TO GO LIVE...?
YOU KNOW I HAD TO ASK THIS: INFLUENCES:
"S CLUB 7"???? WHAT YOU GUYS DECIDE TO LISTEN TO IN YOUR PRIVATE TIME IS YOUR OWN BUSINESS. (...I WON'T MENTION THE FACT THAT 'DON'T STOP MOVING' WAS A TOP TUNE!!! WHO SAID THAT?????)
YOU KNOW I HAD TO ASK THIS: INFLUENCES:
"S CLUB 7"???? WHAT YOU GUYS DECIDE TO LISTEN TO IN YOUR PRIVATE TIME IS YOUR OWN BUSINESS. (...I WON'T MENTION THE FACT THAT 'DON'T STOP MOVING' WAS A TOP TUNE!!! WHO SAID THAT?????)
Loads of stuff: Hip-hop, Gospel, Jazz, Soul, Drum n Bass. People: SWAY,
THE ROOTS, ROOTS MANUVA, JURASSIC 5, DANGERMOUSE, etc. Oh: and
DUNCAN and PHIL like a bit of the S CLUB 7... (playing, yeh?)
Seriously S-CLUB was a massive influence on both PHIL and DUNCAN - the way BRADLEY flows is what inspired DUNCAN to take up the mic!!!
THE ROOTS, ROOTS MANUVA, JURASSIC 5, DANGERMOUSE, etc. Oh: and
DUNCAN and PHIL like a bit of the S CLUB 7... (playing, yeh?)
Seriously S-CLUB was a massive influence on both PHIL and DUNCAN - the way BRADLEY flows is what inspired DUNCAN to take up the mic!!!
WELL, ALL I CAN SAY IS I'M A FAN OF POP MUSIC MYSELF. HERE'S ANOTHER 'POP
MUSIC JOURNALISM' QUESTION FOR YOU, THEN: SOULS REST IN THREE WORDS:
YOU LOT ARE HARD!!! OK, MOVING ON: THE UK GOSPEL SCENE IS:
OOOOH... CONTROVERSIAL!!! EXPLAIN:
MUSIC JOURNALISM' QUESTION FOR YOU, THEN: SOULS REST IN THREE WORDS:
YOU LOT ARE HARD!!! OK, MOVING ON: THE UK GOSPEL SCENE IS:
OOOOH... CONTROVERSIAL!!! EXPLAIN:
Having too much fun thinking up random answers to this so it might be safer just to move on!
Mainly based down in the South, so to be honest we don't have many
opportunities to gauge how its going.
There are clearly some good quality acts out there like FOUR KORNERZ and the
29TH CHAPTER who we went on mini tour with back in 2004, but I get the feeling
that a lot of UK gospel music could do with better quality control.
We don't wanna sound bitter or anything but it sometimes seems that the gospel scene is more obsessed with the organisation the artist is affiliated with rather than the quality of the act. This is similar to the secular scene which can be very much about who you know rather than what you do....
It would be good to see more chances for independent labels and artists to showcase their
Mainly based down in the South, so to be honest we don't have many
opportunities to gauge how its going.
There are clearly some good quality acts out there like FOUR KORNERZ and the
29TH CHAPTER who we went on mini tour with back in 2004, but I get the feeling
that a lot of UK gospel music could do with better quality control.
We don't wanna sound bitter or anything but it sometimes seems that the gospel scene is more obsessed with the organisation the artist is affiliated with rather than the quality of the act. This is similar to the secular scene which can be very much about who you know rather than what you do....
It would be good to see more chances for independent labels and artists to showcase their
abilities.
Not imitating the mainstream and create original music (you are always going to be number 2 if you copy).
We believe that God calls us to be in the world but not of it. If we are inspired by the God who gave us our creativity, how can we not be more imaginative than people who don't know him?
Not imitating the mainstream and create original music (you are always going to be number 2 if you copy).
We believe that God calls us to be in the world but not of it. If we are inspired by the God who gave us our creativity, how can we not be more imaginative than people who don't know him?
...a lot of UK gospel music could
do with better quality control....
do with better quality control....
HMMM. INTERESTING VIEW. OK, LET'S EXPAND THE CONCEPT, THEN....
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE: 'THE UK SCENE CAN DO BETTER THAN IT DOES AT THE MOMENT BY...'
OUCH. I HEAR THAT. CARE TO GO INTO A BIT MORE DETAIL? WHO'S THE BRAVE MAN THAT WILL STEP FORWARD ON THIS...?
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE: 'THE UK SCENE CAN DO BETTER THAN IT DOES AT THE MOMENT BY...'
OUCH. I HEAR THAT. CARE TO GO INTO A BIT MORE DETAIL? WHO'S THE BRAVE MAN THAT WILL STEP FORWARD ON THIS...?
In essence we do need to be relevant to the culture we're in but at the same time
the music must be pushing things forward rather than seeking to imitate.
Therefore Christians should be at the very forefront of music and creativity.
Push quality artists into the secular market where they need to be heard (there's
no point preaching to the choir).
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL: the first and most important thing is to actually go and
the music must be pushing things forward rather than seeking to imitate.
Therefore Christians should be at the very forefront of music and creativity.
Push quality artists into the secular market where they need to be heard (there's
no point preaching to the choir).
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL: the first and most important thing is to actually go and
OH MY WORD, I SO HEAR THAT. I DON'T THINK MANY WILL DISAGREE, BUT
THE QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN 'HOW?' THOUGHTS...?
THE QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN 'HOW?' THOUGHTS...?
DO IT! I think that we often waste time worrying that people will criticise our message, when what we have to offer as Christians goes beyond our own fears in its importance.
This may sound naive but there is no better learning experience for a band then going and playing in front of a secular audience who will quite simply slate you if you are not up to scratch. It is not that hard to get a secular gig!
ON A CORPORATE LEVEL: we have found that our only option right now is to largely bypass Christian labels and Christian events because they are often more of a hindrance then a help to a career in the secular market. There are some exceptions to this but we have found there is a tendency to look inwards rather than outwards.
This may sound naive but there is no better learning experience for a band then going and playing in front of a secular audience who will quite simply slate you if you are not up to scratch. It is not that hard to get a secular gig!
ON A CORPORATE LEVEL: we have found that our only option right now is to largely bypass Christian labels and Christian events because they are often more of a hindrance then a help to a career in the secular market. There are some exceptions to this but we have found there is a tendency to look inwards rather than outwards.
...we often waste time worrying that people will criticise
our message, when what we have to offer as Christians
goes beyond our own fears in its importance...
our message, when what we have to offer as Christians
goes beyond our own fears in its importance...
We have found that non-Christians are more than happy to work with us and we have not had to
compromise our message to do this - this message doesn't just have to be for us! Also: we need to continue to encourage grassroots artists.
We hope to establish ourselves as an integral part of the Liverpool secular music scene and through doing this we hope to open up opportunities for other gospel acts.
It's a question of leading by example, in order to inspire and encourage young artists to put themselves out there. The night we are doing with Urbeatz is a good example of this, as it gives
new artists an opportunity to play in a low-pressure atmosphere.
It is again a question of being willing to build a scene with anybody, regardless of their beliefs, as this offers gospel artists the opportunity to play in the mainstream.
compromise our message to do this - this message doesn't just have to be for us! Also: we need to continue to encourage grassroots artists.
We hope to establish ourselves as an integral part of the Liverpool secular music scene and through doing this we hope to open up opportunities for other gospel acts.
It's a question of leading by example, in order to inspire and encourage young artists to put themselves out there. The night we are doing with Urbeatz is a good example of this, as it gives
new artists an opportunity to play in a low-pressure atmosphere.
It is again a question of being willing to build a scene with anybody, regardless of their beliefs, as this offers gospel artists the opportunity to play in the mainstream.
AGAIN I AGREE. SO LET'S LOOK AT YOUR LIVERPOOL EXAMPLE. HOW CAN WE COLLECTIVELY TRY AND BOOST THE GRASSROOTS SCENE IN YOUR NECK OF THE
WOODS...?
SO: SR IS GOING TO IMPACT THE WORLD BY:
WOODS...?
SO: SR IS GOING TO IMPACT THE WORLD BY:
...achieving success in the secular market without diluting or compromising the gospel message.
Faith! That is all we have - wouldn't it be nice if we actually believed that was enough? When God calls you to something then we need to have the faith that he is in control and that NOTHING is impossible through him!
This is not an easy ask, it's not as though we don't spend half our time worrying about making enough money from music etc, but we are called to live by faith. God has given us a vision and we need to believe that He is big enough to fulfil that vision.
Faith! That is all we have - wouldn't it be nice if we actually believed that was enough? When God calls you to something then we need to have the faith that he is in control and that NOTHING is impossible through him!
This is not an easy ask, it's not as though we don't spend half our time worrying about making enough money from music etc, but we are called to live by faith. God has given us a vision and we need to believe that He is big enough to fulfil that vision.
BIG WORDS... BUT HOW DO WE DO IT...? ALMOST EVERYONE I KNOW SAYS THAT,
BUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY GO ABOUT ACHIEVING IT?
...I LIKE YOUR THINKING. DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND SEE HOW IT'S ALL GOING SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
LAST FEW QUESTIONS: HIP-HOP IS A VALID VEHICLE FOR THE GOSPEL
BECAUSE...?
BUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY GO ABOUT ACHIEVING IT?
...I LIKE YOUR THINKING. DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND SEE HOW IT'S ALL GOING SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
LAST FEW QUESTIONS: HIP-HOP IS A VALID VEHICLE FOR THE GOSPEL
BECAUSE...?
Hip-hop is much more open to spiritual lyricism than genres such as Pop, Rock or RnB. There is a respect and appreciation of realism in Hip-hop culture - if you are true to your own character and experience, then arguably you can emcee about anything.
For us that means talking openly about God as that is a reflection of who we are - Hip-hop respects this fact.
Pin down regular residencies at club nights around the country and basically continue to get enough work to continue pursuing this full time. Any promoters or label bosses out there take note!
We believe that God wants to take this far, so we are not constricting ourselves to any set goals but are literally taking it month by month.
Of course we would like to be Hip-hop superstars, oh... except JAMES who says he would just be happy being a career musician with enough money for his dream car - a Ford Focus Estate
For us that means talking openly about God as that is a reflection of who we are - Hip-hop respects this fact.
Pin down regular residencies at club nights around the country and basically continue to get enough work to continue pursuing this full time. Any promoters or label bosses out there take note!
We believe that God wants to take this far, so we are not constricting ourselves to any set goals but are literally taking it month by month.
Of course we would like to be Hip-hop superstars, oh... except JAMES who says he would just be happy being a career musician with enough money for his dream car - a Ford Focus Estate
BOY, THAT'S HEAVY. I QUITE LIKE THE WAY YOU PUT IT... SO, THE CURRENT PLAN IS:
AND THE FUTURE PLAN...?
AND THE FUTURE PLAN...?
(not an Aston Martin, Ferrari or Porsche... A Ford Focus... WHAT?!!!)
NEXT>
