How would you describe yourselves? More than just producers, I guess.
As Creative Directors of a Creative Services Company
As producers, it happens that you craft beats in order to meet the philosophy behind a specific artist’s own work. How different is it, channeling your own message as musicians?
With our own projects, we can focus on whatever idea we want to explore. We have total control of what we want to hear and how we want to shape our sounds/albums
Does creativity flow in a more vivid way, or do you get more meticulous, trying to deliver what your thoughts are?
Creativity for us usually starts as a fluid thing, then we shape that rough idea into a meticulous, micro managed action. For example our song “Compromise” was a super rough loop I started and then we built out the production, then later came the search for the right features, then the marketing push and then keeping up with all the logistics on a daily basis.
Has any collaboration throughout your career been easier and more inspiring than the rest?
The most inspiring collaboration is probably with Childish Gambino. He went from an artist that Pitchfork trashed to headlining festivals with our song “Crawl” being the highest point of the performances.
Did you produce all of the tracks specifically for the album, or were some of them added to the tracklist later on?
Most of the songs were for the album, except “High”. Roc Nation liked that beat for Rihanna but we couldn’t nail down a proper top line, so we just took it and added Vince and Bia to mans the final product.
The synths, the bass, the hi-hats… Everything sounds so clean in this album, exactly like the aestethics of the cover art, hinting that elegance is necessary even on a trip to outer space. What took you in this direction?
We are naturally into the unknown and art that touches on that, whether it’s film, music, book, or whatever. When it came time to do our debut LP, there was no doubt that we would go this route and paint the picture this way. Sci-Fi and outer space is just something that intrigues us immensely.
In the last part of ‘Fast Life’, drums take a spontaneous, joyous turn that obviously brings to mind your Nigerian roots. How strong has that influence been in your work over the years?
It’s incorporated in our daily lives and naturally comes out in our music. Being Nigerian is a privilege we don’t shy away from. It’s a rich culture with vast intricacies and power.
My favourite track on FW14 is “Face”, with the strings reflecting the quick, deep emotions transmitted by the two voice counterparts. Is there any track that came in a particularly natural way, or a track you feel bound to for some reason?
“Face” came from a place of solitude. The minimal production was probably the most natural and free flowing of all the tracks. The lyrics just hit in such a way that anyone can relate and get caught up in that trance.
Tell us if you’re planning to dedicate more time to music, or if you’re going to focus elsewhere.
Always working on music as we work on other projects outside of music. Music is the core of our business. It’s the driving force, so always have to keep that going.
