One of jamendo’s newest artists is singer-songwriter Moon & Sun. Hailing from Sweden, Moon & Sun is a lovely musical contradiction. Her music is both sweet yet gloomy and many of her tracks are both soft yet percussion driven. Although her music may be tough to pinpoint, her talent is obvious. Read on to learn more about this Scandinavian artist and be sure to listen to her new album, The Wild Things.

10 Questions with Moon & Sun

Thank you!

Writing and recording in these places is the whole foundation of the record. It is the source of the material, the stories. Without it, it would be something else.

I went to Curacao the first time in 2009 because of an artist residency at Instituto Buena Bista (IBB) together with my boyfriend; the next year they invited us again (and we’re going back once again in spring 2011).

A good friend of mine lives in the village Karleby, Sweden, and has a vegetable farm there. I needed to get away; there was an empty cottage, so I could work a bit on the farm, spend time on my own in the cottage and make music.

Finally, Amsterdam is where I have my atelier/studio and here I continued what I started on Curacao and Sweden together with my co-producer Staffan Björk.

I came to Holland to study at the Rietveld Academy. That was 2002. I graduated in 2005 and since then I’ve been working as an artist. Moon & Sun is a continuation you could say from a visual world to a sonic world. For me it is not two different things, they are existing together, enriching each other.

Apocalypso

The process is different from time to time, I don’t have a ‘recipe’ that I follow. Sometimes it starts with a beat or a few chords on a guitar and sometimes it starts with a melody. For this record, I had more melodies that sort of ‘grew’ in my head. I wanted the songs to have a strong sense of melody; if you peel off everything else, the song would still be there and you would get it, like a folk song maybe.

I mostly find inspiration from my surroundings. That’s why the places I’ve been to play a crucial part; they feed me stories both in a sonic and literal way.

Oooh, I couldn’t say, it’s to unfair to all the good songs to choose and number them.

I can tell you what I’ve been listening to lately instead; How to Dress Well, Luva, Always Something from the Alan Lomax collection, Michael Yonkers (especially the song ‘Will It Be’!), Karen Dalton and Riskay

There’s not so much to say…. I come from a ‘normal’ family and I had a ‘normal’ childhood, nothing exciting or extraordinary.

I’ve always had love for music, there was never really a great experience or moment that changed my perception, maybe more like a few milestones that led me in the right direction. I started singing with my best friends step mom when I was 16. We used to go to Stockholm and perform our songs on the streets: one guitar and two vocal harmonies. When I was 18, I met Staffan Björk and he asked me to join his band – we’ve been like family since then. From then we have always played in bands or worked on audio/visual art projects together.

I think these people helped me to see that you can make music your own way.

The biggest difference is that I started making my own music with Moon & Sun. I’ve played in bands before but I was never really the initiating song writer. I guess it sounds more like me now.

You should ask someone else who know me about that! Ha ha

I can give you two: sensitive and patient (someone else might call that stubborn!)

My answer could be delusional or just wishful thinking, not accurate at all! No, ask someone else.

When I was 16 I worked with a magician who put me in a box and sawed me in 3 pieces.

Combine humorous lyrics, limitless creativity and true heavy metal talent, and you’ve got Nanowar. The Rome-based metal band recently published their newest album, Into the Gay Pride Ride, on jamendo, which is their second album to be offered on the site. Their fans have had nothing but love for their new music so click here to listen for yourself, and read on to learn more about the band and laugh…

10 Questions with Nanowar

1. Describe Nanowar using five words or less.

Baffo: Tutorial

Gatto: Jinglebells

Abdul: Permafrost

Potowotominimak: Mild Aphrodisiac

UinonaRaider: Spazioblast

2. You are currently based in Rome – are all five members of Nanowar Italian? How did you meet?

Gatto: I am actually based in Madrid, the capital of Indonesia. My mother comes from Minnesota (Uzbekistan) and my father from Bogota, near Milan, from forefathers of south Swedish descent – the definition of my ethnicity is still quite problematic. We met tomorrow, at the funeral of Notorious B.I.G.

Potowotominimak: I’m from Azerbaijan, country of a thousand broken dreams, flowing away in an endless sea at the edge of self-confidence. We met in the backyard of Westminster Abbey.

3. The words to your music is humorous and very original – who in the group pens your lyrics and where do they draw their inspiration?

Baffo: My personal inspiration comes from my pulmonary respiration. This help me to stay alive – if I don’t do that, I’m gonna die!

Gatto: My inspiration comes from within, from the depths of my bowels. I get inspired every time I have lunch – after a few hours, the product of my inspiration comes to reality, sitting on a ceramic throne. That’s what I call “second hand food production.”

4. Are any members of the group involved in musical projects outside of the metal genre?

Abdul: Yes, I play in a band called “Steel of Iron of the Dragon Power Flame,” whose most known song is “Dragon of Iron of the Flame Power Steel.” Apart from this I write, sing and play my own songs recorded in my home studio, but it is not a metal project – just rock.

Potowotominimak: You can hear it in our album: I playstation.

5. You have been lucky enough to tour around Europe several times. Which is your favorite European city to perform in and which fans have the best energy at your shows?

Baffo: Switzerland, for the king, for the land, for the mountain.

6. Tell us about your new album! How is “Into Gay Pride Ride” different from or similar to your previous albums?

Abdul: It is different from the previous album, in the fact that it is not the same.

Baffo: About your new album! How is “Into Gay Pride Ride” different from or similar…sorry my mistake.

Gatto: It has mainly two different things: the cover and the title.

Potowotominimak: I’m proud of the new generations, which against all odds keep listening to our albums, despite the reactionary heavy metal lobbies, which are trying to boycott our art.

UinonaRaider: This new stuff is different, really. More snare reverb and guitar mid-pitch. Also new haircut!

7. Who comes up with the concepts for your album cover art and who actually draws them?

Abdul: Giorgio Armani.

Baffo: Leonardo Da Vinci.

Potowotominimak: Potowotominimak…this is a serious answer!!! :(

8. Do you have any upcoming tours planned or new videos in the works to support your new release?

Abdul: We planned a new video in the works to support the new release of any upcoming tour which will start tomorrow at 10 o’clock and will finish yesterday at 26 pm.

Potowotominimak: No, we haven’t.

9. How has the band evolved in the seven years you’ve been together?

Abdul: At the beginning we were all dinosaurs…you know how it ended…

Gatto: Yes, for example, when we started we all had long hair, now we cut them. Evolution = less hair (see e.g. monkeys and human beings).

Baffo: we evolved like “Pokemon evolution”.

10. What is one thing you’d like your Jamendo fans to know about the band?

Abdul: The secret is in the mozzarella.

Gatto: That there’s a secret button in Jamendo called “donate to the band”. Yes, you can actually do it!

Baffo: I don’t have pants.

My Bubba & Mi is a folk-based trio whose simple, yet beautiful, songs will captivate you.  Hailing from Denmark, Sweden and Iceland, the three girls write and perform what they like to fittingly call “lullabies from the countryside.”  Read the interview, listen to the songs and fall in love with My Bubba & Mi.

Ten Questions with My Bubba & Mi

1. Tell us how three girls from three different countries – Iceland, Denmark and Sweden – found each other and realized that together, you formed something special.

My: I was living in Copenhagen, going to circus school, and Bubba answered my add for a room for rent in my apartment. I liked her in a mysterious way, and she moved in. While she was unpacking her boxes I was doing the dishes in the kitchen, singing, and she came out to me and asked me to sing with her on a song she was writing. I had never written a song before but Bubba got me started that way, after we spent some afternoons and evenings singing together (mostly humming harmonies over her guitar). Mia moved in too and we thought her organ could be a nice lively addition to our sleepy couch melodies. It was. We played some shows just to see if people liked it, and they did. We had a hunch they would. In a mysterious way.

2. You’ve spent quite a bit of time in Italy performing and recording your music.  Did your time in Italy influence your music or outlook in any way?  What are your biggest influences?

MBM: Musically probably not so much, but our lovely gorgeous times there have definitely encouraged us to keep making and playing music. Our influences are mainly old country, blues, bluegrass, gospel and soul. There are some living artists that we really appreciate, but most of our heroes are sadly dead and gone.

As we mentioned a couple weeks back, the Norwegian electro artist Binärpilot has been working on a new release.  His new album, Nordland, finally came available on Jamendo last week and has already received stellar reviews from Jamendo users!  Since the Jamendo community is loving his new album, we thought you’d like to get to know the man behind Binärpilot.  Read on for ten questions with Alexander Støver.

Ten Questions with Binärpilot

1. Tell us about growing up in Norway and what inspired you to start creating electronic music. Where do you currently live?

I am naturally biased, but Norway is a very beautiful country. I didn’t fully comprehend this in my youth, because I had nothing to compare it to. But now that I am older and looking back — it’s simply stunning. I grew up in Bodø, the biggest city in Nordland. My father was very fond of being outdoors and would bring me and my younger sister a lot of scenic places. I especially remember trips to our small cabin at Gjømmervatnet. Beautiful at day and absolutely terrifying at night. We would peek out the window and swear we could see trolls lurking in the shadows of the forest surrounding us.

I enjoyed music, and especially singing, from day one. I would be on the swings in kindergarden singing Michael Jackson songs (poorly). I started performing in the school band when I was 10. When I was around 12, I was in my first “real” band (doing cover songs). After that it went from band to band, covering a wide spectrum of genres from progressive rock to speed metal. I wrote a lot of songs, but never learned how to play an instrument. I wanted to, on more than one occasion, but lacked the discipline and was far more fascinated with computers.

When I got my first computer at age 15 and discovered the scene, everything changed. The next few years I lost all my friends and became completely obsessed with trackers. It was such an amazing feeling to compose that everything else paled in comparison. I was very uncertain about a lot of things in my teenage years, but that I wanted to create music was definite. I had found the meaning of life.

I currently live in Oslo with my beautiful wife.

2. Do you experiment with other kinds of music or play any traditional or acoustic instruments?

I hope it’s apparent to people who listen to my music that I’m not really concerned with genres. That’s not to say Binärpilot doesn’t have a distinct sound, but I make songs that I like. As long as it isn’t forced in any direction I am cool with it. I have done the Bee Gee’s thing, tried to rap (on several occasions), played half a song in reverse and so on. I did a lot more experiments when I was still working out what my music was about, and I am definitely more set in my ways now. I still challenge myself every so often to work within certain limitations. It’s liberating to me.

I know a couple songs on guitar, and that’s about it. A group of fans bought me a microKORG that I use a lot for sketching and vocoding, but I wouldn’t dare call myself a keyboardist. I have no formal training in music whatsoever, and couldn’t tell you the key to any of my songs. I create what sounds good to me – there’s a lot of trial and error involved.

3. Tell us about your upcoming album!  How does Nordland align with your past albums or how is it different?

Nordland is my most accomplished work to date and I am really happy with how it turned out. There are things I would like to change or continue working on, but at one point you just have to say enough. I think it’s easy to hear that it builds on, or even continues, a lot of previous work. The biggest difference is the length, it’s ten songs and not the usual 4-6. When the donations started rolling in for printing I wanted to take the opportunity and make something special for the fans. I was flabbergasted by how fast the fundraiser hit the target amount, and my only regret is that it took so long to finish. These past few years have been hectic and in the end I had to take three weeks vacation from work to finish it.

I should point out that Nordland is produced by fans. The print, marketing, everything is covered by donations.

4. How long does it take for you to produce each track?  Tell us about the different aspects that go into every song you create – from finding inspiration to the actual production.

It depends on the song. Sometimes you hit a vein of inspiration that takes you from beginning to end fairly quick, but for the most part there is a lot of hard work involved. The few times I get to work full-time with a track I’d say it takes a week or two. I start by goofing around, making some beats and probably a bass line. If I hit the wall within first few hours I usually move on to something else. If not I start associating with the patterns, trying to figure out where it’s coming from. Usually that gives me a sense of direction, like, what I am trying to say in this song. To me music is basically about sharing emotions.

Take Penguin for instance. At the time of composing it, I am stuck in Norway, and Rachael is stuck in America. The song has several (conflicting) emotions  that somehow come together in a way that fits. The lead is vulnerable and melancholic and the bass-line is frustrated and angry. When it all comes together, it is a song about longing. And love. Penguin is sad and happy at the same time, and one of my favorite tracks on the album.

5. Are there any recurrent themes or messages you tried to convey in the songs that make up the new album?

Every song has it’s own story. I don’t like giving too much away because it’s very rewarding to hear how others interpret them. On a whole it’s about growing up, the ideas and aspirations you have in your youth and how they evolve. For me it was coming to terms with being human (and not a robot) and accepting the fact that I will fall short of my own ambitions, but there’s no resignation in it. It’s become important to me to try and appreciate the world and the people in it instead of being in opposition to everything. That’s not to say there isn’t things that need to change, but you can’t take the world on your shoulders. Life is too short to be miserable. So dance! Yeah, dance like nobody is watching. That’s the message.

6. What is your day to day life like?  What do you like to do when you’re not creating music?

I work as a web developer and am fortunate enough have my best friend working with me. When I come home I am greeted by my gorgeous wife. We hang out and talk about our day, then probably watch a show or two before I retire to the computer. Hopefully to make music, but more frequently to play games with friends. I find it difficult to produce during weekdays. My work demands a lot of me so I rarely have the energy. Luckily I don’t work weekends, so unless we have something planned, I find time to compose then. I don’t get to work with Binärpilot as much as I would like to, but I still consider myself privileged to have such a great life, family and friends. And fans!

7.  Have you created any music videos to accompany your new album or do you plan to?

I’m happy to say there is at least two groups of people working on videos for Nordland tracks. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with. Actually, all the music videos you see out there are made by fans. It would be cool to be involved once, but I am completely clueless when it comes to making videos. I’m not shy of ideas, but when creative people do something for Binärpilot I want them to do their own thing.

8. What are your five favorite albums of all time to listen to?

Not thinking about it:

Aphex Twin – Richard D. James Album

Pink Floyd – The Wall

Yes – Close To The Edge

Primus – Frizzle Fry

System Of A Down – System Of A Down

9. How has your sound evolved since you started creating music and where do you see it going in the future?

It’s become so mainstream that secretly cry myself to sleep each night. No, while it certainly has become more accessible, I’m confident that it’s light years away from turning into what I am fighting. Among other things, Binärpilot has always been an attempt at showing that pop music shouldn’t have to be bland, soulless and shallow. The popollution must die.

More than anything I think the sound has gotten better and the compositions more complex, without necessarily sounding that way. If that makes sense. It feels to me like a natural progression. Actually, you can usually tell where my next album is headed by listening to the last track on every release. So if that holds true for Nordland, there will be a lot more singing in the future. Yeah, I want to use my voice more.

10. What is one thing you’d like your Jamendo fans to know about you?

I lied earlier in this interview and am in fact a robot.

Cartel est un producteur de hip hop US devenu incontournable sur jamendo. Ses 3 albums – « Prepare for Glory », « The lost Tracks » et « Tha Throwback » contiennent des beats captivants qui peuvent tourner en boucle sans problème toute la journée. Découvrez les différentes facettes de cet artiste ainsi que ses projets passés et futurs.

1. Parle nous un peu de ton parcours – où as tu grandi et quand as-tu décidé d’être producteur de musique ? Où est-ce que tu vis actuellement?

J’ai grandi dans le Queens, à New York, en plein essor du hip-hop. Je pense que j’étais en 5ème quand « Rapper’s Delight » est sorti… alors oui, je suis dans le business depuis longtemps. Je pense que la vraie raison pour laquelle je suis devenu producteur est que je n’étais pas très doué comme DJ. (rires) Actuellement j’habite dans les Poconos, Pennsylvanie (une banlieue située à 90 min de Manhattan) mais à cause de ma musique je navigue constamment entre les deux états.

2. Comment ta musique a-t-elle évolué au fil des ans ? De quel projet es-tu le plus fier?

J’utilise moins de samples d’anciens disques dans mes pistes et c’est moins « boom bap », plus dans le genre de ce que Drake et B.O.B peuvent utiliser. Je commence même à produire des morceaux de dance. Je pense que j’essaye de faire quelque chose de plus universel. On verra bien ce que ça donne…(rires)

Le projet dont je suis le plus fier est « Prepare for Glory » qui est sorti pour la première fois sur Jamendo. Ce projet a ouvert beaucoup de portes pour moi et les artistes présents sur l’album, et on commence seulement à en tirer profit. Personnellement j’ai trouvé que mon deuxième album « Tha Throwback » était plus réussi mais il est clair que les gens ne l’ont pas ressenti de cette façon. Il a peut être recueilli de bonnes critiques mais il n’y a rien de comparable au 1er album. Malgré tout, je suis vraiment emballé par mon nouvel album « Cartel – The Motown Years ».

3. Comment travailles tu lorsque tu produis une nouvelle piste ? De quoi as-tu besoin pour être créatif ?

Je ne sais pas s’il y a une réelle manière de procéder dans ce que je fais. Les morceaux que je crée sont le résultat d’une émotion que je ressens à ce moment là. Alors, si je me sens un peu déprimé le résultat sera un morceau assez dur, au contraire si je suis heureux ou amoureux…la piste reflètera cet état d’esprit.

4. Quel autre type de musique tu aimes écouter à part le hip-hop ? Est-ce que ta musique s’inspire d’un autre genre ?

Oui bien sur! Je n’écoute plus beaucoup de hip-hop, en tout cas plus beaucoup d’artistes mainstream parce qu’ils se ressemblent tous. Mes goûts varient car j’aime le rock, l’easy listening, le doo wop, la musique classique ou les trucs plus vieux comme les Beatles. De la bonne musique c’est de la bonne musique peu importe le genre. J’écoute aussi plus de dance et j’ai même produit un morceau de ce style pour un projet qui va sortir prochainement sur Jamendo. Je cherche une femme qui a du talent dans le genre de Lady GaGa ou Kesha pour une collaboration. Y a-t-il une artiste sur Jamendo qui serait intéressée ?

5. A qui dois-tu ton talent pour la musique ? Y a-t-il d’autres artistes dans ta famille ou y a-t-il eu une personne en particulier qui t’a encouragé/inspiré dans ta vie ?

Non, pas de talent musical particulier dans la famille à ce que je sache. J’ai grandi à l’époque où débutait le hip-hop et il y avait un feeling pour ce style là. On avait l’impression d’appartenir à une sorte de mouvement. Les parents détestaient ça. Les musiciens des autres genres ont aussi détesté ça et ont pensé que c’était juste une mode qui ne durerait pas (excepté les punk rockers qui ont adhéré à cette rébellion dès le début). On avait l’impression que c’était quelque chose qui existait uniquement pour nous et qu’on était les seuls à pouvoir comprendre. A l’époque c’était pas une question d’argent : ça venait du coeur peu importe le chèque qui tombait à la fin du mois. J’ai encore cette impression quand je pense au hip-hop ailleurs dans le monde, particulièrement en Europe.

Je suis attiré par cela. J’ai essayé de devenir DJ, mais je ne valais rien et j’ai rayé plus d’un disque. J’ai fait du rap mais après quelques années j’ai réalisé que je n’étais pas fait pour ça. J’ai commencé à produire et j’ai enfin trouvé ma vocation. Travailler avec gens comme Large Professor et Chyskillz m’a permis d’améliorer mon savoir-faire. Beaucoup de producteurs n’ont pas l’opportunité de travailler dans de grands studios et apprennent avec des ingénieurs saisonniers.

Je suis heureux d’avoir eu cette chance.

6. Sur quel projet travailles tu actuellement?

Et bien je viens juste de terminer mon album “Motown Years” qui sera mon premier projet à ne pas être disponible sur jamendo, à cause des voix samplées que j’ai utilisés. C’est ok, je ne voudrais pas que jamendo ait des problèmes, surtout pour quelque chose que j’aurais fait. C’est une ressource trop précieuse pour la perdre. Ceci dit, ceux qui veulent récupérer cet album pourront le faire gratuitement sur mon site dans quelques semaines.

J’ai commencé un projet sur Kickstarter pour lever des fonds afin de presser l’album “Motown Years” en vinyl et d’en faire un objet collector. Vous pouvez apporter votre soutien ici.

Je travaille aussi pour un artiste appelé Marcii qui apparaîtra bientôt sur Jamendo. Je pense que vous allez vraiment accrocher à ce projet.

7. Comment vois tu l’évolution du hip hop dans le futur et quel changement est ce que tu aimerais voir?

Je dois dire que je ne suis pas le meilleur pour prédire les tendances dans le hip hop vu que je n’ai pas vu venir la phase actuelle. J’aimerais voir plus de diversité et de réalisme dans les thèmes abordés. Ça ne me dérange pas d’écouter un morceau sur le sexe si je peux en écouter un autre sur l’amour. Ça ne me dérange pas non plus d’écouter quelqu’un parler de l’argent qu’il possède et de quelle façon il va le dépenser si en même temps je peux entendre un gars qui n’a rien et qui se bat comme nous pour faire sa vie. Le hip hop a besoin de retrouver son équilibre.

8. Décris toi en 5 mots.

Père, créatif, humble, arrogant, affectueux

9. Qu’est ce que tu aimes faire quand tu ne produis pas de musique?

Et bien je travaille comme graphiste/développeur web donc j’ai pas mal de job en freelance pour payer mes factures. J’ai aussi mon site de magazine hip hop http://www.hoodgrownonline.com et je suis en train de lancer le premier magazine hip hop sur tablette électronique avec mon autre entreprise http://www.tablazines.com.

10. Est ce qu’il y a une chose que tes fans doivent savoir?

Tu veux dire en dehors du fait que je suis un énorme fétichiste des pieds? (rires) Sérieusement… Je voudrais qu’il sache que j’apprécie vraiment tout le soutien que vous m’avez montré. Ça me touche vraiment.

Chaque fois que je lis une critique ou que quelqu’un m’envoie un email pour me dire à quel point il aime ma musique ou qu’il utilise pour son propre travail… ça m’inspire pour créer encore plus. Savoir qu’il y a une communauté internationale qui aime ce que je fais me donne envie d’en faire plus. Croyez le ou non mais je n’ai jamais quitté les Etats-Unis… J’aimerai avoir l’opportunité de visiter et de travailler avec d’autres artistes.

American-based artist Cartel is an underground producer whose extraordinary hip hop music shouldn’t be missed.  His three albums that are currently posted to Jamendo – Prepare for Glory, The Lost Tracks and Tha Throwback – showcase captivating beats that make you want to listen all day long.  Read on to hear Cartel describe himself as an artist and his exciting upcoming projects in the works.

1. Tell us a little about your background – where did you grow up and when did you realize you wanted to be a music producer?  Where are you currently residing?

Let’s see…I grew up in Queens, New York during hip hop’s heyday. I think I was in 5th grade when “Rapper’s Delight” came out… so yeah, I’ve been into the music for a while. I think the real reason that I got into producing was because I sucked at DJing. LOL. I currently reside in the Poconos, Pennsylvania (a suburb 90 minutes from Manhattan) but because of my music…I’m constantly bouncing back and forth between the two states.

2. How has your music evolved over the years?  What project are you most proud of?

I’m using less samples of old records in my music now and it’s less boom bap and more along the lines of something Drake or B.O.B. might use. I’m even starting to produce some dance tracks as well. I guess I’m trying to a little more universal. We’ll see how that goes…LOL.

The project that I’m most proud of is my Prepare For Glory project that first appeared on Jamendo. That project opened a lot of doors for me and the artists featured on that project that we’re just now starting to take advantage of. I personally thought my second album Tha Throwback was better but obviously the people feel different. While it gets a great response… it’s still nothing compared to that of the first. I am really excited by my new Cartel – The Motown Years album though.

3. What is the process you go through when producing a new track? What helps you tap into your creativity?

I don’t know if there’s a real process to what it is I do. The tracks that I create are based on how I feel at the moment. So if I’m in a foul mood you might get a really hard track where as if I’m content or in love…you’ll get a track that reflects that.

4. What kind of music do you love to listen to, other than hip hop? Is your music inspired by any other genre?

Oh heck yes. I don’t really listen to that much hip hop anymore. At least mainstream stuff just because it all sounds the same now. My tastes vary as I love current rock, easy listening, doo wop, classical and older stuff like the Beatles, etc. Good music is good music whatever the genre. I’m also listening to more dance music now and have even produced a dance track for an upcoming project which will appear here. I am looking for a talented female along the lines of Gaga or Kesha to work with. Any Jamendo artist out there want to collab?

5. Who do you credit for your music ability? Is there other musical talent in your family or was there a particular person or artist in your life that encouraged/inspired you?

No real musical ability in my family that I know of. I grew up around the time when hip hop was first starting and there was a FEEL to the whole thing. You felt as if you belonged to a movement of some sort. Parents hated it. Musicians from other genres hated it and thought that it was just a fad that would soon die (with the exception of the punk rockers who embraced it’s rowdiness from the beginning). It felt like something that was only for you and that only you understood. Since there wasn’t a ton of money involved in those days…it came more from the heart as opposed to just creating something for a paycheck. I still get that feeling when I see hip hop in other parts of the world, especially Europe.

I was drawn into it. I tried DJing – I sucked on the turntables and scratched up more than a few records. I tried rapping and after a few years realized that I wasn’t that great at it. I started producing and had finally found my calling. Being around people like Large Professor and Chyskillz help me hone my craft. A lot of producers don’t get to work in huge studios and learn from seasoned engineers. I’m lucky to have had that experience.

6. What project are you currently working on?

Well I’ve just finished my Motown Years album which will be the first of my albums not to appear on Jamendo because of the vocal samples I used. That’s fine as I wouldn’t want Jamendo to not be here anymore… especially because of something that I did. It’s just too valuable a resource to lose. With that said, those who want to pick up the album will be able to do so for free at my site http://www.universalindie.com in a few weeks.

I started a Kickstarter project in order to raise money to press a vinyl single off the Motown album as a collectors item. I could use the support there.

I’m also releasing a project by an artist named Marcii which will appear on the Jamendo site. I think you guys will really like that project.

7. How do you see hip hop changing in the future or what changes do you hope to see?

I’d have to say that I’m not the best predicting the trends in hip hop because I was totally blindsided by it’s current phase. I’d like to see more diversity and realistic themes in the music. I won’t mind listening to a track about sex if I can also listen to one about love. I won’t mind listening to someone talking about how much money they have and spend if by the same token I can also hear from the guy who doesn’t have anything and is struggling like the rest of us to make a living. Hip hop needs the balance back.

8. Describe yourself in five words.

Father, creative, humble, arrogant, loving

9. What do you love to do when you’re not producing tracks?

Well, my day job is as a graphic designer/web developer so I do a lot freelance work to help pay the bills. I also have my hip hop magazine site http://www.hoodgrownonline.com and I’m in the process of launching the first hip hop tablet based magazine through my other company http://www.tablazines.com

10. What is one think you would like your Jamendo fans to know about you?

You mean besides that the fact I have a huge foot fetish? LMAO. Seriously though… I’d want them to know that I truly appreciate the support you guys have shown to me. I’m overwhelmed. Every time I read a review or someone sends me an email telling me how much they love my work or uses my songs in their own works…that’s what inspires me to create more. Just knowing that there’s an international community that loves what I’m doing drives me to do more. Believe it or not I’ve never left the United States…I would love the opportunity to tour the world and work with other artists.

Be sure to follow Cartel on Twitter: twitter.com/universalindie

Also, make sure to follow Jamendo – you can find us at: twitter.com/jamendo

Originally formed in Nashville in 2002 and now living in Chicago, Welcome To Ashley dropped their last album “Beyond the Pale” on jamendo. After an eponymous debut LP (2006), a pair of outstanding EPs and the new full-length, Beyond the Pale, Welcome to Ashley has garnered the support of Chicago radio (WXRT, Q101) and charmed the independent press which acclaims the band. They put fire on every stage they do, led by the vocals of Coley Kennedy who is compared to David Bowie, Morrissey and many other legends. They play some tough rock’n'roll with no artifices, big guitar and melodies. We have to know more about this amazing band, Coley Kennedy answered to our questions.

How was the band formed? Can you make a short description of each member of the band?

Welcome to Ashley is Coley Kennedy (vocals), Pete Javier (guitar), Jeremy Barrett (bass) and Sherrlia Bailey (drums). Pete, Jeremy, and I grew up together.  We started a band in ’96 called the Bennies – along with John McDonough and Brendan Kelly. When the Bennies stopped making music together, Jeremy and I moved to Nashville.  It was in Nashville that we hooked up with Sherrlia.  We wrote some songs, and played a bit in Nashville. The three of us then migrated to Chicago, where we were reunited with Pete.

From where comes the name “Welcome to Ashley”?

Jeremy an I were driving through Indiana, looking for a place to stop and get a beer when we saw the sign “Welcome to Ashley”  ( Ashley being a small town in Indiana) and were instantly struck with the notion that this would make a good band name.

Why did you leave Nashville for Chicago? Was it a professional decision?

Jeremy and I moved to Nashville for the hell of it. We just worked and fooled around a lot. It wasn’t until we moved to Chicago with Sherrlia, and were reunited with Pete, that we started to really get our shit together musically.

You have good reviews on your last album and great comparisons (The Smiths, Morrissey). However you stay quite unknown. Is it a choice? Have you been contacted by some labels?

A choice to be unknown? Hell no. I want the whole world to hear our songs. Labels? Don’t even get me going on the music business today.

How would you describe your music? Can you talk about your influences?

We’ve never been good at describing our music. We don’t need to. You can listen for yourself. Influences?  The Smiths, The Stones, The Clash, The Replacements, The Pogues, Psychedelic Furs, Rod Stewart and The Faces, Jesus and Mary Chain, Big Star, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure, The Charlatans UK, Leonard Cohen.

Who makes the choices about the song? Who makes the composition and the lyrics?

The songs are written by Pete and me. I write all the melodies and lyrics. The whole band collectively arranges the songs, and makes changes as needed. Sherrlia is a great drummer and Jeremy always comes up with great bass lines. We’ve been writing this way for many years. It seems very natural now.

What are the themes of the album “Beyond the Pale”?

City life, Death, Gangs, Love, Hate, Race, Weather, Days of the week, Drinking, Dreams

Where did you record this album? How many days did it take?

We recorded at the Gallery of Carpet, in Villa Park, IL. It took six days; three days to track and three days to mix.

You are very active during your shows. What does it represent for you? Do you have a big fan base?

We love playing live. We do have a big fan base. Being “active” during our sets isn’t something that we think about. It’s a natural reaction. We feed off of the crowd.

Have you planned to come and play in Europe or other countries?

We have not played in Europe yet. We’re very excited to tour there someday soon.

If you could play a show or song with one artist or band, who would you choose?

Tough call. I have respect for a lot of different bands and artists. Off the top of my head, I’d have to say Morrissey or Shane MacGowan… or Paul Westerberg.

What’s your next project?

No specific projects in the near future. We continue to write good songs, and when we have enough new material, we’ll make another record.

A word to finish?
Thanks !

The “Wolfsong’s” album is a collaborative project from the Wolfpack, a formation with many artists : Roberto Daglio (ITA), creix (FRA), Livio Amato (ITA), Yachar (ESP), Spisfire (FRA), Frank Harper (GER), Van Syla (BEL), Dom The Bear (FRA), Urzhia-Kan (FRA), zero-project (GRE), Pierre-Marie Cœdès (FRA), Daisylis (FRA). It has been made as a dedication for Barbara Wolfsong, better know on jamendo as orangeupurple, one the most popular reviewer. Van Syla and Frank Harper, the two artists who led the project during all the process, have accepted to answer our questions and explained us how this amazing project has been possible.

Can you present yourself?

Van Syla : My nickname on Jamendo is “Van Syla“, the Wolfpack members call me “Syl”.

When I found the Jamendo site and discovered that amateur musicians like me could put freely their music on an internet site and that it could be heard by everyone for free, I decided to share my music on the internet through Jamendo. I was curious about the opinion of others for my tracks and I also wanted to know more about these Jamendo people. Musicians and reviewers seemed to communicate a lot and mostly in a friendly way.

My style of music is more a classical style based on my muscial education. I played the flute when I was younger but wanted above all to create my own music and leave the virtuosity to others. I use a digital piano that has different orchestral sounds with which I try to make something that sounds nice to me and that I want to share with others.

Tetra is another of my nick names. Her music is more a combination of different musical origins and doesn’t follow the classical rules.

When I uploaded my first album in October 2009 and read the first review about it, I was really stunned by the kindness of the reviewer for my little album. It was musictomyears and as I got to know Jamendo better after a few weeks and saw how some reviewers were so encouraging and positive and giving their time to write reviews for free. I decided to thank one of them, and it was musictomyears. I dedicated my 4th album to her.

From where came the idea to make this collaborative album?

Van Syla : In January I heard about the financial difficulties of Jamendo and read what was said on the forums. And it is there that I saw that a reviewer, I much appreciated, was giving a lot of energy to try to save Jamendo : orangeupurple. For me that was really very nice to mobilize everybody around this SAVE JAMENDO campaign and being so active about Jamendo issues, trying to help people on the forums and meanwhile continuing to write interesting and generous reviews.

So, since I saw that orangeupurple was fighting for the best of all, I thought she deserved to be thanked by the musicians she defended. She is also popular among other reviewers and has many friends on Jamendo and Facebook where there is a community of Jamendo users who have regular
contacts with each other.

orangepurple has been the spokeswoman of an international musicians’ community.

Thanks to her a lot of friendship bonds were created across the borders because we all have a commun interest and use a universal language  : music.

That is why I had the idea of making an album with those who were in contact with orangeupurple through the reviews she made for them and with Jamendo-Facebook friends.

Can you explain what is the Wolfpack? How did you choose the artist for this project?

Van Syla : I sent a letter from the Jamendo mailbox to those whom I thought would be glad to participate in that project of a collaborative album. I also invited reviewers of the Facebook group of friends to write a text for orangeupurple. Frank Harper immediately responded positively to my invitation. The “Wolfpack” name for the group and the title “Wolfsong’s” was his idea.

Frank Harper : Well, those who know orangeupurple do for sure know her last name (Wolfsong) and the nickname given to her by someone of the community, “Mother Wolf”. She’s a very caring individual, always having an eye on her “pack”. And the title, “Wolfsong’s”, shall imply, that these collection is hers.

How did you work on it? Did you have specific themes or atmospheres you wanted to develop? Or each artist was free to make his own subject?

Van Syla : The style of music didn’t matter as long as Barb (orangeupurple) liked it and had written a review for the artist.

We had to put a limit to the number of participants and a deadline for the making of the music, the mastering, the uploading of the tracks and the texts. The tracks had to be new creations and had to be especially written for Barb and for that occasion.

Here is where Frank has been very helpful to manage a site where the group could exchange vues and ideas and where we could make a schedule and point the deadlines of each stage of the project.

coriandolo has given us a great support also, finding a place to upload our music and being also very helpful in translating for the non english speaking members.

Pierre-Marie Coedes has been very active too and had always a ton of ideas to improve our project.

We decided to release the album on Jamendo in July. Frank took care of the cover of the album and all the technical parts : the mastering and the uploading.

We wanted the reviews to be fully part of the album and Daisylis was so kind to lend her voice on one of the tracks for the recitation on Frank’s music, of all the texts written by the reviewers.

We also asked each artist to explain shortly why he had made that track for Barb.

All the texts of the reviewers and the musicians are edited in a booklet that is dedicated to orangeupurple and has been given to her together with a CD recording at a meeting in Paris.

About the technical part, how did you make the mastering as a lot of artists come from different countries? Who was in charge of the ‘final touch’?

Frank Harper : It was much less difficult than expected. The only thing I had to do was to adjust the volume levels, and even these just slightly. And I didn’t want to change the specific mood of the original pieces by using an equalizer or compressor. Sound is a matter of taste, and the album should also give an impression of Jamendos variety.

Creating the CD and preparing the upload on Jamendo have been the final steps, and as Syl said, it was always a joyful exchange of opinions. Thanks to Sylvain for supporting us!

Have you already made similar projects by the past?

Frank Harper : No. I guess it probably was an outstanding and first-time experience for almost all participants.

Do you plan to renew the experience?

Van Syla : Yes ! With pleasure!

Would you like to push the experience further with other artists on jamendo?

Van Syla : Yes I think it would be very interesting to have more collaborative projects on Jamendo : there are several reasons why people could and would like to make music or an album together. For example making music around a theme : nature, feelings, a story, specific ambiances, genres, specific instruments, supporting a cause, to thank or dedicate music to someone for what he did… but please, no competition.

Frank Harper : I imagine that this experience will lead to further collaborations. I just started talks with one of the group members, but wait & see!

Do you think there should be more collaborative projects on jamendo? In which way do you see that?

Frank Harper : Browsing Jamendo you may find some. And with that huge number of registered artists I guess we will see more and more collabs of two, three or more of them. Perhaps Jamendo itself may provide incentives for musicians to collaborate, e.g. an official annual Jamendo collaboration release.

A word to finish?

Van Syla : We are all amateur musicians, we like to share our music and we love it when someones tells us : I like what you do – or when someone gives constructive advice about your music and shows his interest. It is there where we are even, we exchange what we have : music and comments. That is what Jamendo is about for me and where I feel at home among my friends.

Thank you all, my friends of the Wolfpack.

It smells holiday and Los Sundayers arrives with their second album “Cógelo”, This Spanish collective plays an energetic music, a mix between reggae, ska, funk and all the styles each member will bring out. Always ready to party, you could see them everywhere in Spain and maybe in Europe in the next months.

You are a big band! How many people are you and where are you from?

We are ten musicians right now! But with a good compression we can adapt our show to any stage, haha! And we compose and do our reharsals in Madrid, Spain.

What is the function of each one?

Carlos drums, Areta percussion (congas, pailas), Barto bass guitar, César electric guitar, Lita keyboards, Ana trombone, Pablo trumpet, María voice, Belén voice, Dani voice. Also, we share others functions in the band as backline organization, vans hiring, management, merchandising…

How did you choose the name of the band?

In Spain the real sundayer are peoples who go to the countryside, but only by car and during the weekend, and in many cases don´t respect enough the nature. We changed the term to give it a party connotation because we love traveling but enjoying and respecting the nature and with a further ecological vision.

How would you describe your music?

It´s impossible!! we love too many styles, so we play all we like: reggae, ska, funk, swing, latin, rock, balkan…Maybe fusion it´s an appropriate term, but we don´t like labels. The only thing that´s sure it´s that is music to dance and to get good feelings.

Who makes the choices about the song? Who makes the composition and the lyrics?

It´s a hard work, we do the choices all together, but the original idea of a new song always is brought by one of us, and not always the same one. The lyrics, depending on the song, are composed in origin by the three singers, Barto and Ana. Later other members change some words or phrases to adapt the melodies or because they have better ideas to add to some parts.

Are you some professional musicians? Are you in tour all the year? Do you play in other countries?

Not now. Some members studied music but not professionally. The band was formed with the idea of enjoy music traveling and discovering places and people. We know that is very difficult to live of our music right now, so we try to have good moments with it and make the audience dance and enjoy our songs.

Right now we have between 20-25 five shows in a year but only in Spain. We have the idea of traveling around Europe this autumn and winter, so we are looking for european management because we know that it’s very expensive to bring ten musicians to Europe and for us it’s too difficult to book dates.

Where did you make your best concert?

We have very good remains in some concerts. We played in two street shows in the Barceloneta beach, with  peoples who were walking at the street, stopping to watch our spectacle and getting surprised. Also we played at the doors of the Viñarock festival, one of the most important open air festival in Spain.

Can you explain what is AE Distro and how do you work with them?

We worked with them from 2007 to 2009. They distributed our first album, “Eterno Domingo”. They are a copyleft discography that publishes bands under Creative Commons licenses and make booking for some others too. Right now we autopublished everything because we don´t have the money to work with them and we prefer to be absolutely independent, only publishing our album on internet.

If you could make a show or song with one artist  or band, who would you choose?

The Cat Empire will be great!! It’s one of our principal influence.

What’s your next project?

Try to play in other countries and begin to compose our third album this autumn .

A word to finish?

Listen and download our album!! We think that the culture needs to be free and we are sure that you will enjoy our “Cogelo!” album!! And, if it´s possible, try to bring us to your country to play!!

Soul music has found his representative on jamendo with Will Hammond Jr. Born in 1969 in San Francisco (Bay Area), he grew up performing in bands and singing in church choirs and theater groups. While studying music in school, he co-wrote in 1991 the hit song “Hold You Tight” for Warner Bros. artist Tara Kemp which went Top 3 on the Billboard Pop & R&B charts and went to become a certified gold record with 800,000 units sold.

In 2003, he released his debut project, “Brothafromanuthaplanet” under his pseudonym “Soul Folk”, for which he was nominated for a 2004 California Music Award. His new project “Soul Folk Continued” is available on jamendo with 27 tracks of pure groove.

You made this hit song “Hold you Tight” with Tara Kemp in 1991. Could you explain us how this could have been possible?

I met and worked with Tara through her boyfriend-producer Tuhin Roy, who I went to high school with. We were working on another band called “Bass House Funk” and initially we used Tara as a singer for the project. When the local radio station KMEL heard the B-side single “Hold You Tight” they instantly thought it was a smash! We got a few offers to release the single until finally Craig Kallman of Big Beat Records signed us on to produce the single and then an album deal with Giant/Warner Bros. Records via music mogul Irving Azoff.

What happened after this success? Did you work with other artists? Have you signed with a label?

When we first started working in Los Angeles, we met a few labels and managers. One of my highlights was meeting Stephanie Mills and playing her a song I wrote entitled “Everytime You Call”. The other highlight was writing material for Color Me Badd’s first album (which were never picked up). I ended up signing a pretty bad songwriting agreement with the previous producers which left a bad taste in my mouth.

As you are in the music business for nearly 20 years now, can you tell me how you think it has changed?

Now that the music industry is going “digital” things have to change in how we market ourselves and what access is given to the average artist/songwriter. It has made things easier for people to promote themselves via YouTube, Jamendo, CDBaby and allow people to download or stream their music globally.

What did you do between 1991 and 2003, the year you dropped your first album “Brothafrumanothaplanet”?

In 1998, I was working in the Bay Area for a bio-tech sales company and got laid off so I decided to move back to LA and start working on my first solo album. A lot of ideas came out of that experience because it was the first time when I didn’t have a set plan in my life and I could just live and grow and build as a songwriter without the pressure of writing a hit song. The first track that came from that experience was “Days and Nites in the City” which was dedicated to my hometown San Francisco.

Can you describe your album “Soul Folk Continued”?

The cd is a culmination of different images from my life….translated into a musical mix of soul grooves and progressive/electronica layers. I wanted this album to be a representation of me; a variety of feelings and perspectives and musically diverse but still staying true to my soul background. From the groovy funk of “When It Rains” to the drum & bass layered “Beautiful” this cd will give you an emotional tapestry of life itself.

What decides you to put it on jamendo?

My fiancée told me about this site when she was looking for music for a class she was teaching. I thought it looked interesting and I built my own page…et voila!

Who made the sounds of this album? Have you made it yourself or you have producers who are in charge of it?

The majority of this project was made in my studio apartment back in 2007. I started with studio beats and sampling and then added some live music. I worked on a Mac laptop, a studio mic and software synths.

Who are the artists who influences you the most?

I grew up listening to Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson. Big time Prince fan and of course his disciples which include D’Angelo, Bilal and Cody Chesnutt. I would love to work with those producers and writers who made that magic happen. My old drummer used to play me tapes of The Young Disciples with Carleen Anderson, Omar and Mica Paris. I loved the energy they gave to the music and it was free of the boy band sound we get now. It gave me hope to keep writing the songs I want to write and maybe someone would understand my story too.

Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics? How do you work on it?

I am inspired by different experiences in my life. A lot of the lyrics were written from love, life, strife and struggles of living in the city.

You are now the CEO of Dreamtree Entertainment. Can you say it’s the finalisation of your artist process?

I have always tried to stay as an artist first but with the knowledge of writing, music production and sound design for various projects in digital audio. My prior experience has helped me work with theater playwrights and filmmakers in helping them build music scores and soundtrack.

In which way you wish to develop it?

My next big plan for the company is to create a publishing catalog for film and commercials and work with other musicians and singers to write tracks for licensing.

What will be your next your project?

I am working on a few projects…two which may be “digital-only” releases; an acoustic-electric select of progressive soul songs, a children’s project called “Baby Ballyhoo” and a soundtrack cd for indie film “The Invisible City”.

A word to finish? Do you have something special to say?

My sound is eclectic but contemporary, groove-orientated but not static..it’s the soundtrack to the “beat of the city…”