It’s time to roll out issue nine | TRANQUILITY & we can’t think of any better way than to start things off than by premiering this issue with a 3-part collaboration by three talented artists across the globe : K The Infinite, Juvenal Maze & Zero Tep (pictured below). We interviewed the three of them but before you begin scrolling – keep in mind that this track here is their ‘Orchestral Mix‘. They will be releasing a ‘Beat Mix‘ a week after this so be sure to follow them to stay posted, you’ll want to hear it!
K the Infinite (Left) Juvenal Maze (Center) Zero Tep (Right)
Interview curated by the Phuture Collective team.
Phuture: Hello there! Nice to have you back K & Zero Tep. Thanks for bringing Juvenal Maze aboard – a big warm welcome to you Juvenal! What have you all been up-to the past month or so?
K The Infinite : Thanks for having us back, Past month has been quite hectic traveling around Europe and finishing up my next project 🙂
Juvenal Maze : Thank you for bringing along, I really appreciate it, well for me it’s been pretty busy, more than it normally would be for me. I’ve been staying creative, networking and connecting with people as well as coming back to meditate and get things in line for the next move. Just really being active so a lot of projects going on simultaneously.
Zero Tep : Feels like the last couple months I’ve been getting my life on track, making important changes in those times between totally stressing and meditating. All the new people I’ve met since moving have helped so much.
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Phuture: Let’s talk about this track. What were your individual intentions with this piece? What about collective inspirations?
K The Infinite : Me & Juve had a session at my studio a while back and this was one of the ideas he brought. The flute was so beautiful I had to flesh it out and make rearrangements to make the piece tell a story.
Juvenal Maze : Yeah I remember having a session with K some time back, brought down some loops that we could chop up and yeah I think that one was the one what really stood out amongst the rest so from there Zero and K worked that magic and made the fire right there.
Zero Tep : K and Juvenal Maze sent me a project file full of these graceful melodies, and I tried to beef it up and make it a heavier hip-hop track. In the end, all of these new instruments I’d added ended up working themselves into a beautiful orchestra version that we liked even better once the drums were removed again. It was an exercise in restraint, for me.
Phuture: What does your workspace look like? [I.E – Is it messier than a McDonald’s bathroom? Is it tidier than a school library?] How does your organization (or lack thereof) affect your work?
K The Infinite : aha Its pretty decent minus the odd calculator for University work and drink cup on the side
Juvenal Maze : You know what its not that bad you know would could be better in terms of how I could use the space but it works for me so I can’t really complain.
Zero Tep : Living and working in the same room is always tough for me, so my workspace is very intimate and often pretty messy. I like to clean up before I get to work, so that I can properly make a mess again!
Phuture: What’s your go-to method of unwinding after a long day?
K The Infinite : Chill in my bed and listen to RPG OST’s like Final Fantasy X, Dragon Quest VIII & Ni No Kuni. So smooth aha
Juvenal Maze : Ooh unwinding, its kind of funny because I have so many loops just chilling on my laptop I would usually just listen to those all day until I get some ideas to make more music. But I guess sometimes I just soak up whats going on in the world and recollect my thoughts.
Zero Tep : I’ve been blowing through books at night while listening to something that takes me elsewhere (lately some Jack Rose or Steven R. Smith). But, there’s still nothing quite like the ritual of a home-cooked meal to end your day.
Phuture: What got you into music in the first place? What keeps you going?
K The Infinite : Coming from a Christian & Ghanaian background I was always around music, but in Secondary School (11/12 years old) Grime music was popping so I decided to be an MC and progressed from there
Juvenal Maze : I will never forget this, it was actually grime instrumentals. I remember back in secondary school other students spitting their bars over these riddims and instrumentals from there it raised my curiosity and I wanted to know how I could go about making some because it just got me ive been doing it ever since the age of 14.
Zero Tep : Overwhelming emotion got me into music in the first place, and it certainly keeps me there.
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Phuture: Where do you hope to be 3 years from now?
K The Infinite : Performing & Creating all over the world. SXSW/AfroPunk/Glastonbury all these places will be dope !
Juvenal Maze : Would love to be more established as an artist overall even though I mainly produce. Being recognised globally for what I do, reaching out and collaborating with different artists.
Zero Tep : Somewhere beautiful with people I love and who understand me. Whatever deity willing, that place will be a stage.
K The Infinite : Without creating a paradox in the space time continuum & therefore never existing myself I would say Slavery & Colonialization. Would love to see where Africa would be right now without the Western/Judeo-Christian Influence
Juvenal Maze : Kind of going off what K just said yeah it would be very interesting to see how the africa would be without the influence that made the world what is has become today.
Zero Tep : This is a very big question… I would bring electricity to ancient people, and level the playing field before civilizations became stuck in the ways they are. Maybe we’d be the interplanetary species we’ve always wanted to be.
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Read our last interview with Zero Tep x K The Infinite : here
Discover more from K The Infinite :
soundcloud
twitter
facebook
bandcamp .
Explore more of Zero Tep :
soundcloud
facebook
twitter
bandcamp
subviolet records