Reviews
Reviews will be here like this!
Interviews
FreshMC.com Interview
Fresh MC: What exactly is Oranj Mechanik?
Fornati: Beats the Hell out of me! (Laughs)
Nick: Oranj Mechanik is a bi-lingual hip-hop band that uses live-instruments coming out of Denver, Colorado dedicated to pushing the envelope.
Achilles: It's a different style of rap. I don't really know how to explain it. It's old school, new school and out of school. It's different. it's nice. It's dope.
Fresh Mc: How did you guys get together?
Fornati: Nick Van Axl started making fun of my 8th Grade Jheri curl that I was rockin' at the time, (Achilles) Bambou Made fun of my mistaking English 101 for History 101, DJ Dr. Claw and Nate just plain make fun of me, so I guess that is how we all got together!
Nick: We all got together as individuals who all have much different backgrounds, but all love hip-hop music.
Achilles: Nick thought it would be a cool idea to have all his friends create a live rap band. He still hasn't explained to me his vision but I guess we'll just have to improvise and improve.
Fresh MC: Where did you come up with the name Oranj Mechanik?
Fornati: Lots of drinking and silly French words...
Nick: Achilles (Bambou) Came up with the name after we had been going through a series of seriously wack-ass names. I mean C'mon... Phat Baby Syndrome? What the fuck did that mean?!?
Achilles: Yea, Oranj Mechanik is French for the movie clockwork orange I thought I would be cool to do a parody. Plus I really liked the way the letters are presented.
Fresh MC: Who are your biggest influences, musically and otherwise?
Fornati: Mom(s) Kay and Connie, Little Cousin, Zulu Nation, Cee-Lo Green, Blackstar.
Nick: My Family and Friends, Frank Zappa, Public Enemy, Robert Anton Wilson, Huey P. Newton, Crass, Minor Threat, Basically lots of Diverse Music.
Achilles: The world. I pick up flavors, sounds and ideas from traveling the world and I hope it shows in my music.
Fresh MC: You guys have some strong political opinions in your music.
So the question on everyone's mind is: who do you want to slap the most?
Fornati: Narrowed down to one? Um... I would say Condoleeza Rice.
Nick: Probably Bill O'Reilly, Noone can get away with such blatant hypocrisy and claim that they are a "No-Spin Zone"
Achilles: Any wack ass politician. I don't care wich side he comes from. I just wanna slap one. And do it again.
MC: Tell us about the new upcoming album. (Title, guests, etc.)
Fornati: I was voting for "Bitch Please" to be the name of the CD, but I think I got vetoed.. We will have a few guests if those lazy.... Ever show up! (Laughs) Other that that it is even a surprise to me.
Nick: We are calling it "Oranj Mechanik II: Afterbirth Of The Cool" and so far we are in talks with a bunch of MCs including; Pandemonium, Shred Lexicon (of Regenerated Headpiece), Xeno (Of DFXO), Pluside, Le Sorcier, and some others... It is gonna be a diverse pushing of the envelope, a little like the first, but WAY better.
Achilles: I can't really say anything about the 2nd album until it's done but I guarantee this: it's gonna be the bomb...it's gonna be a much better album then the first one. More...complete and versatile. You're gonna hear a lot more from me that's for sure. A good metaphor for it would be ...it's like getting new pussy.
Fresh MC: How did you come up with the title (for the new album)?
Fornati: Afterbirth of the Cool, I think was a play on words from the "Re-birth of Slick" album and the "Birth Of The Cool" By Miles Davis
Nick: I just kinda said it during a band practice and everyone went "HUH?" I figured that Miles Davis was the Birth of the Cool, Gerry Mulligan had the Re-Birth of the Cool, and since we are some sort of unrecognized hybrid of musical styles, we must be the Afterbirth of the Cool...
Achilles: I like it...it sounds like a De La Soul Album....afterbirth of the cool....(laugh) except I was already born , chillin' and waiting for the rest of the cool to be born.
Fresh MC: What are some of the career highlights the group has experienced so far?
Fornati: I don't Know... I was in Job Corps! Yeah... I suck.
Nick: Definitely opening for my favorite group of all time... Public Enemy! Opening for Dialated Peoples and Blackaliscious was a bonus! Also being able to send CDs as far away as Chittagong, Bangladesh and having people respond is gratifying for sure.
Achilles: definetly the PE show.Hopefully it won't be the last highlight. I can't wait to do shows.
Fresh MC: What is the overall message of the group?
Fornati: Bitch Please! (Laughs) Nah, I think the message is... MUSIC! It does the body good!
Nick: I think the overall message is one of Music being a universal language, I mean when I hear Pluside from Hungary saying "Make Way For Justice" and I hear the Same thing essentially coming from French-speaking Fabe, and all over the world... There is a unity amongst music that is amazing... Willie Nelson just did a Reggae album! Do I need more proof?!?
Achilles: Be cool, be bold, be brave. Rap music is the new revolution it brings people from all over the world, all walks of life together and you should be proud to be part of the hip hop movement. Keep it going.
Fresh MC: Any last words before ending this interrogation?
Fornati: Buy our music, buy it now, or feel the wrath of 1000 ravenous angry midgets... or is it little people?... Nah, fuck it... Midgets!
Nick: Just a thanks for taking the time and effort of supporting us and getting our music out there... I hope people like it... If anyone wants more info, oranjmechanik@hotmail.com is where we can be found.
Achilles: Thanks to everyone for your support. Keep asking for it and we'll give it to you. Peace
Interview with Achilles Bambou By JoshSam of Slamjamz
Bold=JoshSam Normal=Achilles
Nick gave us a brief introduction to you in the interview he did for Slamjamz, lets hear the official bio from the man himself.
Oww, man, where do I begin, I don't like to talk about myself so I'll keep it short and sweet. I'm the old cat of the band. The one with all the knowledge and wisdom (obsivously not the most modest one). I've seen the world and all its beauty (and ugliness). No doubt, the odd-ball.
Tell us a little more about the Shady Reports, I hear that they are quite funny.
Hahahah!!! It all started off as a rant. Nick was bitching about the prices of gas one day and I went on this long-ass rant about how maybe the U.S should start another Gulf War and all he did was laugh and say I should write it down. I did a couple after that that where pretty funny. I put them togheter and I guess, when I get famous, I'll publish them as "Chronicles of an Emcee Who Got Famous Too Soon" Stay on the lookout.
On the track Usual Suspect (released on Slamjamz) you have a line at the end saying "Fuck Amsterdam", amongst other things, what's the story behind that? I'm guessing some sort of conflict?
Yeah...but it wasn't about illegally packin' Ganja in my bags and getting' busted. I had a brief layover in Holland. They busted my balls for FWB (Flyin' While Black). I don't know any Dutch mufuckas but I got a bad first impression. That's why I'd be "Fuck Amsterdam".
Was the diversity of the releases so far on Slamjamz intentional or a natural product of the blend of diverse backgrounds of the group members?
It wasn't intentional. I guess the Oranj Mechanik sound is what you get when you put folks from different backgrounds in one room. Nick and Nate are from Montana, Dr.Claw is from Cali, Fornati is from Liberia, West Africa and I'm from Niger, West Africa. It's a trip to be working with people from all over who know, dig, and understanding music. This is just the beginning of better things to come. Look for more diverse sounds in upcoming releases. You majored in Marketing? You must have some pretty clear ideas on the best way to market Oranj Mechanik? There seems to be a lot of integrity and honesty to the groups music, both lyrically and production wise -how do you strike a balance when marketing the group? How do you put the image of the group out there without taking something away from the honesty? True, I majored in marketing, don't ask me why. I had this idea while searching a name for the crew. We were changing names every week, mostly silly-ass names like: Phat Baby Syndrome and some other wack-ass names I won't divulge but I thought we needed to come with a name and a logo that people recognize. So it thought of Oranj Mechanik ( L'Orange Mechanique), which is the French version of Stanley Kubrick's "Clockwork Orange". The crew was down with it but I didn't think it would be easily marketable. Hope we don't get sued. I'm not sure its legal...I guess we'll find out soon. How do we keep it real underground without sellin' out? Is that what you're askin' me? Well, it's simple: Keep it simple and don't be greedy. I'm in this to make jams first...if it pays...cool, if not...oh well, it was fun while it lasted. you dig?. Like everything in the universe, there must be balance and moderation in all things. Oranj Mechanik can be big without selling out, which by the way is hard to do since even hardcore and gangsta rap all went mainstream. All the cats in the group are honest and people of goodwill, I really don't see possibilities of things getting out of hand. I cross my fingers. Does the exposure internationally through Slamjamz give you a better start with regards to market opportunities to tap into? I sure hope so. Personally, I don't focus on going mainstream just yet. As long as we can reach as many poeple as possible I'm down with it. I want Oranj Mechanik to be heard on radios in the 3rd world, in the bush in Africa, in expensive-ass stereos, clubs and block parties. Hip Hop heads, punk rockers, squares, record execs... whatever, get some!!!!! Do you think that the bi-lingual aspect to the group's approach give you an edge or holds you back in some areas - the latter especially with translation? It's a double-edge sword. Some will dig it 'cuz it sounds different, some will not 'cuz they don't understand it and are narrow-minded, but most importantly. It's already been done but what we're trying to do is sound different from current mainstream rap and the other bi-lingual rap. If anybody else can rap in different languages and wanna be down, we do auditions.ahahha. When you try something new and different, there always the risk of fallin' flat on your face. As far as translations, yeah, it is tedious. People go to school for years to learn the art of translation. You can't translate every single word. As long as people understand the basic concept of a song. That's what matters. The Oranj Mechanik website and newsletter have recently been launched, give us some information on where we can find the site and register for the newsletter. How do you hope to develop the website? The newsletter is something Nick started to hype our shit up. You can contact us at oranjmechanik@hotmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list. As far as the site goes, it's not completely done yet but you can get a preview at www.oranjmechanik.com. It's gonna be off the hook. The point of the site is to complement the newsletters and provide info on general shit about Oranj... Interviews, photos, translations and some other good stuff. I won't give out too much 411. You'll just have to see for yo'self.
At the moment Oranj Mechanik have a balance of traditional and modern in the music and with the distribution do you see that changing? We won't change shit if it works out and people dig the music and if we feel that we've reached as many people as possible without going overboard financially. The net is a cheap way to promote your music but you'll eventually have to do lots of shows, lots of traditional promotions (fliers, word-to-mouth etc.), going into music stores and sell tapes from the trunk of your ride. It's a real low-tech way to do things but it's still the most efficient way and it gives you some type of control on what gets sold where and at what price.
How do you want to develop the group direction sound and distribution wise in the future? I think we should definitely tap into world music and combine rap with sounds that no one has heard before. There is a limit to how much James Brown and P-Funk you can sample. It's time to move into new sounds. Right now, Oranj is still young and our sound doesn't have a label yet, so until we find the kind of sound everybody in the crew agrees upon, we'll have to keep experimenting, trying new shit. Do you think that there can be a balance in the industry between traditional and digital, with regards to production and distribution. At the moment it seems that there is a battle between those who want to open it up for everyone (via software for PCs, digital distribution,etc) and those who believe that there should be more controls in place? Like I said, there is a balance between everything. Only greed and lack of common sense fucks up that balance, whether its from the artists side or the labels' side. Hell yeah, there can be a balance between traditional and digital. Nowadays, you need to know how both work if you're involved in the music industry. I give 'nuff props to Chuck D for building a bridge between the two. He's all about music and not just about the benjamins. People who try to implement more means of control can kiss my ass. They don't know the first thing about music. There are many groups like ours out there with mad skills that would never be heard if it wasn't for the digital revolution. I said open it up for everyone. If you're wack, you're out, if your sound is tight, you get your chance to share your talent with the world. The groups first album is finished, what kind of blend of music can we expect on it? Do you have a title for it yet? It's really hard to describe, you can't really classify it. No two songs are alike. There are several instrumentals. Some songs you gonna dig, some you won't , some you'll bob your head to, some you'll get crunk too, but it definitely something new and refreshing...it'll have 10 tracks...self titled "Oranj Mechanik", we're keeping all the cool album titles for the next shit. The 2nd Album will be called "The Afterbirth of the Cool" or some shit like that...
As far as lyrical content on the album, what can we expect? Can we expect more freestyle track like "Free Flow"? Tracks in French, some singing, some "mechanical talk" (scratches). Sorry to disappoint you but "Freeflow" was just a little experiment. we'll definitely put more in the next album. A couple perhaps. The crew was spektical of me rappin' over break beats since we're supposedly an-all live instruments crew, but I recorded it anyway 'cuz I thought It would be different from the other stuff. And it is.
How do you split the lyrical duties between group members on each track? The way Nick spoke in his interview it seemed whoever had an idea at the time was allowed to run with it to see where it would go, is that a fair assessment? No doubt.The musicians put together a track, the emcees get instrumental copies and write rhymes to it and see if we feel it. Then when we decide to keep and instrumental, we have a jam session and see how it sounds live. If not then we say "that shit is wack" , end of discussion. Let's move to the next shit.
How long has the group been together? I ask because you seem to have everything organised - from merchandise to newsletters, etc. Has all this been part of your plans or just natural progression to the next level? Does this all go back to how you wanted to market the group? We've known each other for about 5 years. I have to give props to Nick for bringin' us together and basically taking over the whole Oranj project, he's the one that kept everyone on point and focused, 'cuz I realize that getting a crew togheter ain’t no piece of cake. When you got love for what you do...I guess when you invest a lot of blood, sweat and tears in it and the result is tight. As far as marketing go, our goal is to reach as many people as possible trough diversity in sound while keeping in mind that you can't please everybody. Oranj got something for every body, well everybody except R&B and so-called Gangsta rap fans. We're not really big on that new mellow shit and we ain't gangstas either. You're not gonna hear songs about making love in the shower (I'd rather do it that hear about it) and doin' drive-bys. We target anybody to digs hip hop in all its forms and wanna hear some different shit.
Are you involved in the DJ Dr. Claw mixtape? How is it going?. No I'm not, it is an independent project Nick and Claw are working on. I'll let 'em do their thing. I hope I'll be the first to hear it. ahahhaha
Do you have any solo projects planned or is it pretty much full steam ahead on the Oranj Mechanik?
Actually, I had a full solo-album written out a couple years ago but Nick wanted to throw a rap group together so I kinda went along. I'm curious to see where this thing is gonna take me, you know, with me rapping in French with a band that don't understand a single word I say. Hhahahha!!!! But for sure, expect something from me in the future. Something totally different from the current Oranj Mechanik sound but bangin' nonetheless. It's gonna be mostly French with modern Afro-Carabean beats. It's gonna be wicked, mon!!!!
|
|
