Answered by: Tom Gaden
What was it about hip hop that made you want to become a part of it? It's the one kind of music where I can find all the other genres I love in one place, so I guess the sampling.
Sum up your musical sound in four words? Head nodding boombap funk.
If you could collaborate with any producer/MC — past or present — who would it be? It would be dope to do a hip hop track with People Under The Stairs or hit the studio with 'sofa rockers' Kruder & Dorfmeister.
What artist are you putting on repeat at the moment? I'm a bit late to the party, but I've been going deep on @peace and the Young Gifted & Broke crew. Classic Stellar Overdrive by The Psyde Projects gets heavy rotation and unlike Ghostface, I can't get enough of the new Action Bronson with food-related raps all day!
Greatest musical moment of your career to date? Supporting the legend that is Nightmares On Wax at The Espy, with full capacity and the perfect crowd, played a cracking set!
What is something unique about your live set? My band Showtime Quintet is proper unique with its half jazz, half hip hop sound. I perform with a sampler (SP-555), turntable and sax.
Which tune of yours are you most proud of? Spaces & Places featuring Gift Of Gab, Lotek and Ash.One is a standout, but it's the straight trip hop tune called Mind Your Solitude that always gets me.
Which local hip hop artist are you digging at the moment? So.Crates (Skomes and Cazeaux OSLO) blew me away when I saw them live last month. Can't wait to hear their record...
I've been working on an EP with 1/6, love his work, mad creative and intelligent lyrics!
Which venues do you love playing? The Fitzroy Beer Garden with my 'Easy Now' Sunday sessions, Section 8, Belleville (great chicken) and my old stomping ground Bluebar.
Which artist or album had the biggest influence on you? So many, I guess the main artist I always wanted to produce tunes like was AIM (Grand Central/Fat City Recordings) with his heavy brand of beats and downtempo, always featuring different MCs and just killing it with simple sample-based grooves.
When and where for your next gig? EP Launch Party at Belleville, 25 Jul. And ‘An Evening With Showtime Quintet' at Penny Black, 1 Aug.
