▶ Snippet premiered on Stay Cool w/ seangran 001 feat. Ivan Ave & Evil Needle: bit.ly/staycoolradio001
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I’m honoured to have had @IvanAve as my very first interview subject for Stay Cool all the way back in March. The musician and DJ has been a mainstay in my playlists at home since I first heard “Obedience” with Mndsgn off of @Jakarta-Records' Spring In Jakarta release. There’s something about his unassumingly deep lyrics and demeanour that, coupled with beats by Ringgo and his numerous fellow @Mutual-Intentions collaborators, has always appealed to me in a way few rappers do. Above a very groovy (and noisy) Camden Academy DJ set we sat for a chat and discussed a number of things; here’s a handy list so you can keep track.
We talked about:
(0:00) Shows in London, how he got into hip hop & DJing and his stage presence
(4:39) His musical upbringing
(6:25) How his Oslo based crew Mutual Intentions came together
(10:13) The homegrown hip hop scene in Norway and how international music is received there
(11:52) Whether growing up in Norway had a large effect on what he does now
(13:19) The story behind “Also” with Kaytranada and Kiefer
(15:39) Letting things happen naturally, the message behind his music and his music as a sanctuary beyond the BS
(18:31) The stunning “Also” video and how Also Known As, the Oslo-based producers that produced the video, are deeply tied to the concept of the song
(20:32) His connection to London and artists / platforms from the area that he’s a fan of (s/o to Wu-Lu, Hawk House and others)
(22:27) His favourite vinyl that he’s discovered in the last year (Candle Tribe - Boogie / R&B from the late 80's)
(23:31) Producing beats himself, old aliases and the status of Every Eye
(24:58) The Hands project from his early days and the importance of the strength physical realm in his lyrics
(27:37) How his writing process has changed over his career. Stopping rapping after 30?!
(28:50) Nas being the greatest of all time, his beat selection and Life Is Good
(31:19) Recent (and old) albums he’s been listening to lately
(33:11) Show equipment and his 1997 SP-555
(34:35) The unique position of being a White, Northern European rapper and the importance of awareness of the place of such a person in the music game
(38:02) Artists to look out for (Jawn Rice, Joyce Wrice and Jon Bap)
(40:17) His plans for 2017
(40:55) His relationship with Jakarta Records and why it’s such a great home for his music
