As 2008 crawls to a close, some of the year's best efforts come into finer focus. And when it comes to hybrid hip-hop, against all odds, remote Saskatchewan DJ Factor's early release Chandelier keeps inexorably rising into Listening Post's top 10.
Maybe it's the Mercury Rev-like poptronica of "Home Again" or the orchestral raunch of "More Handsome Than Rude," or the stable of well-regarded rappers who make cameos. But whatever it is, it's hard to shake Chandelier once you chill long enough to listen to it all the way through. Factor's multifaceted production is impressive, more so once you consider that he's barely through his twenties and grew up in a region known more for its prairies and bridges than its street-smart hip-hop or pop music.
But that may soon change. From Factor to K'Naan to K-Os and beyond, Canada's hip-hop scene is thriving nicely, thanks. Listening Post caught up with the young DJ to talk about that expansion, as well as turntablism, gear and why the internet is a double-edged sword.
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Wired.com: Your disc mashes electronic pop with old-school hip-hop, but I'm guessing you were pretty young when that all went down. Why aren't you making music for thugs who can't rap?
Factor: [Laughs] Yes, I still need to do some work to make that next-level, prairie-folk, Canadian-thug-baller rap. But old-school hip-hop is the best. I was too young to bump all the classic originals at the time they came out. Plus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, it wasn't as easy to find hip-hop as you may think. I eventually got into Wu-Tang, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. I would bump that shit all day. From there, I started to dig into the history and styles.
Wired.com: You seem to know your way around turntablism.
Factor: Well, I started in ninth grade with friends, practicing on our garage-sale turntables and Radio Shack mixers, with quarters on the head shells so they didn't skip. We'd sell mixes at school in the parking lot. And I still am a DJ and play shows, but I feel my strength is my production.
Wired.com: Are you less worried about copyright infringement in Canada?
Factor: It's definitely a worry, but I use rare records and have been digging harder and chopping more. I have also started chopping in live musicians, and I always play some keys.
Wired.com: What gear are you rocking, and are you working with vinyl?
Wired.com: I have always been into vinyl, and obviously use lots of it, as obscure as possible. As for gear, I am using a Korg M3, Tech 1200s, Vestax 05, Cool Edit, Pro Tools, Korg mini and any other keyboards or sound machines I can get my hands on. For certain projects, I use different keyboards and then sell or trade them once I finish to keep it fresh.
Wired.com: Canadian hip-hop is accelerating with K-Os, K'naan, yourself and others.
Factor: I think Canadian hip-hop has its place and sound, for sure. People just need to realize that and stop trying to make fake American rap. Artists should strive to stay original and be proud of where they are from, as cheesy as that sounds.
this audio or video is no longer availableWired.com: Chandelier is a varied, impressive debut. And it boasts a nice cast, from Awol One to Brand Nubian's Sadat X and Freestyle Fellowship's Mykah 9.
Factor It was originally going to be an instrumental album for the Japanese label Hue, but I honestly was not ready to make it at the time. I put a lot of work into it. And Sadat X and Mykah 9 are two of my favorite rappers of all time. To be able to work with them was next-level for me. I still to this day can't really believe it. But Mykah and I are working on a full-length right now. due out on Fake Four later this year or early next year, so it must be true.
Wired.com: How did the internet help you make it happen?
Factor: The internet is a blessing and a curse. It has definitely made life easier for connections, collaborations, advertising, tours and more. It's honestly amazing what can be done online. But on a negative note, the internet has almost made it too easy to litter the music scene with shameless self-promotion. Now it seems to be a lot harder to actually sell units and make money off albums. But maybe that is just me!
Photo: Factor @ MySpace
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