10 Questions - ES-K (MJM series)
As part of our 10 Questions, we wanted to dig a little deeper into some of the UK's finest labels and collectives, finding out more about what's going on the land of UK Hip Hop! With this in mind, we decided to touch base with Millennium Jazz Music, the label who have been humbly creating seriously dope music for years! With artists on their roster including Flame Grillers, Tehu, K Sparks, Jazz Jousters and many more, we thought we'd start proceedings with one of their finest producers.... ES-K. Let's do this!
Contestant - what’s your name, chosen craft and where are you based?
Beat maker and music producer based in Burlington, Vermont, USA.
How would you describe your sound?
Melodic hip-hop beats with a jazzy and funky foundation.
Who / what do you consider to be the biggest influence on your music?
To name a few: Pete Rock, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Ron Carter, The Beatminerz, Nottz.
What’s the proudest moment to date for you as an artist?
Building a relationship with General Steele (of the legendary Smif-N-Wessun) and creating multiple projects together (Building Bridges, Rebirth of the Slickest, and more unannounced projects as well). Because of the work we’ve done, I’ve been able to work with many artists I didn’t think I would be working with in the first place.
Do you have any advice for our readers who maybe trying to play the mad game of music?
Create. And then create some more. Push through the writers block and uninspired times with discipline and a fresh approach. If you’re trying to work with vocalists - be goal oriented and project oriented. Sending beats to random people is much less effective than reaching out to someone with an idea, plan, and means to put it out.
Name 3 people you would love to work with and why?
Some of my other favorite vocalists who I want to work with some day: Redman, Erykah Badu and Joey Bada$$
What have you got planned for the not so distant future?
I am currently focused on two main projects: One of them is my next instrumental project which involves a bunch of recordings I made of my dad playing piano. The second is going to be an album full of vocalists - I don’t want to spoil it too much or go into too many details yet, but I’m planning on something big. Think Pete Rock “Soul Survivor”, Dr. Dre “The Chronic”, Frankie Cutlass “Politics and Bullshit”, Marco Polo “Port Authority”, etc. I hope to be done with both before the end of the year.
What’s the album you’ve played more than any other?
Hard to narrow it down to one.. One of the following: Redman “Muddy Waters”, The Beastie Boys “Pauls Boutique”, Pete Rock “Soul Survivor”
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? And where?
Tricky one to answer because there are different reasons I have enjoyed different shows - But one of my all time favorites has been seeing The Roots at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont. The performance, live instrumentation etc was all so impressive it was hard not to walk away from the experience excited and motivated.
Name 3 things you can’t live without?
Being able to make music, being able to listen to music, and being around people who also create.