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  Cadence Weapon Interview
interview 0560 added 23.03.08 words:
Kane
technical:
Spoon
Shortly after my arrival at Ninja Tune headquarters I am greeted by the large infectious grin of Rollie Pemberton, or Cadence Weapon to use his recording alias. Wearing brogues, slacks, braces over a pale white shirt, and beaten up pork pie hat he is rocking a look that could be described as farm boy chic. A far cry from the usual rap attire of Bape hoodies and ostentatious jewellery, but then again, Cadence Weapon is a far cry from your usual rapper…
 Cadence comes from Edmonton, Canada. A large mass of land vulnerable to extreme seasonal temperatures, it also has one of the lowest population densities in North America. Oh for the joys of Wikipedia. And home is a very central theme within Cadence’s music.
“Where I’m from has really inspired me, the people there are special but it’s also the place too. I feel that regions are very important in music. It interests me when I hear landmarks in a song. Like in New York you’ll get a rapper who’ll be like ‘Brooklyn In The House!’ But I want to know more! Musically there were a lot of hardcore, straight edge bands (in Edmonton), and a tiny rap scene that no one really shone out off or got any exposure from. But the music scene that I really associated with were the electro-rock bands, groups like Shout Out Out, and The Abominable Snowman. They were bands that I really got on with and Nik Kozub, who’s in Shout Out Out, mixed my album.” So not your typical Hip hop hotbed then.
His debut LP ‘Breaking Kayfabe’ was released in 2005, with an official UK release late last year through Big Dada. A loose sounding album made up of some great, and not so great singles. Some of which were fiercely progressive, club bangers with more than a hint of electro and house influences, while still being ‘conscious’ and complex enough with his lyrics to appease most purists. In short it was an album packed full of potential - from a rapper/producer who offered an upbeat alternative to Indie rap – but it was still a little short of the finished article. “I had never made an album before, and I just wanted to get something out, a lot of the stuff I wanted to put out sooner but my computer crashed and I ended up having to mesh beats together from old recordings.”
His recent follow up LP, ‘Afterparty Babies’ - named after his father’s description for the way Cadence was conceived – is a far more accomplished and coherent piece of work. It is smart, sincere and lots of fun with all the makings for a future classic.
So what inspired you to make music in the first place?
It was around me all the time when I was growing up, my dad was a DJ and he would play all sorts of stuff around the house, Hip hop, electro, funk and my mum would play piano. And I suppose I just randomly got into rapping. I remember rapping in math class, I failed maths, but I suppose I did OK in other things.
Are there any particular musicians that have influenced you?
It was mainly underground rappers, I was always interested in dense word play and poetic license. Rappers like Ras Kass, Ghostface, the freestyle fellowship movement. And from there I got more into electronic music, Aphex Twin, Tricky and then also the rock stuff I grew up listening to, y’know like Nirvana, who were awesome…
Anyone surprising?
Oh yeah, for sure, like Steely Dan! I love their shit. They have some of the illest lyrics. I’d love to do something with them given the chance, but I know that they went after Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz a while back for sampling them.
You’ve said that ‘Afterparty Babies’ is an album about and for your friends.
What do you mean by that?
Pretty much all the songs on there are about people I know, it’s inspired by friends and family, what people have done. Even the cover(art), all the people on the cover are friends of mine.
And they’re ok with being included in your songs?
Yes definitely, anyone who knows me will know that it’s quite likely they could end up being rapped about in one of my songs. I like anecdotes…
‘Afterparty Babies’ seems to fits more coherently into a DJ set in comparison to your first album, ‘Breaking Kayfabe’. Was that a conscious effort?
Not consciously no, but as I was making it all the beats ended up like that, more floor-to the-floor, mixable and stream lined.
So you’ve been Deejaying a lot recently, how do you find that as a medium?
Fascinating. I’ve been working on it a lot over the last couple years. It’s something I only recently thought about and that’s the way music blends and how something might sound good but it doesn’t necessarily connect with something else.
Do you fear that your audience, I’d hate to make sweeping statements but ‘the average rap fan’ might miss some of your references?
It doesn’t bother me at all; in fact I know it will happen, it’s more reason for people to listen to the actual lyrics. If you don’t know what something means then go look it up on Wikipedia, you can find out anything if you want to. And I like that, the idea of having some mystery in music. Y’know all my favourite albums; ‘Blond on Blond by Dylan he spoke about places and people I didn’t know anything about but it I love that aspect of discovery. And that’s another example ‘Discovery’ by Daft Punk where it’s the idea of taking an electronic sample and seeing what you can do with it ..
I read that the new album's already been leaked (this is a month prior to the release date) how do you feel about that?
It’s pretty funny, flattering I guess because it means people want to jam it. It couldn’t have been anyone in the mass production plant because it hadn’t been made at that point, so it must have been one of the promos. For me as a developing artist it’s good, it’s hard enough to get people to listen to your music, I mean people won’t even download your album unless Pitchfork (respected music website based in the U.S, that Cadence use to write for) gives it an 8.
Talking of pitchfork you use to write for them and were a music journalist yourself. Do you feel like that has informed the way you make music at all?
People ask me that but no not really, I think it’s two different sides of the brain. Making a song is far more organic while writing a review is a lot more strategic, scientific almost. If you want to make an album you go into a studio and make some beats, share ideas and it’s much more organic. But when you’re reviewing an album you’re usually on your own listening to this album for a week and it’s a lot more critical and selfish.
Do you feel you’re part of a zeitgeist in rap right now, along with acts like Spank Rock, A-Track, Kid Sister and yourself are making this cross over club/electro rap style music?
Sonically it may be similar but I feel I’m coming from a different direction, those people are all homies of mine, but for me it’s very different. I mean look at someone like Afrika Bambaataa, he made party rap back then but it was also music that was still about something. I don’t want it to be retro sounding, or to 80s inspired. I want it to be that hybrid the idea of conscious lyrics (and party beats). I don’t want to sound like Talib Kweli but I’d like to think what I’m doing is more thoughtful, even if it’s a song about text messaging I want it to be a thoughtful song about text messaging.
So you’re signed to Epitaph/Anti in North America and are on an equally well-respected label, with a similar sort of setup over here with Big Dada/Ninja Tune, did you listen to their records prior to signing?
Yeah, I jammed ‘Xen Cuts’ like everybody, and Mr Scruff’s stuff is cool. And I’m a huge fan of The Infesticons ‘Gun Hill Road’ by Mike Ladd, that record is awesome, it’s one of my favourite albums - a genuine work of art.
And do you have any collaborations in mind?..
Yeah for sure I’d love to do something with him, I definitely want to do something with Xrabit, but I’m open minded to a lot of things. I did shows with Spank Rock and TTC way before I signed with Big Dada. And sonically this feels like the right place for me to be.
I understand that you’re something of an anglophile, have you picked up any English habits through your visits here? A taste for fish & chips perhaps, a football team, etc?..
Most of the music I listen to is from the UK. I try to do the tourist things, but I don’t want to do the cheesy stuff, like coming here for a month and having a cockney accident. I want to find out the reasons behind stuff I listen to do with certain areas, why is it like that? I like the grime scene, so I want to get into that, I’ve met a few people. I hung out with Jammer yesterday; I want to get some grime rappers to jump on my beats. I like the old English music as well; The Fall, Joy Division and Happy Mondays. Actually I use to do a Joy Division cover of ‘Isolation’. I need to go to Fabric as well, I’d love to do a Fabriclive mix.
When I have the time I want to go see a football game, my old roommate was an Arsenal nut. But generally I’m not too into the tourist scene…
And plans for the future?
More formal wear and I’d like to do some train hopping. And I’ll be touring loads.
‘Afterparty Babies’ is out now and Cadence Weapon will be touring extensively over the coming months, check his myspace for more details...
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Kane
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