Rakei’s live shows are treated as a production that materializes differently from his studio work. Hours are put in working with the band thinking through the live executions and changing up the arrangements. Now with the new album flowering its way through people’s favorites, Jordan Rakei is on tour.

Kateryna Topol: You’ve been on the road since May, how is it going so far?

Jordan Rakei: Being on the road has been so much fun. The album is meant to be played live because it’s made much more colorful, much more vibrant. So touring, particularly in Asia [so far] and really honing the set, playing at the Cotton Club in Japan, was really exciting. We played six sets in three days and were able to improvise most nights, change up the set, really develop our sound as a band. So that’s probably the biggest highlight so far.

KT: That’s awesome, can’t wait to see it live. So about the inspiration behind Origin, that’s a pretty heavy topic, what lead you to go this route?

JR: What led me to write in the album about dystopian futures was my interest at the time in singularity and simulation. I was watching lots of discussions and debates about the future of our humanity and civilization, with like, the tech-heads in America, and it was fascinating and I just thought this would be an interesting topic. As you know, I’ve always considered my future in this world and how I can coexist with future generations of technology. So that’s mainly the inspiration behind the whole album.

KT: Musically speaking, it’s a bit of a departure from your older works, the album seems a lot more dance floor friendly – was that intentional?

JR: Yeah, it’s definitely intentional to make the album more colorful and vibrant because I wanted to offset the negative and pessimistic lyrical content with more positive musical content so that they could juxtapose each other.

KT: Makes sense. You’ve established yourself as a strong artist and strong performer since signing to Ninja Tune, how has it been working with them?

JR: It’s amazing! I think they offer such a great perspective on visuals and music for me to have, you know, back in the past everything was in my head, all the ideas came from my head. And there was no sort of … like, sounding board. But Ninja Tune are able to accept my ideas and then offer either criticism or advice, or anything like that. And it’s helped shape me into more of a …. I guess conceptual and consistent artist. So they add a lot of value creatively.

KT: How does this album translate into a live show for you?

JR: With the live band, [it] consists of five of us: a drummer, percussionist, guitarist, bass player, and me on keyboard and guitar. We try to recreate everything live. So we’ve got no track, and try to make [sound] as full as possible. But again, our focus is to make it all dancefloor-friendly and make sure that people are, you know, fully into it the whole time, taking them on, like, a narrative from the beginning of the show, to the peaks and the troughs and then to the final peak at the end.

KT: Sounds really cool! I’ve read that completing this album was like finishing a job for you – now that it’s out and has gotten quite wonderful feedback are you starting to think about what’s next and how you will approach that?

JR: [chuckles a little] Yeah, I’ve definitely started thinking about what’s next for my career. I think I’m definitely always up for changing my sound, and always up for … creating something, sonically totally different, lyrically totally different. So I’ve started writing again, and looking forward to finishing that, maybe end of this year, early next year, but I’ve got 12 tracks already, [working on writing more], just to get more stuff out as my year, my life goes on. Just no filter, just keep getting stuff out. That’s my goal.

KT: In the past, you also mentioned having a checklist when working on Origin, is that something you do a lot, is there one for the tour?

JR: There’s not really a checklist for touring since I’ve got a routine, but I like to take touring pretty easy. You know, we get into the venue. I’ll have my sandwich. I’ll set up my stuff. I’ll come back. I’ll probably play some Mario Kart. I’ll do my vocal warm-ups. I’ll do my back rolling. Then I’ll do my last vocal warm-ups. I’ll go on stage. I’ll come off stage, do my vocal warm-ups. Maybe pack down and then head straight to the tour bus to make sure I get enough sleep for my voice. So I’m not a big rockstar celebrity that goes out and parties every night [laughs].

KT: Haha, Ok. Traveling can also get quite taxing, do you do anything to stay overall healthy?

JR: I guess the only thing healthy that I do on the road is I try and eat a normal-sized amount of food. When you tour the temptation is very easy to just binge food because there’s food everywhere you go: backstage, after the gig at the hotel, stuff like that. So trying to maintain meal sizes [laughs]. And also meditation is amazing, helps me like, center and makes me relaxed.

KT: What do you like to do in the cities you visit before or after the shows?

JR: A lot of the cities I’m visiting, I’ve never actually been to in America. So this is like an exciting little half-holiday, you know, half what’s it called? Work/business. So we always get coffee and breakfast because the two of us will arrive in the morning, go out explore the city as much as we can, get breakfast, walk around, maybe go to some vintage shops. And then after the show, I don’t really ever go out because I have to maintain my voice so the band will get to explore the town and then I will be asleep in my bunk [chuckles again].

* * *

We will be seeing Jordan Rakei in Toronto on October 6th at the Opera House, and there still might be a show near you:

Nov 04 Detroit, MI – El Club
Nov 06 Toronto, ON – The Opera House
Nov 08 Montreal, QC – Le Belmont
Nov 09 Washington, DC – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
Nov 10 New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom
Nov 12 Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry at the Fillmore
Nov 13 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Nov 14 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

Photo by Dan Medhurs

The post An interview with Jordan Rakei on his latest album “Origin” and life on the road appeared first on Quip Magazine.

His live tours run on a well-oiled schedule and (almost) every fall Fink comes to Toronto, almost always to the same venue, The Mod Club. This year was no exception but one thing is different with this year’s tour: Fink is flying solo.

The stage was set in the center, with a half-circle of guitars set to the right, just within reach of the stool. An intimate, but Fink-aware crowd gathered for the show. As he took the stage, light cheers washed over the room. After playing “Pills In My Pocket,” from Biscuits for Breakfast Fink got a little sentimental, reflecting on how long it has been since that song and album have come out, a few people in the audience nodded in agreement. Promising to play some new stuff and some old stuff the show covered a range of his tracks including “Maker” and “Sort Of Revolution” from an album by the same name (2009) and “Warm Shadow” from Perfect Darkness (2011).

“Give me just a little bit
Give me an inch you know I’m taking it
And all of this time we spend talking shit
Baby it’s all about making it“

~ “Maker” from Sort Of Revolution

The female half of the audience went particularly wild for “This Is the Thing” from Distance and Time (2007) and “Pilgrim” from Hard Believer (2014). As Fink shredded his guitar singing ‘Doesn’t matter when it mattered yesterday / And tomorrow ain’t too far’ the crowd went into a bit of a quiet awe, some singing under their noses, others just swaying like grass in the wind, waiting for him to share another insight into his musical genius once the track comes to an end.

Naturally a few tracks from the last release, Resugram (2017) and upcoming Bloom Innocent (set to drop on October 25 via Ninja Tune) also surfaced during the show. When it comes to new music it is a lot of discovery for the old and new fans alike. This performance has been a timely retrospective of Fink’s wealthy music repertoire and many attendees knew the lyrics. Admittedly, those of us who have been fans since “Kamlyn” may have lost track of a song here and there but hearing the new works is a welcome occurrence. A live Fink experience is always a refresher and reminder of a more solemn state of mind.

There are a few more weeks left until Bloom Innocent is ready for public consumption but in the meanwhile, we can ride the waves of the live show.

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As the lights dim the crowd begins to shriek, and out of the smoke-filled haze we hear the crystal-clear voice of alternative pop songstress, Banks. The singer, whose angelically sharp vocals cut perfectly through the aggressive basslines that populate her music, was at Rebel Nightclub in Toronto last week touring with her third album III, released in July. An ethereal presence draped in black and flanked by two back-up dancers, she kicked off her set with the new tension-building track “Till Now”, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. With electrifying energy that intensified as the night went on, Banks commanded the stage as she seduced the crowd with her 17-song set. 

A mash-up of old and new, she performed upbeat, more danceable songs from her latest album, like “Underdog,” “Stroke,” “Alaska,” and “Propaganda,” and several tunes from her sophomore record, like “Poltergeist,” “Gemini Feed,” and “Fuck with Myself.” I was particularly excited when she played “Drowning” and the hypnotizing “Waiting Game,” the only tracks from her first album, Goddess. With III, Banks preserves her uniquely sensual sound while kicking up the tempo, practically summoning you to the dancefloor. The twenty-something crowd ate it up, with crop top-wearing women and skinny-jeaned men gyrating from all angles.

What was even more impressive about this concert was the sheer production value of it all. I didn’t know what to expect, and I know she’s gotten bigger over the years, but I was not expecting the full visual spectacle that came with the set! Rhythmically fluid and carnal choreography was featured throughout, with Banks and her two dancers punctuating every beat with intricate and stylized movement. High praise should be given to the show’s lighting designer, whose bursting use of colors and laser effects set my optic nerves on fire! The sound was also on point, with perfectly balanced levels that adjusted to the ambient tone of each song, never drowning out the petite yet powerful vocalist.

Once the set came to an end, Banks left the stage and did not grace the audience with an encore. Maybe we’re all a little too conditioned to expect one as a typical part of the concert-going experience and to be denied that feels like a bit of a ripoff. After screaming for several minutes for her to come back, the high I was soaring on quickly sank when the house lights came on and a random audio track started to play.

Aside from the anticlimactic ending, it was an exhilarating night of live music! As Banks’ notoriety climbs and her star shines brighter, this concert is a testament to the incredible musician that she is, and is an indicator of the bold, versatile and dynamic artist she’s shaping herself to be.

The post Banks blows up Rebel nightclub with an electrifying show appeared first on Quip Magazine.