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The Quietus interviews Toronto's Azari & III
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| PivotTechno |
http://thequietus.com/articles/0613...i-iii-interview
Excellent read - the last half of the interview is the real meat and potatoes...
I read how your music is a reaction to conservatism, and how it represents this new culture of self-aware young adults who resist the status quo of society, and are 'hungry for the power'. Can you explain this a bit further?
A: It's a reaction to those hipsters who jump into the centre of something that they don't understand. They're hungry for the blog post. We're fighting ourselves as well, our own internal battle; you've got to monitoring yourself.
Ch: It's also a love song. You with me day and night, why are you doing that? There's a whole other way of looking at it.
F: Toronto is incredibly conservative and wealthy. It is the centre for commerce in the whole of Canada. Living in the west end of Toronto, in the poorest area downtown, we were downtrodden and had nothing and see the hypocrisy of the city and see these artists and kids who have struggled really hard, doing amazing things but without any support. And for those who do get support, and we are like 'that's what you do with the money that you get?' It's easy to talk about it when we and our friends actually lived it.
But sometimes people don't think about the deeper meaning and just sing along. Do you mind that?
F: No you can't get mad at that. At least they're singing. Hopefully eventually they'll get it. That's what videos are for. You see it, and then it all clicks into your head.
But if they know the deeper meaning and how you are discussing taboo subjects, doesn't that take away from the fun aspect?
F: That's hard to answer, because everyone we've been surrounded by understands it. I really don't know. The bottom mark, if we can reach as many people as possible, that's a good thing.
Ce: I'd rather people did understand it. If you are just singing along, to me it just feels empty.
So you don't like people singing to your songs?
Ce: No but if you don't get it, then it's a bit like 'what's the point?'
F: Music in general, you listen to it for the content. I know a lot of people don't, but I'd like to think that the majority of music –lovers listen to music because it speaks to them in some way.
But house music isn't necessarily there for people to bond with.
F: I disagree. I remember being much younger, and hearing this music that was about being young, gay and black person and it was amazing. The fact that this woman or man was telling me that I was the fiercest person on the planet, thank you because people don't tell me that in my everyday life. In ever day life people would tell me that I'm stupid or to shut up. So even simplistic lyrical format like 'put your hands up', 'you're amazing', that says a lot to people. People need to hear that. It's sad but it's true.
You seem to be very much in touch with the roots of clubbing, as a form of escapism where everyone is equal. How did you initially get into the clubbing experience? Do you remember your first ever time inside a club?
A: I actually tuned out when club culture took over from warehouse culture. But I remember my first rave, in Hamilton, Ontario, near Detroit. Seeing Richie Hawtin play to 200 people, pay 10 dollars, hit the acid, everyone on the same batch of LSD. We were just 14 year old skaters across the road, saw the lights and heard the sound, went in there, danced there for 2 hours, then skated the half pipe and landed tricks we never landed again because we were so in the zone.
C: I remember doing some psychedelics, and I actually blacked out, so I'm almost surprised myself that I embraced the culture because it was a scary experience but I loved it. It's just one big therapy session.
A: It's an escape for disillusioned kids from the burbs. Only a few people became victims, a lot of the people I know became creative, successful people.
F: I moved to Toronto from northern Canada. I'd only ever seen it on TV, but we finally got some money together. We took drugs for the first time, and everything starts to click together. You see a sea of people, looking across the room and smiling at you. It was so overwhelming, the world is such a big place but for a few hours it's such a small place.
How do you reconcile this clubbing lifestyle with your healthy lifestyle?
A: We are responsible people, we know how to balance. Sometimes it is a big problem, though.
C: Whether you are gay, straight, or a druggie, we try not to judge you. We come out, provide something that's uplifting. The drugs don't bother us at all. Everything has drugs. Life is a drug. Just look at pharmaceutical companies. Drugs are just a part of culture in general. |
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| geroin |
| thanks for the post, azari & III are the best thing that has happened to toronto in the last 5 years at least, absolute brilliant guys. |
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| ~C~ |
| quote: | | It's just one big therapy session. |
| quote: | | ..You see a sea of people, looking across the room and smiling at you. It was so overwhelming, the world is such a big place but for a few hours it's such a small place. |
Nice little read. Thanks for the share :D |
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