Mississippi Happening interview with Innerlign

Mississippi Happening loves Louisiana, so we decided to hit up some artists performing at the 2014 VOODOO Experience in New Orleans happening this Halloween Weekend!   Leading up to the VOODOO Experience, we'll post interviews with New Orleans artists we think you should check out!  Today, we had the opportunity to talk to electronic music artist Innerlign!    

Innerlign performs with Unicorn Fukr 

NOV 2 | 11:30am  - 1:00pm

Le Plur Stage  / VOODOO Experience 2014

Innerlign 

As one of the many well-kept secrets of New Orleans, Innerlign has vinyl releases on labels such as Pressing Issues, Bisto, Elevater Action (as Caprice) and his own label, Airtight Imprint.

An early purveyor of stateside bass music, Innerlign gained exposure on the global scene, with the co-founding of seminal bass weekly Weight and as co-host of radio show The Drawl on famed London station Sub.fm

His music can best be described as street-level, yet sophisticated, and his sounds have brought him all over the US, UK & Europe.

Listen to Innerlign

Mississippi Happening interview with Innerlign

Mississippi Happening:  Being one of the first to bring dubstep to clubs in the USA, how do you see the changes electronic music has made over the last 10 years?

Innerlign:  After being involved with DJing since 1997, I had the chance to curate a dubstep night in Austin with Grommit, Tyrant, I/O & Sloppy Jackson. At the time, the genre was still in relative infancy, and only a handful of clubs in NYC, LA and SF were hosting nights of this kind. After negotiations with legendary Austin underground club Plush, we were granted a chance to spread the sound of the bass, and soon our event Weight became known regionally as a cutting-edge underground night that was booking the freshest young talents in the world on a regular basis. Having booked and shared the booth with many eventual big-time artists on their first US tours has been an absolute pleasure, and watching these guys develop into what they have become is truly amazing!

Electronic music has had it’s fair share of flirtations with the mainstream, dating back to the first techno records from the founding fathers of Detroit Techno (Juan Atkinson, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson & Carl Craig)

For one reason or another, dance music has always gone back underground. But with the way technology has advanced in the last 10 years, young kids are seeing that they can write their own songs from the comfort of their own laptops. There is no more hardware sampling or crate-digging for obscure records, it’s all on the internet for anyone to use.

The playing field has been somewhat more level for a while now, so we’re starting to see a huge uptick in electronic producers in the US.




Mississippi Happening:  Your sound varies around subgenres of electronic music. Why is that? What is your favorite style to perform and why?

Innerlign:   I’ve always been interested in all types of music, and never wanted to pigeon-hole myself into only playing or producing one style of music. Some might say that may limit your marketability, but honestly i create music for the sake of the creation itself. I’ve never been bothered by that kind of talk. I started DJing with minimal tech house and hard disco stuff in 1997, but since then i have explored drum’n’bass, hiphop and now dubstep since 2006.

I still enjoy playing & producing the roots sound of dubstep the most, mainly because of it’s connection with the early tribal rhythms that date back farther than i know.
To this day, I continue collecting records of all electronic music genres, in order to support and help propagate the vinyl dance community.



Mississippi Happening:  Is there a distinct New Orleans electronic sound or scene that you are involved with?

Innerlign:   In New Orleans, I am a monthly resident at Church*, which is a great event at Dragon’s Den in the Marigny (in case you haven’t heard of it.) There is always fun to be had as the curator of the event, is consistently bringing in top-level talent from all over the world.

Sunday night after our Voodoo set will be the Artikal UK tour @ Church*, with J:Kenzo (an absolute NOLA favorite) and the rest of his label roster with him as well!
Church* (The Voodoo Sermon) feat. ARTIKAL TOUR w/ J:KENZO + THELEM + ESHONE + SLEEPER and more!
https://www.facebook.com/events/491032967697812/

Then there is the label Airtight Imprint, that I started with colleagues Slim & Rus of Second Hand Smoke & Transplant fame. I’ve operated the label since 2006, and we have released four 12” records and a slew of digital releases. Plans are in the works for a return to the vinyl market...hold tight!


Mississippi Happening:  What are your favorite things about New Orleans?

Innerlign:   My favorite thing is the musical history. You can arguable say that modern American music started in New Orleans, where ancient tribal African rhythms met the tonal order and tidiness of Western New Orleans, where ancient tribal African rhythms met the tonal order and tidiness of Western melodic composition.

This gave you jazz & blues, not to mention the seminal r’n’b/ rock’n’roll recordings done at J&M Studio of early Little Richard, Fats Domino & Professor Longhair. Modern music simply would not be the same without this contribution to the world by New Orleans.

Tied for second are the aspects of food and architecture in the city. Each stand out in their own way, and laid to the soundscape that is New Orleans, it makes for one of the most unique experiences in America.



Mississippi Happening:  What can the VOODOO audience look forward to seeing at your show?

Innerlign:   First off, I will be playing a 100% vinyl set. I love sharing the experience of a warm, tangible medium such as vinyl with a crowd on a proper sound system. I plan to play a big bass heavy selection of upfront dubstep and fitting in some classic sound system riddims along the way, including a few of my own records that i’ve produced along the years on my own label, Airtight Imprint. My sets are never planned, always freestyle, go with the flow keeping with the traditions of the original disc jockey dons. Expect the subs to be hitting for sure!



Mississippi Happening:  Will you be dressing up for Halloween, if so, what will you be?

Innerlign:   Unfortunately, I’ve been too busy with some film projects to adequately prepare myself for Hallow’s Eve, but I really look forward to checking out all the crazy costumes people always wear to Voodoo and Frenchman street.