Interview #25 - Moshe

קען ניט זאָרגן ווייניקער

When I started up this series of interviews, Moshe was one of the first people I wanted to do one with. I don't know why I never got around to it until now, but better late than never I guess. Being the man behind Milled Pavement, one of my absolute favourite record labels these last few years, as well as releasing great music on his own was the main reason for me to invite him to do this. Him being devilishly funny and nice was another one.

Can you please tell us about who you are, your background and how you got in to this crazy thing called music?

What up?!, I’m Marc Shepard, some know me as Moshe. I began DJ’ing as a little dude, spinning tracks at local high school dances and parties in the late 80’s. Once I was old enough to play at clubs I started looking for a place to spin underground hip-hop – the unconventional shit at that time like Sole, Arsonists, Saafir, O.C, shit very few heads had on their walkman. I got my first turntable from high school friend Moodswing9, and learned to blend from a few local legends like DJ Nicotine & Dale Da Dred. After scratching records with a few different groups I started producing my own tracks. My first album was Milled Pavement release number 001.

I've heard rumors that you have a new EP coming up. What can we expect from that one, and how come it took so long to release it? 

The rumors are true, Suffering Makes for Great Bedtime Stories, will be released sometime this year on Milled Pavement Records. The album features vocal styling’s from Noah23, jamesreindeer, babelfishh, EVAK1, Brzowski, Monsieur Saï, THMS, Riddlore?, Swordplay and more. I started the EP over a year ago, but have been concentrating my creative side towards DJing filthstep, touring Europe with fellow brother-of-the-beard, Brzowski, and running the label. Winter in Maine is the perfect time to lock yourself in and make things happen.

You're the man with the plan behind Milled Pavement, the big cheese so to speak. Can you tell us about how the label all came about, and what are your views about its development so far? 

Milled Pavement goes beyond Moshe truly, we are a conglomerate of artists working together towards a common goal. I mean, I may have the final say, but it truly is a group effort.

Once I released a few of my own albums under the MP label, I figured I could help other like-minded artists do the same. I was meeting other producers & mc’s from all over the world on websites like Myspace and MP3.com who eventually became part of the extended family.

What does a typical day look like in the life of Moshe? What are you up to when you’re Marc and not Moshe?

I wake up, get coffee, smoke 40 cigarettes and see what happens. I don’t recommend this, however.

Apart from the EP, what can we look forward to from you in the future?

I’m currently working on an album with wonky producer 32french, a new Desert People project should be starting up soon with Mike Clouds, an upcoming 12” release and full length album with Brzowski will be started soon. I’ll also be releasing more filthstep mixtapes this year (if the dubstep producers stop making trap music and get back to the filth).

What are your influences? What made you the artist that you are today? 

As a youngster I was highly influenced by early death metal bands like Slayer, etc. and then 90’s hip-hop. As I grew older I was into a lot of downtempo beats, hip-hop instrumentals from artists on Ninja Tune, Shadow, etc.

You are without a doubt one of my favourite tweeters, because you never seem to care what other people might think of what you say. Is this a typical trait for you?

Absolutely! Ha. I’ve never cared what others think of me. That could be a curse, but I don’t care! Truthfully I enjoy making people laugh, and Twitter is a great outlet for that.

What do you want to accomplish with your music?

The music is the accomplishment. Having people listen, and enjoy what I do only makes the process that much more fulfilling.

Any final words?

Big ups to you for thinking of me! Shouts to the entire Milled Pavement Records fam, EmBen Digital and 2-99 Records.

http://www.milledpavement.com/
http://www.twitter.com/moshstep
http://www.facebook.com/moshemusic
http://www.soundcloud.com/moshe-1
http://www.mixcloud.com/moshebenyitzhak

Sadistik - Flowers for My Father

It's a true joy to see an artist constantly evolving, improving, reaching. Sadistik is one of those artists. Someone who doesn't settle for what's easy or trying to fit in with what everyone else is doing. He strives to bring out the personal in everything he does, and we as listeners get to enjoy beautiful music because of it. I really liked The Balancing Act when it dropped back in 2008, and ever since then he's slowly but surely picked out his own path with his music. 

Flowers for My Father is 13 songs of some of the best hip hop out there at the moment. Well, let me rephrase that, it's some of the best music out there at the moment. Simply defining Sadistik as a hip hop artist is only restricting him, and he's so much more than that. Flowers for My Father is a great start of the year for him and for Fake Four Inc.

Rating: 8/10

Serengeti - Saal

I like Serengeti. You never quite know what to expect each time he releases a record, and that's something I admire. When I first put on Saal I was really pleased. I liked the soulful, singy album that sometimes are as far away from typical hip hop as you can get. He doesn't really get away with his new style though. At times he borders on the sound of Buck 65, and that's a good thing. All too often though he borders on the style of another Canadian rapper that I won't mention by name here. And that's not a good move. 

Even if I still like the album, I get less and less impressed by it, and I don't think that this is one of the Serengeti records that I will return to very often.

Rating: 5.5/10

Hectic Zeniths - Type One Era

When Hectic Zeniths dropped his album with the same name back in 2011, I got hooked. Hooked to the beautiful melodies, the moods he created and the worlds the music opened up for me inside my head. That album is one that I still listen to quite often, whenever I feel I need to hide a bit from the world outside. So when I heard about type one era, I got really excited. Unfortunately I wasn't as taken this time around. This EP, while still good, is much less focused and more fragmented and it feels at time that it has no real sense of direction. It confuzes me at times, while sometimes creating that beautiful feeling in my head. Perhaps I need to give this record some more spins to really appreciate it fully, but for now I'm not feeling it that much.

Rating: 5/10

Kay the Aquanaut & Factor - Letters from Laika

Kay the Aquanaut and Factor are probably two of Canada's most reliable artists, and have been for several years now. As soon as either one of them release something, you know that the standard will be very high and that the risk of getting disappointed is slim. So when these two guys team up for the full length album Letters from Laika, you know that you're in for some first class hip hop. 11 tracks of the smoothest beats and tightest rhymes around is what we're getting served here, and it sure is a tasty meal. I'm also very happy to see that the number of guests are minimal, and that these guys fill this plate in their own right. Ok, enough with the food terms now. 

I can't really pick out a favourite track here, but at the same time no bad ones either. And that's both the blessing and the curse here. What I do miss when it comes to these guys is something a bit more rough, a bit more out there so to speak. But it's all very precise and perfect which kind of makes it too much after a while. I would like something a bit more chewy at times. That put aside though, do pick up this album. Both because it's really good, but also because artists like these deserve all the support they can get.

Rating: 7/10

Now Streaming: Connect the Machine to the Map

In a collaboration between Dora dorovitch and Quixote R.P.M. comes a majestic compilation of tracks. It spans beautifully between electronica and shoegaze hip hop, and every single track is a gem. Amongst the 24 tracks we find artists such as bleubird feat. Ceschi, Brad Hamers, variex., Ancient Mith, Riddlore?, mattr., otem rellik and James Reindeer. The album will be available on February 28, but today you can get the exclusive feel for what to expect by streaming it here on beats, breaks & big smiles 2.0!

greencarpetedstairs - greencarpetedstairs presents 1222

As much as I liked greencarpetedstairs full length album from last year, as much this latest offering leaves me feeling nothing at all. I should like it a lot considering guest vocals from people such as bleubird, Ceschi, Noah23 and Kaigen. But unfortunately I don't. I can't even really say if the EP is good or bad. Some people might like it, but I forget what it sounded like as soon as I turned it off.

Rating: 4/10

Fresh Dirt - The Bedroom Tape

Fresh Dirt consists of Andrew Milicia, Pagezmusic and Emoh Betta. The Bedroom Tape is their first release, and it's not half bad. Andrew definitely got a nice vocal style, and backed up by Pagezmusic and Emoh, it's quite solid, straight up hip hop. Just a shame that solid, straight up hip hop don't do it for me the same way that it used to. In general I think that is one of the problems that I have with Fameless Fam that these guys represent. Not that they make bad music, on the contrary, they are all very talented artists and deserve any praise they can get. But I've heard it all before and most of it don't excite me as much as I perhaps would like. Still a good record though, please check it out for yourself.

Rating: 5/10

James P Honey - dIv_ØØNYgHN

Brand new tape from James P Honey. Just the sentence itself makes me happy. Here he's hooked up with Divergent Series to release 30 minutes of basically him with a guitar. If you are familiar with the sounds of A Band of Buriers, dIv_ØØNYgHN can best be described as what James P Honey did in the interludes between recording songs for Filth. In many ways there is a striking resemblance between this tape and what ABOB is doing, but this is the raw, unfiltered version. It might not be as good as their material, but for a fan of James P Honey's way with words and feel for melodies, dIv_ØØNYgHN is a treat not to be missed.

Rating: 6.5/10

ESH & ARC - Nightworks

A year ago, ESH released The Invisible EP together with Dox. I truly enjoyed that record in it's simplicity, and therefor I looked forward to checking out Nightworks, an EP ESH made together with Arc. Here he keeps doing what he does best, music that is straight on without a lot of bullshit. It's nothing too clever or special about this, but you don't really need that as long as you can do good music. And that's something the guys have made here. Looking forward to an full length album from ESH in the future. 

Rating: 5.5/10

Interview #24 - Emoh Betta

Diggin in the Crates

The DJ has been a crucial part of hip hop ever since it's humble beginnings in the 70's. Without them the culture wouldn't even exist. Most hip hop artists nowadays thinks that the DJ is just part of the history, and that the need for them is non existent. One of the people proving them wrong is Massachusetts own Emoh Betta. 

Would you like to introduce us to the world and mysteries of Emoh Betta? Tell us a bit about your background and what makes you, you?

My name is Emoh or Emoh Betta. I'm a scratch DJ/turntablist and I make beats occasionally. I rep Fameless Fam and Milled Pavement. I was born in 78. I grew up on rap music and got introduced to punk/hardcore at the age of 14/15. This was around '92 I believe. This had a huge impact on my life. The name stems from being part of a scene that shaped who I am. These were some of the best times. Touring with bands, attending every show, meeting new people, finding veganism, straight edge, etc,. Anyway people used to call me Emo Dan, not the best name and I don't think the name fit, but that's what happened when you listened to bands like Indian Summer, Still Life, Mineral, and Ethel Meserve, rather than just Judge and Cro-Mags. Haha. The name just stuck with me, and when I started DJing, thanks to finding Skratch Piklz cassettes in my local music store, it was back to hip hop for me. Whichever DJ name I would choose, people would still call me "Emo". At this point it wasn't cool, not that it ever was, but it wasn't this big deal that it is today. Long story short, my mom sold our house and moved back to Canada, and I added the "H" to my already determined name. Emoh is home backwards. It has a deep meaning to me, regardless how it sounds. The "Betta" was added later on by my homie Al-J.

You're just about to drop the tape Boogie Boy Metal Mouth together with J.Ring. What can you tell us about the project and what kind of expectations do you have on it?

BBMM started this past summer as a result of not giving a fuck about all these sub-genres of music. Not giving a fuck but taking it very seriously if that makes sense. I guess we make psychedelic punk rap, which is what we've been told. J-Ring and I go back years. Him and my ex-roommate, Normal, used to be one of the livest, rawest, hip hop duos in Boston like 6 or 7 years ago. Awkward Landing. Their live show was incredible. DJ Shiftee used to be their DJ, homie is nasty. He went on to win the world DMC's and I started to fill in for him here and there. As time passed, everyone started to do their own thing. J went on to form Gun Shop Daddy, a punk rock blues band. People say he left the scene, but few know he never left, he just went punk rockin for a bit. After not seeing each other for a couple of years, we crossed paths at a Busdriver show and I told him to make a song or two just for fun. He said he didn't wanna do just straight rap, and I said "that's perfect." He brought tracks over he made with his band. I chopped them up, added other samples, and cuts. Most our stuff is isn't really sequenced out, I just lay down live takes of stuff on the turntables. No metronomes. Timing might even be off somewhat, but that's our thing, we don't give a fuck. The samples are played live. It's sample based music for sure. Most, if not all of J's verses are one shot takes. No punch ins. It's a smorgasbord of sounds and it has its hip hop moments, but I wouldn't call it rap. We just have fun making music and that's all it comes down to. The name was made up by J. We had a lot of ideas, but this one stuck. Boogie Boy Metal Mouth.

As far as expectations, we are having fun making it, and that is all we need. Obviously we want people to enjoy it also, but whatever happens is fine. So far so good.

What are you up to when you're not making music and causing havoc?

I work at a supermarket. Ive had the same job for over 16 years. Some people may think I just DJ. Haha. That's cool that people think that I guess, but I don't really DJ clubs. There is def money in that, my homies do it. Ill let them do it. I guess i like the idea of making music more. When I'm not making music, I'm eating or working. I work about 45/50 hours a week. So many hours wasted at a job, but I need a steady income to support my food and music addiction.

Apart from BBMM, what can we look forward to from you this year?

Lots!!! My collective/crew Fameless Fam has so many projects dropping over the course of early 2013 which I am heavily involved with. 

F.Virtue & I have our album We Are Not The Shame (WANTS) dropping on Cooler Than Cucumbers. It will be on vinyl, and the digital will be a joint effort with Fake Four Inc.

F.Virtue & I also have an EP in the works with our homie J57 (Brown Bag Allstars).

Daniel J. W!shington (Exquisite Corpse) has his album dropping soon as well. It's unfuckingbelievable! 

Fresh Dirt (Andrew Milicia, pagezmusic, & myself) have an album The Bedroom Tape out around the same time as this interview is done. 

F.Virtue, Ira Lee, and myself also recorded an album under the name Uncle Prince. The Cluhhh is the name of the album and is being finished as we speak. 

H.W. and I will be releasing new music as well, if he ever comes home. We are roommates. 

I've done a few tracks with my homies Grey Sky Appeal for their new release. 

And BBMM is already working on new stuff including a bunch of videos. Our debut album is out now on I Had An Accident Records.

Nowadays it seems like the DJ has been kind of left behind in the hip hop world, especially when it comes to groups and so on. You seem to be very proud of your origin. Can you tell us what being DJ means to you?And also, do you consider yourself a DJ first and a beat maker second, or vice versa?

I consider myself a Scratch DJ or turntablist first. Beat maker second, if that. I still don't think of myself as a producer to be honest. I have made beats years back. I have an MPC2000xl, which I didn't even touch for the BBMM record. Most of those beats were made with my Technics, a pair of Dicers, records, a Rane 56s, a Roland SP-404, and Serato. All of the samples were chopped, cut, and manipulated live and then layered. Sort of a different approach to sequencing, if that makes sense. 

It's more fun to play with the individual sounds and samples rather than just loop it them. 

As far as DJing goes, there are millions of 'em. There are so many types and it's funny to me that rappers don't have them anymore. Some do, don't get me wrong, but I mean DJs that actually cut. It's a rarity. Things go in cycles and scratching will make a comeback for sure. The scratch nerds are out there and respect goes out to them. We inspire each other and many of us make art. Some push buttons and make people dance and love what they do. That's fine.

What inspires you, both when it comes to your music, but also in life in general?

Inspiration comes from a wide variety of things. Hanging with friends, homies that stop thru on tours, finding new music, new food. Sometimes I'll throw on an old X-Men mixtape or watch a Turntable TV VHS tape and become instantly inspired like it was 2001. Or I can throw on a Dirtstyle or Mr. Henshaw loop and cut for hours. I'm lucky to be friends with, and surrounded by so many talented people in music and art. Every one of my closest friends inspires and pushes me to keep doing what I do. I've played a million shows, toured (not as much as I have wanted) and worked with so many talented artists.

You're an outspoken vegan. How important is that to you and how has that changed you?

I'm vegan. I haven't had any meat or animal products in over 15 years. To me it is very important, it's my choice and I feel great about it. It wasn't hard for me to do, it just takes dedication much like anything. I have a GO VEGAN sticker on one of my laptops but I don't go around talking about it or preaching. It's a personal choice, much like straight edge was for me growing up. I prolly have like 4 vegan friends. I don't judge people on what they eat, never. Would it be awesome if everyone gave up meat? Of course! Only because it would make eating out so much easier everywhere, but it won't happen. I have friends that won't even step into a vegetarian restaurant. Haha. I'm lucky to live in an area with many places that have options though. I eat out all the time. Every day. I can't cook.

Shout outs?

Shout outs are tough because you realize you have friends you may not have seen in some time, you accidentally leave them out, they pop up and get mad you didn't mention them. Haha. Peace to everyone I make music with, hang with, eat with, cuddle with, etc,. I love everyone of you.

http://www.facebook.com/djemohbetta

http://www.facebook.com/BoogieBoyMetalMouth

http://boogieboymetalmouth.bandcamp.com/

http://www.famelessfam.com/

http://www.facebook.com/milledpavement

Buck 65 - Who By Fire

From Buck 65's album 20 Odd Years comes the video for Who By Fire, his version of the classic Leonard Cohen track.

We are disco doom REVENGE - Connect the Machine to the Lips

We are disco doom Revenge is a brand new discovery for me. I really don't know anything more than that French producer Francis Esteves is the man behind it. What we are given here are 7 tracks that could be described as something like post-electro shoegaze or just plainly good music with interesting melodies. There are guest vocals on most tracks, but except for Stuporman where Th'Mole is doing his thing, I would have prefered to have the rest of the tracks instrumental. The vocals on the other tracks don't really bring anything to the songs, and then I would much rather enjoy the music on its own. It will be interesting to follow Francis Esteves, I'm sure he will come up with more interesting things in the future.

Rating: 5.5/10

Sadistik - City in Amber feat. Lotte Kestner

New video from Sadistik's upcoming album Flowers For My Father that drops on Fake Four Inc. Feb 19th.

Boogie Boy Metal Mouth - BRN.TH.FCKN.house.DWN

Spanking new video from Boogie Boy Metal Mouth. Their self named tape drops on I had An Accident Records on Feb 5.

Boogie Boy Metal Mouth - 'BRN. TH. FCKN.house.DWN' from iraleeiswack on Vimeo.

Two Reviews of Boogie Boy Metal Mouth - Boogie Boy Metal Mouth

Michael's review:

I love when music surprises you, when what pops up is something that you hadn't expected at all. Boogie Boy Metal Mouth is a definitive surprise. I've been keeping track of DJ Emoh Betta for a few years now, and always wondered when I would hear something a bit different from him. Not saying that I haven't liked what he's been involved with up to this, far from it. Him being part of a track is almost always a good sign. But I've always felt that there was a bit more noize hidden in him somewhere. A bit more punk aesthetics. And here it is.
Here he's teamed up with J.Ring, a dude I never heard of before. What a nice introduction it is. The combination of J.Ring's vocals and the productions of Emoh is a match made in heaven. 12 tracks of something that feels unique is what we're presented with here. They have taken punk rock, blues, hip hop and rock and thrown it all into a blender, and what a tasty result the end product is. Ever since I first heard it, it's been on daily rotation in my headphones. The only thing that stands in the way of this being an amazing record is that I feel something is missing. I can't really put my finger on what, but I guess I miss some kind of framework that holds it together better. Standout tracks include Eat It In Your Face, Downstairs Neighbor (Ode to Koala) and Maybe You Lie. The album is released on cassette on I had An Accident Records in February. 

Jessika's review:

It grows, and grows ….and grows…and you are hooked! This album is something that you just HAVE TO give some time. After a few listening’s I can almost assure you that you will get addicted. Yes addiction can be a good thing, in this case, it’s brilliant!

This is something that you put on when you need a fresh slap in the face. Excellent stuff for a party or why not, loud in your headphones on a Monday morning when you really need a jump-start and a kick in the arse to get you going. Warning: not to be used for chilling and candlelit dinners!!!

Like most of the reviews before this I haven’t heard these two guys before, but now I’m really glad that I have. From what I understand this is their first project and well done I must say. Put all genres of music you can come up with, mix them all together and you’d think it would come out bad, but these guys have made a mixture that is seasoned just perfectly with all the right components from different genres of music. Again, well done! One thing that brings it down a bit could be that it kind of leaves you a bit scattered because you don’t really know what you are listening to, but who knows maybe that’s done on purpose.

Having a soft spot for blues I have to take my hat of to, for example the track, Downstairs Neighbor (ode to Koala). This track really has that smokey old time blues vibe to it.

And yes yes yes … oh … how many times can I express my love for the rough guitars? Thanks guys for using them a lot!

I could go on and on about this, but that would take your time from actually listening to it, so I’ll stop right here and let you too get addicted!   

Michael's rating: 7.5/10
Jessika's rating: 7/10

Penny - Twenties Hungry : The Unbound Anthems of Yesteryear

I must say that Fake Four Inc's been extremely generous with good music lately. First came the amazing Mockingbird by Tommy V, and now it's time for a record from yet another greatly missed artist. Back in 2002-2003 I stumbled across the record The Clockforth Movement by accident. I had never heard of the artist Penny before, but felt like I needed to check it out. And I'm glad I did. That album was among my favourite releases that year, and from time to time I still listen to it and enjoy it very much. After the compilation Miscellanea a few years later, things have more or less been quiet from this amazing emcee. Apart from a guest spot on an old Ceschi track as well as being part of Endemik Music's Mega Posse Cut, I haven't heard a single thing up until now. And how I missed her! Even though Twenties Hungry: The Unbound Anthems of Yesteryear is a compilation of tracks written and recorded between 2003-2006, not a single track sounds outdated. Far from it. They just show what a great talent she is, and that she was way ahead of many of her contemporaries back then. What we get here is 8 tracks that all stand on their own, and that will be on constant rotation in my headphones for quite some time. The only downside to this is that now I will look forward to hearing new material from her even more than before. Just imagine what she will be able to create today!

Rating: 7/10

Thegntlmn - Earbuds vol 1 & 2

If you like your beats with a bit of jazz attached to it, then perhaps Earbuds vol. 1 & 2 is something for you. Thegntlmn is a producer hailing from Perth, Australia, and his sound is simple but quite beautiful at times. Piano pieces, sound clips and turntablism all put together gives us an enjoyable listen. This is far from exciting, but that doesn't mean it's not worth checking out. Music for that ride home from the club.

Rating: 5/10

Tommy V - Mockingbird

Talk about a good way to end last year and begin 2013! Ever since Quarter Life Crisis and 4-Track Folklore dropped back in 2001-2002, I have been looking forward to a new full length record from Tommy V. And now it's here courtesy of Fake Four Inc. And quite frankly, no other label would make sense considering his long history with the Ramos brothers. I wasn't really sure what to expect though after all these years, but I shouldn't have worried. From the get-go, it's amazing, personal and often funny music that comes out of the speakers. Here we have an artist that isn't afraid to do exactly what he wants, and I tip my hat for that. This might not be for lovers of typical commercial hip hop, but then again, hip hop with intelligence and heart never is. Mockingbird is a most welcomed comeback, and no Tommy, you most certainly don't come wack! And guess what? It's available as a name your price download right here.

Rating: 7/10

Noah23 - Wingfoot

Did anyone really believe that Noah23 was retiring for good? In the rap game, retirement for some reason rarely lasts longer than a year. Then they are back as if nothing happened. Part of me is happy that he's back, part of me don't care at all. He's released a lot of good material throughout the years, but since he's one of those that releases tons of stuff, he's also dropped quite a lot of bad records too. It felt like he somehow had found himself when he signed up with Fake Four Inc. to release Fry Cook on Venus. He felt secure, had good tunes all the way through and it was a solid album. Wingfoot feels like a bit of step back. Not bad, but just that this is something that we've heard from him before. A shame really, but I'm sure he will release a new full length album in a week or two. 

Rating: 5/10