Bido Lito June 2021 Issue 114

KOKIRI
A producer and DJ of full-bodied house music.
If you had to describe your music/style in a sentence,
what would you say?
It sits on the borders of melodic house, with elements of
soul, disco and classic house hiding in there too.
Have you always wanted to produce? How did you get
into it?
I got into production when I was about 12/13. My brother
showed me a song he had on vinyl and explained to me
that the lad who had made it produced it in his bedroom.
It blew my mind. I thought that you needed a big
expensive studio to release music. When I realised I could
make tracks on my PC, I became obsessed.
Do you have a highlight in your career so far?
For me, it happened about six years ago, when I’d put
together a song called Retrospect. As soon as it was
released, it was being played at shows, festivals and even
topped the Radio 1 Dance Chart. It then went on to be
released by Ministry of Sound.
To what extent has Liverpool’s electronic music
scene and clubbing scene influenced your work as a
producer?
One of the reasons I wanted to produce music was
because of Mike Di Scala. He was basically running
the Scouse house scene when I started. He was doing
exactly what I aspired to, just a lad making music and
playing it out at shows; this was a massive inspiration to
me.
What was the inspiration behind your newest track So
Free? Any particular musical influences?
The original idea for the song was made back in 2015.
I came across a sample that had a tribal vibe and spent
a couple of hours playing around with it. Fast forward a
few years later, I had a writing session with Jem Cooke
who appears on the track. I found an old mp3 of the idea
and asked if this was something she’d be interested in
writing to. She loved the original idea, so we went from
there. I was introduced to Todd Terry through my label
and showed him some of my demos. He loved it, and I
suppose the rest is history.
You’ve already worked with legends such as Todd
Terry. Is there anyone who you aspire to collaborate
with one day?
Collaborating with Todd was definitely a bucket list
moment for me. I could probably list about 100 people
who I’d love to collaborate with, with but I’ll narrow it
down to my top three: Ben Böhmer, Tom Misch and Roy
Ayers.
Why is music important to you?
I just love that you can hear a song that you haven’t heard
for years and it has the power to transport you instantly
to a different point in your life. I want to be able to give
people that feeling. I want listeners to relate to my music,
understand why I’ve created it and leave them with a
lasting effect.
So Free is available now via Perfect Havoc
@kokirimusic
MONDO TRASHO
Breathless surf rock with a recording
prolificacy to keep pace.
If you had to describe your music/style in a sentence,
what would you say?
Jay (guitar/voice): Scouse surf-rock/garage noir.
Chris (Organ): With added cinematic feel. A mix of
grandiose Echo And The Bunnymen and the dirt-surf
garage from The Cramps and the Dead Kennedys.
Have you always wanted to create music? How did you
get into it?
C: I started mostly by getting few instrument lessons in
school. As soon as I was shown a power chord or a Nirvana
song on drums I never looked back. We’ve always been
in some sort of band, from the cover groups we started
at school, to our three-chord punk bands we were in as
teenagers.
What drew you towards the lo-fi garage sound in
particular?
C: We feel like with new recording and production methods
the surf sound can get over-produced.
J: It’s important we have some grit.
C: We want our music to sound like it’s been buried in a
damp basement for decades.
You’ve just released a series of three EPs. How does each
release connect with each other, and how do they differ?
C: Each EP is distinct, while all staying true to our sound.
The first, That’s Trash, showcases how diverse our songs
are. We picked one of our grand cinematic tracks with
Running Scared, a fast garage track with 86’d and slow
surf track with One Eyed Jacques.
J: More Trash has three darker tracks both in feel and lyrical
content.
C: And Pure Trash has tracks you can dance to, with songs
like Tear It Up.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a
mixture of all of these?
J: It stems from wanting to do something artistic. You know,
just to leave something here for when you’re gone, to
prove you existed. I quite like thinking about the future and
someone saying, “Here’s my uncle’s old band.”
C: Or, “My granddad was in a band, you know, on this old
website called Spotify.”
It’s a break from your working life. I like thinking art, old
horror films, John Waters films, B-movies and Twilight Zone
episodes inspire us.
Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in? If so,
what makes it special?
J: We only had the chance to play about three venues
before the pandemic, but Drop The Dumbulls sticks out. It’s
DIY to its core.
Why is music important to you?
J: It’s everything.
C: It’s something that’s always there. Music is the perfect
tonic. It’s the principal thing.
Photography: Mat Colfar
That’s Trash, More Trash and Pure Trash are out now and
play Shipwrecked at Future Yard 14th August.
SPOTLIGHT
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