DIALECTRIX INTERVIEW

Dialectrix is a revered and prolific Hip Hop lyricist hailing from Sydney who is signed to the legendary Hip Hop label Obese Records. Since releasing his first solo album “Cycles Of Survival” produced by beat extraordinaire Chasm in 2008 Dialectrix has received media exposure from Rage, MTV, Channel V, NOVA, JJJ along with a slew of community radio stations nationwide.

His solo sophomore album ‘Audio Projectile” produced entirely by veteran producer Plutonic Lab, received critical acclaim and heavy rotation on JJJ with the singles “Whut” and “Pieces Of A Puzzle” the latter would later be featured on the Hollywood blockbuster film “Chronicle” and become the first Australian Hip Hop song to be featured in a big budget American movie.

Currently Dialectrix is finishing off his 3rd solo album “The Cold Light Of Day” entirely produced by Plutonic Lab and due out mid 2013. He is also about to drop his “Satellite” EP featuring production from Exile, Mr. Thing, Suff Daddy, Haz Beats and Eric Lau.

What are your earliest memories of music?
My earliest memories of music are of playing my parents records and being obsessed with Michael Jackson as a child like 2-3 toddler age. I’ve always loved music and have old home videos of singing and dancing to Thriller at the age of 3. My Father and brother both were drummers and I started playing the drums around 5 or 6.

Who were your musical influences growing up?
My family influenced my tastes as a child. My parents liked classic Rock/Pop/Doobie brothers type stuff and my brother went through the whole Grunge thing around me. My cousins all played R&B, Rap and Reggae around me so I had a rich variation of music being played within earshot back in N.Z. As a teenager in Oz I was mainly listening to abrasive, angst ridden music of all kinds (as teenagers do) and whatever I heard from skateboarding videos. I played in anything and on anything I could get my hands on until I started rhyming then it was that till the end.

Stylistically now, from a rapping perspective, I’m influenced by technicality, substance and originality the list is endless but would include Pharoahe Monch, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, Pegz, L.C, Delta, Slug, Jehst, Task Force, Kool G Rap, Sage Francis, Company Flow, Breeze Brewin, Big L, The list is wayyyyyy too long!

When did you realise you wanted to be a MC?
I was too scared to take myself seriously at first. I was rapping at parties by myself for a while from 14 onwards but taking the piss in a parody way. I was writing ‘serious’ raps but not doing anything with them like a kind of secret. I borrowed 3 albums off a mates brother – Grave Diggaz “6 feet Deep”, Wutang “36 Chambers”, Organized Konfusion self titled album.

When I first heard Pharoahe Monch’s 3rd verse on “Prisoners Of War” I had an epiphany of what I wanted to do in life I knew that Rap was it. His verse reminded me of a drum solo made out of words and I was spell bounded by how it effected me I was so pumped that I spent my entire work shift (as a dish pig) trying to copy what he was doing for like 5 hours straight. That was it at 14 after that 1 song.

The Blue Mountains seem to have a wealth of talent from yourself to Thundamentals, Urthboy, Hermitude the list goes on whats in the water up there?
The Blue Mountains can be a very nurturing place for passionate artists. Per capita it has quite a high percentage of youth. I remember stats being thrown around that some of the towns in the Blue Mountains have the highest percentage of youth in the country ( was a while ago though). The upper mountains has always been synonymous with creativity and esoteric counter culture and that has held it as a kind of artistic hub in some ways akin to Newtown or Byron Bay for a lot of teenagers through out the years. If you add abundance of youth, isolation, and creativity into a pot and stir that shit around you’re bound to see some great acts come out the wood works.

Your new EP “Satellite” features some of Hip Hop’s most respected producers from across the globe. How did you approach making the EP?
I took the opportunity with the EP to just indulge in making a release that I felt was pretty pure and traditional to what the orthodox of Rap is. Samples, loops and solid bars of Rap. I felt the concept of having all overseas producers lent itself to trying to showcase what an Australian Rapper could produce on some international production which is where the “Satellite” concept comes from, sending out to the rest of the world what an artist can do down here collaborating with some well known overseas names.

It is being released on vinyl through the crowdfunding platform Pozible how have you found doing it this way what are the pros and cons?
I’ve found the process to be overwhelmingly positive. It allows a direct link for an artist to reach their most dedicated fans and to give them something beyond what they would usually be offered. It cuts out the middle men of labels and stores from the picture and promotes giving your true fans something exclusive and special. It is for artists, the antithesis of free music streaming and downloading, and is to the fan a more open and intimate platform to acquire rare and exclusive material.

What is your favourite track off the EP and why?
“Sydney Psychosis”. It just came together really naturally. I never second guessed what I was writing about and that seems to just fit with the beat. Plus it’s got Revolution on the cuts and he absolutely smashed an awesome cut sequence about the city I call home. Win!

You also have your new album entirely produced by Plutonic Lab coming out later this year on Obese Records what can we expect from it?
The forthcoming LP is in many ways the record I’ve worked the hardest on. It’s the longest I’ve ever worked as a soloist on any record and I’d like to hope that’s been reflected on the album. Plutonic Lab’s beats have shaped the progressive nature of it as an entirety as we have seemed together a really broad range of sounds and topics. I’m happily confident that this album is the most refined and broadly scoped piece of work I’ve ever done.

For people unfamiliar with Hip Hop in Australia what 5 tracks/albums would you tell them to check out?
Pegz- Cro Magnon
Def Wish Cast – Aust
Lyrical Commission- Press Release
Koolism- Adrenalin
Lazy Grey- Stop And Think

What is one thing the Australian Hip Hop scene needs right now?
A better mix of skills and commercial acceptance. The scene right now is too extreme in what way an artist leans stylistically and who and how they’re accepted. Dudes who are nice on the mic should be gain more exposure and also expand the way the want to attack music.

What inspires you to write music?
Life experience, hardship and elation

What other artists/producers would you most like to collaborate with and why?
I would love to do a track with Trem just to tick that off the list. I reckon a track with Danielsan would be fun too

What music/artists are you currently listening to?
Kendrick Lamar, Action Bronson, EL-P and Killer Mike

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt in your career so far?
Never expect anything from what you do. Just enjoy the process of perfecting your craft and having a go. Just trying something out is always better then never failing.

What is the best piece of advice ever given to you?
Someone told me “Ride the wave, Find that wave and ride it till there’s nothing left”. It felt profound at the time

What is your ultimate career goal?
To continually get better, provide a legacy for my family and set a new benchmark in lyricism

What does the future hold for Dialectrix?
Progression. More shows and more albums.

Whats your definition of Grindin’?
Being obsessed with doing something better then you have before