Burial feat. Pusha T
TMN: Today I get to have a wonderful international call with three amazing guys who collaborate to the name of YOGI, guys welcome welcome and thanks for being our Resident Artists this month!
YOGI: Thanks for having us, cheers.
TMN: Well let’s start a little ways back here. Could each of you tell us a little bit about your music background? For example, did any of you grow up in a musical household? Did you play an instrument as a kid, sing in a choir, all of those things? And please let me know who is chatting, I could try and tell your voices apart but I would probably do a crap job ☺
Blake: This is Blake. I came from a musical background from playing the piano to playing a bit of drums and then I got into production.
TMN: Got it so you have a lot of music in your background?
Blake: Yes quite a lot.
Yogi: Yogi here…I came from a DJ background I have been dj-ing since I was 11ish.
TMN: Wow, since you were 11?
Yogi: Yeah well my dad was distributing technics in the UK so I grew up in a household around all of that. My dad used to DJ when he was young as well so I have always been around dj-ing.
I/O: Bryn, this is I/O. I don’t come from any musical background at all. I basically started dj-ing after I saw one of my friends dj-ing and soon after that I quickly decided that I didn’t want to be a DJ, I would rather make all the beats. So a friend of mine gave me fruity-loops which is what I started on and just started making beats from there.
TMN: That is awesome, you all come from different backgrounds with music but obviously it works for you all now.
YOGI: Yeah definitely.
TMN: We all have some musical influences in our lives. Who were some of your favorite artists/musical influences back in the day? And even today, do you have some artists who you look up to and admire? Or any young up and coming artists who you are excited to see make a name for themselves in the music world?
YOGI: The obvious is Michael Jackson. James Brown, Prince as well. Damn, there are so many man but those are the main ones.
Yogi: Marvin Gaye as well. My dad was an avid vinyl collector so I have got a lot of vinyl like original James Brown. His record collection was so big and I drew from there. Today I would say we are all influenced by Dr. Dre, the Neptunes, Timbaland and when newer people like Diplo came in that kind of blew my mind with what he was doing. Skrillex as well, those kind of guys were the first to kind of cross the genre between hip-hop and reggae and dance and house and I think that created a great opportunity for people like us to start making that music in the UK. I mean look, there are loads of influences but when you ask the question it’s hard to think of them all.
TMN: It’s so true and I have to say there is nothing better then listening to old vinyl at the end of a work day.
Blake: I think that my keys playing my percussions which leads to crazy grooves and drum patterns.
I/O: I would say my extensive knowledge of different catalogues, that is how I actually met Yogi in the first place. Mostly programming work and making beats. Basically we clicked because we were using the same system at the time.
Yogi: I don’t know what I bring (laughs) I just feel like I know what sounds good and give that opinion. So maybe just that overall opinion?
TMN: Hey we all need that opinion to say good or not so good in music. Maybe you bring class and charm too?
YOGI: (Laughs) Oh yeah. You know actually we have to take away some class and charm because it just gets too overwhelming. We appreciate that, thank you.
TMN: Your sound is something different and really wonderful. Would you categorize your music in one genre or better yet, how would you describe your sound in a few short words?
YOGI: You know what it is? We try to make it sound different and not all jumbled, to not make it sound like there is too much going on. We try to take what we like of dance, hip-hop, R&B, and reggae and we try to put it together. Everything is different as well we don’t have a formula or anything, it really is just a feeling. Sometimes we all are listening to different things and will come together to combine our ideas. We all add our uniqueness to it to make our sound different.
TMN: Your remix of Zedd’s ‘Stay The Night’ has over 350,000 plays on Soundcloud which is incredible for any song. Tell us what goes into making a good remix of an already popular song. Many people attempt remixes but tell us what made you decide to remix this particular song and how you feel about the reaction of listeners to this piece?
YOGI: Well, we were approached to do the remix and since we have such a good relationship with Zedd’s A&R, if he told me to do a click song I would probably do that (laughs). He has a great opinion so when he approached us we said totally 100% and I had heard the track and I loved what Haley and Zedd had done with the chorus and her vocals. It was great to get the stems and really be able to work on that. For me, I think a great remix is making it sound completely different than the original. We don’t make it to fit in a box or be played at a certain club. So how we approach doing a remix is making it sound nothing like the original.
TMN: Congrats on the recent release of ‘Burial’ with Pusha T. It is already getting a lot of positive feedback and your fans are super excited for your upcoming debut EP coming out this May. Tell us what you are most excited for with this upcoming EP?
Blake: It is going to be crazy and different, nothing you have ever heard before. And hopefully we can express our sound to the rest of the world.
I/O: Just to see people’s reaction because it is going to be really different. But it is going to be the best music we have put together. But overall just the reaction of people and how many numbers we can rack up with Soundcloud.
Yogi: I agree with both Blake and I/O and you know we come from a very different place of making music so it’s nice to kind of share your expression and have people put their opinion on it and kind of make it their own.
TMN: And besides that, what else are you looking forward to this year? Some good old tours and festivals I presume?
Yogi: Yeah we are doing an American tour, Vegas and what not in a few weeks time so that will be interesting. We have never done a tour like that so it will be a learning curb.
TMN: It will be very fun I’m sure.
Yogi: (Laughs) Yeah for sure. And we are really excited for that, a lot of sleepless nights.
Blake: Well I/O gave some of the best advice to a young lad working for us (laughs) he told him to go get a real job. Now he was joking because if the guy really wanted to produce, he wouldn’t take another job.
Yogi: It’s the same advice I got when working in studios first off, someone said to me “Learn how to hustle” and that was 10 years ago (laughs). That is what I would say, you can’t sugarcoat it, it is difficult and you either have to do it 24-hours a day or just don’t do it because someone else is doing it 24-hours a day.
Blake: You know teachers always say don’t give up and keep moving forward which is a good attitude to have but I would say you have to love it and you have to enjoy it. If you don’t love and enjoy it you won’t give 120% which is what you need to do.
I/O: I would say don’t do it, go get a job (they all laugh). No but really, that is the best advice (laughs) no I think as well, be yourself and don’t let anything hinder you from making your type of music. Because all the people who are successful right now are literally making the music they want to make and that’s why it works.
TMN: All good advice guys, all good especially “go get a real job” (laughs).
TMN: Ok, let’s shift over a bit to some fun questions. Do any of you do a good impression of Yogi the Bear (sorry I know Yogi is a religious meditation specialist BUT I had to ask) ☺
YOGI: (they all laugh) I don’t think any of us can…(they attempt).
TMN: I mean if you guys want to brush up on that for your American tour feel free to leave me a voicemail.
TMN: The best venue you have ever played at…
YOGI: The Lights in Vegas.
TMN: If you could swap spots with any other collaboration/group out there for a day, who would it be and why?
Yogi: That’s a good question…I really don’t know?
TMN: No one? Would you guys just stay YOGI for the day?
I/O: No man we have to pick someone…does it have to be a music group?
TMN: No you can be anyone, if you want to be a basketball player for the day I will take that.
Yogi: Oh shit well then Bill Gates, then we can spend his money. Or the Dali Lama.
Blake: I will be Diddy.
Yogi: I will be one of the guys from Daft Punk (laughs) so I can see what the other guys look like (laughs).
I/O: I have no idea who I would be man…
Blake: I know who you would be, you would be like Kanye.
I/O: I would be Kanye man! Wouldn’t have to worry about shit (laughs). Figure out what is going through his mind for a day.
Yogi: You might let Kanye down for the day (laughs).
I/O: I would be Dre when he was making Chronic 2001.
TMN: Alright, specific time frame, got it (laughs).
TMN: If you all would be so kind as to empty your pockets and tell us what is in them…
Yogi: My wallet…and my phone.
I/O: Empty.
Blake: My oyster card, in London that is our public transportation card.
Yogi: It is already out there, it’s called Pussy (laughs). Do you guys have the Pussy drink in America?
TMN: The Pussy drink? No, no we don’t (laughs).
Blake: It’s like Red Bull in the UK.
Yogi: No I wouldn’t name it that.
I/O: Let’s ask our manager…
Yogi: A Yogi-chino. You know these questions always kill me because I just never have an answer to them.
Blake: (laughs) Tall, dark, and handsome.
TMN: There you go like your own version on dark and stormy.
Yogi: I would call my drink Crack (laughs).
TMN: All appropriate drink names.
TMN: If you were stranded in the desert with only your trusty headphones and music playing device, old school Walkman or your wonderful telephone, and could only listen to one artist on repeat until you were rescued, who would you listen to?
Yogi: I would have to say Michael Jackson because he’s got a ton of music.
I/O: Biggie, he’s got two albums but they are timeless.
Blake: Fred Hammond.
TMN: Chocolate or Vanilla?
YOGI: Vanilla, vanilla, and a chocolate.
TMN: Any female crushes out there who you would like to give a little shout-out to?
Yogi: Yes, my wife (laughs). She is my only crush.
Blake: Meagan Good
I/O: Way too many to mention (laughs).
TMN: And finally, the question we like to ask all our artists, if your music where an animal which animal would it be and what?
Yogi: Hybrid lion tiger…a liger. It is the biggest thing and you know what, they can’t make it naturally. You have to go out in a lab and go out of your way to make it, get the best scientists in the world and make a lion and a tiger have sex (laughs). And every time we are making a track it is like that we are trying to get a lion and a tiger to have sex with one another
Blake: Please let them know that it is Yogi talking (laughs) I will go with a liger but I don’t want the nation thinking we said all of that.
TMN: (Laughs) No no, and the big thing is that the animal is different, large, badass, and isn’t your typical animal, exactly like your music.
YOGI: That’s exactly it.
TMN: YOGI, thank you so much for taking some time out from your busy studio days to chat with us. Best of luck releasing the EP this summer and we can’t wait to hear and see more from you guys!
YOGI: Thank you very much we appreciate it!
