Like they say in the game, nuff talent
Observer Music Monthly
Raw and edgy the leading proponent of the K-STAR ENTS squad.
Touch
Were pioneers. The way were going about it is the way everyone else is gonna go. So says K-STAR ENTS heat-seeking MC K*Ners. The Bristolian, who hit Channel U and 1Xtra rotation with street hit Hectic, isnt joking. Because as well as throwing up great tunes with his rock-kid-turned-beatmaster producer One Mike, K*Ners is part of Cristal City. And Cristal City - a collective of Bristol rappers, producers, video-makers and designers which counts Massive Attacks 3D as an honorary member - is running things in a totally new way.
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K-STAR ENTS is a smart move at a time traditional record labels are struggling. Labels are scared and deals are scarce. Unless youre gonna make an immediate pile of money, you wont get signed. This way, we sell our music on the site, and keep total control of what were doing.
K*Ners is the latest in a succession of musical innovators from Bristol. They're treading a path beaten by Wild Bunch and Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky, and more recently, by Aspects, Roni Size and Full Cycles Tomahawk pop missile, Tali. So many creative things have come out of here, says K*NERS. People arent afraid to come out with some fresh stuff. Mad different things come out of Bristol. He puts it down to the city's sound system culture, which is still the main training ground and musical reference point for much of the citys sound. K*Ners started out as a ragga MC on a sound system. I used to go to all the ragga raves. Class sound system people would come and play, like (Jamaican sound system hero) Tony Matterhorn. Roots Manuva came down last year with his sound and ran a dance. Everything in Bristol stems from the sound system. Massive Attack have got involved too: 3D designed the Cristal City diamond logo and K*Ners debut album is being mixed at the bands Christchurch studio.
It certainly does. Debut album K In Da Flesh is a jet-propelled fusion of funk stabs, crazy-leg beats, rock energy and ragga attitude, and K*Ners raw, edgy flow. Theres energy in the music, energy in the beats, says K*Ners. Its raised the game for hip hop in this country. Rodney P certainly agrees: hes remixed end track I Am K*Ners. Take the sing-song Cristal City, with Uzi-hard beats and the biggest acid squelches since Roots Manuvas Witness, or Cocky, which takes the fanfare from the classic 80s Rocky flicks and curveballs it into a hot tune. Or Hectic, the ridiculously catchy Sega-sampling tune which got them heat in the first place. American hip hop is very unpretentious about what it samples. Everyone was saying we couldn't use that sample because it was too obvious but if it sounds good, fuck it. As well as obvious musical influences like Jay-Z and Bounty Killer, the pair name check Phil Collins, Linkin Park, The Streets and Oasis as less-obvious influences. Im doing something new, says K*NERS, I take inspiration from all kinds of music.
So, just to recap. What exactly is K-STAR ENTS? Its a movement, says K*Ners with a smile. And its getting bigger and bigger.
Look West. Bristol just got interesting again.
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