Emmerald: What label will it be on?
MDCL: It's on Columbia in Japan. You know their A&R culture, I haven't found anything like that anywhere in the world. There're some labels that are like, yes we'll put it out, but then, you know, I might as well do it on my own label. It's interesting because the big jazz labels say, "we love it, but it's a bit too urban or too R&B". And then the urban labels are saying it's too jazz. And I'm like, well, that's the whole point.
Emmerald: You've got a couple of tunes on there with Bembe Segue from the UK.
MDCL: There's a bundle of Bembe Segue on there.
Emmerald: Good. The two of you together are like the quintessential vocalist/producer/musician collaboration in the broken/ nu jazz kind of thing. She's such an incredible singer. How did you all end up getting together?
MDCL: I first met her when I came over in '98 when I met IG for the first time. We did four really demented tracks in four days and Bembe sang on a couple of those. We're such a close-knit community anyway, it was inevitable that we'd cross-paths again. So there came a point where we were like let's do a tune together. And the whole writing and partnership just jelled from the start, and as it turned out there was more than one tune. And she's also singing in the live band which was a lot of fun.
Emmerald: Oh wow.
MDCL: I've just started a project call The FreeSoul Sessions, and it's similar to the live band in that there's MPC and the keys, but we've also got the live drums and musicians. But with the FreeSoul Sessions, it's all improvised. I program all the beats live and improvise tunes and that whole thing. Bembe's been doing that as well, which is pretty mental.
Emmerald: Are you going to do any kind of online marketing for the album, like where people can buy individual mp3s and all that?
MDCL: I'd like to. As far as doing it myself, I'd have to have an infrastructure and the time to do that. I would have to find the right partner to do that with. I'm really into that technology though.
Emmerald: Well with people being able to download whatever they want or trade it on CDRs, it's essential I think. Particularly in this style of music is where the community is so small, one person gets the CDR of something and it's gone; it spreads like wildfire. I think it's definitely something that artists have to look into and try and do to make sure that their music isn't just out there without them reaping any type of benefit from it.
So, Tell me about the "spirit of jazz".
MDCL: (laughs) It's just about the vibe, the vibe and the artistic ethic the music was approached with. It is quite a subjective thing when you hear it. I heard it in 60s Coltrane and Miles, and 50s Ahmad Jamal, and in the 70s with Herbie, the Mizell Brothers, and Weather Report. Then in the 80s and 90s it came through hip-hop for me, it really had that vibe and creative ethic about it. And then yes, I don't know where it went then but for me I fortunately crossed paths with the West London community.
