Riding the wave that comes with having your first full length studio album released Japanese Cartoon, the punk, politically jaring subculture indy band comprised of famed mc Lupe Fiasco as well as Le Messie from the indy singapore Label False, have begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel for their grand scheme. The band’s very existence has been one of mystery with press coming in scarce bunches and music coming in waves of a even more sporadic nature, yet they have managed to challenge an niche group of individuals with their heavy sounds and hyper charged lyrics. We were able to sit down with the group for their first full length interview and pick the brains of two of it’s spearheads, while trying to dive into the make up and ultimate message of Japanese Cartoon.
Interview:
Anthony Coleman
So tell us who’s in the groundbreaking Japanese Cartoon ensemble?
Wasalu: Graham Burris, Matt Nelson, Le Messie and myself… Percival Fats pops in and out every now and then…
With such a cast of creative minds involved with the project how has the band’s musical direction been driven?
Messie: The idea is more to ditch that car we driving and just run, let the journey take its course on things…
Could you describe the sound and feel of Japanese Cartoon we can expect to hear on subsequent releases from the band?
JC: No comment.
Now that the first project has been released what has been the collective response received by its heavy punk highly political overly brash sound?
Messie: It’s kind of a modern revival of the 70’s rebellious punk mindset. People are looking at it the same way but with a modern take on things. The new generation is learning for the first time how to make their own movement.
Wasalu: Yea…
The First project being released completely independent was that intentional, and will this be the route taken for following releases?
Yes and for now everything is gonna be independent… there’s too much dependency in the world son…
Speaking on the creative whole of the group in what other mediums will we see Japanese Cartoon represented?
Messie: The idea is to break the concept of mediums down… not to say whether we’re gonna do something or not do something… it’s about organic growth and whatever makes sense at that time, if it happens it happens and as of present it’s happening!
Wasalu: Yea, this table’s really bassy son!! (Taps JC beats on the interview table)
Has work been started on any other material for the band?
Wasalu: We’re constantly brainstorming and coming up with new and old things, the like, constantly working. It’s a constant battle against the evil forces son. We won’t stop till the evil stops!
Wasalu’s involvement with the band was from the beginning remained a mystery until recently. Why was this strategy considered for such seemingly off kiltered project from the bands members?
Percival Fats: No Comment.
Was there ever any concern for alienating the masses who were accustomed to a certain sound and direction coming from a person like Lupe?
Wasalu: I always seeded leftism in my music anyway, so I always seeded different genres, mutations of genres of music so I think JC is a fuller, singular manifestation of that. Even in JC, you see different forms of music. Different genres of music within the music, metal, trip hop, punk, electro so JC’s just an extension of that.
With streetwear and fashion being such a large component in the other passions what can we expect to see arise from that direction?
Wasalu: I think we’ll have really good merch. Me and Messie (!) between us and what I like and how deep we are in streetwear, we’ll just have some damn good merch. Streetwear loves to rip off bands… now we get to make something dope for a real band. It’s gonna be dope as fuck. Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck.
Messie: you can expect physical manifestations of the JC sound in functional form.
Wasalu : dao lao tsu du lao ah (preparing for his Macau trip..)
What is the ultimate goal of Japanese Cartoon?
Wasalu: To make really awesome……………………………… MUSIC.
Messie: To systematically alter reality from the point of view of the masses.
Wasalu: Oh yea that too.
Japanese Cartoon Interview | SlamxHype Exclusive is a post from: SLAMXHYPE
