Jumping off from the sonic springboard of Afrofuturism, grime and future soul, all fused together with the fearless spontaneity of jazz. Steam Down is an arts collective comprised of Ahnanse, Alex Rita, Brother Portrait, Sawa Manga, Theon Cross, Nadeem, Benjamin Appiah, Dominic Canning and Nache. Every performance is a co-creative experience between musicians and audience where everyone’s participation matters. Creating an immersive experience that is complimented by the exuberant energy of the Steam Down family who show up regularly to bring vibes and and get down. Together, we journey on an aural exploration of past-present-future
FACTS:
1: Creativity is endless,therefore it is sister to the infinite, we don’t own it it just comes through us from some other place.
2: Day zero is approaching many countries in the next 20years, but do we even know about day zero?
3: Killer Mikes new series ‘Trigger Warning’ is super dope. Go check it out.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Music is a natural force. We just try to stay in tune with it’s purity and channel the energy. That energy may be inspired by people, our community in london, countless great musicians from all styles that have opened new sonic doors of exploration, philosophy ancient and modern, the ancestors, Love, Fire, Passion, Water.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
We all have individual journeys that have brought us together to make this music. I think we were all musicians before birth. We just had to lean how to control our bodies and understand this world in order to release the creativity within.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
Impossible question to answer.
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
An openness to new things, active youth in social and political spheres, transformation of old into new.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
Deptford where we started Steam Down.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Bring people together in another way, probably through another creative medium, writing, painting, maybe teaching and sharing information or just hanging out.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
Been listening to a UK producer called Juls and a tune called Deep End by Benji Flow. Bangers.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Kendrick Lamar or J.Cole.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
Our Live Album Recording at The Albany this Jan has to be at the top of the pile but it’s a hard one,so many other contenders.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
Technology isn’t really needed for us as we can make sound with anything. However it’s something we use to explore what’s sonically new in the electronic realm of things.Synths and Fx pedals are definitely a part of our sound.
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Baketown Collective invites Steam Down to their Schöneberg studio on Friday, 15th March 2019!
Photo © Steam Down
