Interview – Broken Chakra – Wicked Spins Radio
Broken Chakra Interview for Wicked Spins Radio
WSR – Thank you for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Jon – Firstly thank you for taking the time to speak to us! Broken Chakra is a band that has been around for over 5 years and is an uncompromising fusion of city life and influences. The music is a reflection of the life we are living in and is an honest outlook on contemporary life where we are unafraid to talk about social and political realities.
WSR – What inspired you to create a hardcore punk/hip hop fusion
Jon – I have been making and creating fusion music for years, starting in my first Rap’Rock band in the 90’s dropping our first EP in 98. Since then I have been in Rap Metal bands, Jazz Funk Hip hop acts, and even Urban Pop groups. At the end of that particular group I wanted to go back to my roots and fuse un censored real lyrics with the anger and energy of punk and metal, all rapped up with a funk sensibility. It was then that I called up Christian Bailey a funk soul soldier who I knew through mutual friends and asked him to come down and bring his flavour. I called up Luke Morgan who I had been in that very first Rap/rock band in the 90’s and said look you know the flavour I’m looking for lets jam and get some grooves going on. I knew Rolen Brandy and had seen him perform some reggae and Live Drum and Bass but I was impressed with his hard-hitting rock approach got everyone together in a room and let the creative juices flow. To me with the exception of Indian 4th’s on the sitar, there are only 12 notes and it’s what you do with them and the riddims you bring is what it’s all about.
Oz – Our individual backgrounds has twisted and intertwined us to form the sound u hear before you. It’s gone through some changes but like Life itself things evolve.
WSR – You’ve been through a couple of line up changes, how has this effected you as a band?
Oz – These things always effect the music… but if the vision is unified and people are happy to progress then we are always happy to bring on-board brothers to the cause and they add their own flavour to the melting pot that is Broken Chakra.
This is what makes us unique its our vast and diverse range in music, and why joining and being apart of Broken Chakra is not easy. It’s about having the right blend of musicians because if we were all metal heads then the category would be towards Nu metal but what we offer is something from the past going forward.
WSR – How hard was it to get signed and what has the experience been like on your current label Jon Kennedy Federation?
Broken Chakra – Ha! Great question, when I started this band I just wanted to write honest real music that had a message. No place for ‘pop’ music here!!! When WE made the first EP I sent it around to some guys I knew in the industry regardless of genre, (I’ve certainly done all sorts over the years) and when I sent it to Jon he was like ‘this is fucking awesome!…what are you gonna do with it?’ I was like …really??? He being someone I know from the hip hop world as he had remixed one of my releases with Phuturesonic and I had MC’d with him in the past he was like I will release this! I was like sweet! He felt the passion and kindly agreed to put the record out. So it wasn’t really difficult or we didn’t really go looking for a ‘deal’ it was just a natural fit.
WSR – Have you got anything special in the pipeline for 2016?
Broken Chakra – Well we are hopefully due to hit Europe 3 times including full tours…. another ep and video’s…. so yeah we got some stuff going on… don’t wanna say too much now….lol
WSR – Gumball 3000? Tell us more 😀
Broken Chakra – well the Gumball 3000 deal was something that Jon Kennedy our label boss managed to orchestrate. He had connections with them and had synced some of his own and other artists on the label for some of their short you tube videos. They really dug our sound and took two tracks off the first EP. This was a total result, it still brings a smile to my face to see all those people getting crazy to our music. The stand out part would be our music playing with xzibit on a plane!!! Great exposure and helped us get out there! Thank you Jon!
WSR – Where is your biggest fan base, with the metal crew or the hip hop kids?
Broken Chakra – We are funny old band in relation to our ‘fan base’ we play all kinds of night’s. At hip hop show we are normally too heavy and at a metal gig there is too much rap! One scene that has been good to us is the hardcore scene, shout out rucktion records each and every.
Really we just try to do our thing and not worry too much who likes it and who we should be pandering too. The key is to write honest and real music to us and if people feel it great. They could be into Taylor Swift but if they feel our songs that’s all good. No place for division here. We would like to unify. If people who love hip hop can feel us then great, likewise if people are into metal and hardcore feel us
WSR – Can you tell us a bit about Overthrow and how you came to have Profit joining you?
Jon – Overthrow is a song that ultimately comes out of the social inequality that is far too prevalent in British society. Its comment on the social ‘norms’ and the status quo and aims to talk about this and put a different perspective across. Whether its right or wrong is down to the listener but I firmly believe differing opinions and ideas should be shared via art.
Profit is a mutual friend and used to play in a band with Oz called Sons of Mecha many years ago and I met him through some mutual friends and we ended up rapping in a band together called Dirtburg. We always got on and when we were looking for a guest for this EP, Profits versatility and ability was a natural choice for the project. go check out his music too its great!
WSR – There are not many bands like you out there, how would you hope to influence the next generation of metal/hip hop bands?
Broken Chakra – Honesty… I hope that the next generation is formed by honesty, playing the music they love and not by these manufacturing TV shows.
WSR – What is your greatest strength and greatest weakness as a band?
Yus – Greatest strength is the determination and focus to keep moving forward.
It’s not easy being in a band and the will to keep doing it no matter what people say is key to it.
Oz – Greatest weakness is time and distance, not enough hours in the day to achieve everything we need to and to make this work. we all come from all over the country which can be difficult.
WSR – You asked a question to fans/fellow musicians that I would actually like you to answer. So what was the first instrument you picked up and what was the first song you learned to play?
Yus – I picked up a guitar at the age of 12 and taught myself to play Master Of Puppets (Metallica)
Oz – The recorder, drums at the age of 11 and smoke on the water deep purple.
Christian – First instrument I tried drums at age 5 or 6. First tune I attempted to play was probably Musical Youth “pass the dutchie” then it was recorder then violin then bass
WSR – What is your fondest memory of the 90s?
Yus – I have so many fond memories of the 90s, many of which revolved around music… I would probably have to say seeing Metallica for the first time in October of ’96 on the Load tour.
Jon – For me music was just so exciting back then, people were completely unattainable to mix and blend styles. To draw influences from metal, ska hip hop, reggae, electronica and just see what comes out. That attitude still has a strong influence on the band and our creative output.
Oz – Going on tour to Germany and Poland at 15 and trying every beer for 20p a litre and getting wasted and jamming non stop with my cousin Yus and meeting my life partner and playing drums and not giving a shit and conforming to the pressures of life.
WSR – Tea or coffee? What is the normal brand you drink?
Broken Chakra – Water, Juice, Beer or Whiskey, usually in that order too lol.
Jon – For me it’s Gotta be coffee and fair trade of course!
WSR – To you what place in the world is the greatest?
Yus – “There’s no place like Home”
Jon – To me the greatest place in the world would be a place with out war, equality, free education, clothed and fed where everyone regardless of sex, race or religion had the right to live a fulfilling life. Failing that I kinda love London.
Oz – Hot sunny blue waters and adventures long treks.
WSR – What’s the story behind the Survival song and also the immense video to accompany the track?
Broken Chakra – This track was off our first EP and was a production master minded by the great Will Wright at Film Tribe who I thoroughly recommend any artists who need a video reach out to. He listened to the tracks off the EP and came up with a roadhouse/warriors style spin on a traditional performance video. We being subversive thought people normally see guys bartering each other why not women?? So this was the thought process plus we wanted to throw some homage to the old fight movies… Gotta have an element of Van Dammage!!!
WSR – Thank you for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, is there anything you would like to add?
Broken Chakra – firstly thank you again for giving us this platform, secondly please check out our latest video ‘truth hurts’ which is the second track off our second EP. We really appreciate anyone who takes the time to listen and support us and for an independent act like ourselves it’s really important and matters to us when people buy our music, wear a t-shirt, share a video or comment on social media. We are making this music for ourselves and if people appreciate it, we appreciate them.
https://www.facebook.com/BrokenChakraBand/
http://brokenchakrajkf.bandcamp.com/
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